LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska’s next leader in athletics must act with “unbelievable urgency” and boldness in moving the school forward during a pivotal era in college sports, football coach Matt Rhule said Monday.
In his first public comments since Trev Alberts left Nebraska after less than three years as athletic director for the same position at Texas A&M, Rhule said he’s strongly committed to the university but urged leaders at the state and school levels to select an AD who works with the passion and foresight displayed by Alberts.
“We can’t take a step backward,” Rhule said. “We have to take a step forward. The thing that I’ll say is we have to be unabashed in our desire to be the best. We cannot worry about optics. We cannot worry about what people say.
“The way you win in college athletics today is you invest. And I cannot think of a state that knows that better than this amazing state.”
Rhule, at the beginning of a news conference to discuss the Huskers’ upcoming spring football practice, spoke for 12 minutes about Alberts’ exit and the state of the department before taking a question.
Alberts, 53, departed from his alma mater in the days before its men’s and women’s basketball teams were selected Sunday to participate in the NCAA Tournament together for the first time in 10 years. The Nebraska men and the women are both set to match against Alberts’ Aggies in the first round of play on Friday.
Rhule came to Nebraska in November 2022, recruited by Alberts and university system president Ted Carter. Carter left to take the presidency at Ohio State on Jan. 1. Rhule finished 5-7 in his first season with the Huskers, but support has swelled behind the coach as he built a foundation and recruited well.
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His 2024 class featured five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, on campus this spring.
Rhule said he would forever consider Alberts as a friend. Alberts and his wife, Angie, smoothed the transition to Nebraska for Rhule and his wife, Julie. They’ve grown to love their new home, he said. Rhule’s son, Bryant, is set to attend Nebraska in the fall as a freshman. The coach’s wife plans to open a business in south Lincoln soon.
“We would not invest our money and our future in a place that we did not believe in,” Rhule said.
Questions last week from members of the national media about Rhule’s contract status at Nebraska frustrated the coach.
“I’m here,” Rhule said. “And I’m all in. Julie’s all in. I love Ted Carter and I love Trev, and I came because of them. But I came here to be at the University of Nebraska. And I love the people that I’ve met. And we’re not going anywhere, unless you guys kick us out.”
Rhule said he felt gratitude toward interim university system president Chris Kabourek and Gov. Jim Pillen, both of whom reached out to Rhule in the wake of Alberts’ decision to leave.
“This is an opportunity for us to look at everything within our athletic department,” Rhule said, “maybe within our university and how we can be better.
“We don’t have major problems. We have an unbelievable athletic department. We have an unbelievable opportunity. But we must have vision for the future, for 20 years from now. And that’s what Trev had, make no mistake.”
The ongoing, seven-month search by Nebraska’s Board of Regents to name a permanent replacement for Carter has led to the appearance of discord. The next athletic director also must grapple with fund-raising challenges associated with Alberts’ plan to renovate Memorial Stadium for $450 million.
The project was set to start in earnest after the 2024 football season with the demolition of the south end-zone seating.
Rhule said he’d like to see a replacement for Alberts who’s intent to fight for Nebraska at the NCAA and Big Ten levels.
“We need doers,” Rhule said. “We need people who just figure it out and work.”
The next AD needs toughness, Rhule said, to deal with the passion of fans who will voice their favor and disfavor of various decisions. No way exists to please them all. An AD who listens to the outside noise— just like a school president or a football coach — has no chance to succeed, Rhule said.
“I think we’ll see Huskers come together,” he said. “We can all believe in different things and then still come together for what’s best for an institution that we love.”
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(Photo: Mike Mulholland / Getty Images)
