The players also told Rhule to hire Butler as DC. Maybe Rhule should stop listening to the players and coach the game. Common sense says stop letting Barney return it to the 14 but it’s Rhule.
IS USC GOING AFTER MIKE ECKELER?
- Thread starter Jeans_15
- Start date
And you know that he was told to return the kicks by Rhule and not Ek? People complain that Rhule is a micromanager and that is why White left. In this case, he let Ek coach the special teams and the drive started at the 14 because the ST coach was sure it was going to go for a TD.
We can't have it both ways.
I don't think Rhule likes all the attention that Eckeler gets. Those two may not work well together on the day to day type thing. But it's interesting to me to see the people that want to hold off on head coaching changes are the ones acting like losing this coach is no big deal. If this happens, it's a huge loss, and I'd like to think of Eckeler as a long term Husker coach. Rhule is temporary imo.
Is this the stage of college football grief where we're all supposed to convince ourselves that he wasn't that great, we didn't really want him anyway, we can do better, etc? Because it all sounds very familiar (cough DR cough).
Sounds a lot like that Saban video that was posted a few days back. The one about mediocre people surrounding themselves with other mediocre people and great people wanting to surround themselves with great people.
Ek is the best coach on our staff. And it's not even close. (new guys aside - too early to include them)
So you would prefer that we lose great assistant coaches, have an even worse season, hire the next Riley, Frost, Rhule type and then start another long term rebuild. Sounds fantastic.
The bold part of that doesn't have to be true ya know? You sound like such a battered wife.
1. I would rather make the playoffs.
2. I would rather be in contention to make the playoffs after 10 games
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3. Anything other than those two things are super lame so I would 100% want to hire a new coach. Anyone Husker fan that doesn't think like that is insane.
Exactly!
Also, Rhule IS the next Frost/Riley. Like, we already have the next Frost/Riley.
I'd rather the home office get over pass happy and run the ball.. rhule pull his head out the back side and know you don't replace 0 & 9 with a sophomore...and have me coach live tackling during practice..
I don’t think Rhule likes the over-exuberant firearm shivers that Eck gives him after good ST plays. Hurts his short little arms.
Do we know this? Could be just usc hot air and wish list
IDGAF if Ek stays or goes as long as Matt is the coach. Fascinating watch though.. and that isn't a dig at anyone I swear. I just find it fascinating people care.. Cause Matt is so terrible it doesn't matter who the ST coach is.
The idol worship that completely ignored that we still had some, much less but still some special team gaffes this year, was interesting. You won’t find a single post of mine slobbering over the greatness of Ek this year. The reality is that he improved our kicking game by recruiting a better snapper and kicker IF in fact it was him that recruited them. The punter at times punted well. At other times not so much. All in all, I would give his special teams a B. The praise they received was largely because they were so awful under Foley.
Excellent special teams play maybe worth two wins per year. Pay for results.
We improved. We had one return TD right? Excellent all the time? No way. Better? Yes. Whatever. It’s not my money but the whole agents putting the squeeze on us rubs me the wrong way just like Rhule’s did to get the extension. Screw em. Stay or go. I don’t care.
Sadly it’s done everywhere in the pros college sometimes in the corporate world and the biggest thing is the market if salaries weren’t going through the roof these coaches wouldn’t garner that much money
So, he improved us from a F- to a B in one season? And...meh? Lmfao
Show me another Rhule hire with those kind of meh results.
And as a reminder, Rhule didn't even find Ek. A podcast host had to force feed him to him.
Your mental gymnastics are spectacular to watch sometimes.
It’s not gymnastics. Foley was historically bad. We needed a snappper and kicker. EVERYBODY knew that. I don’t think Ek did anything this last fall that shouldn’t be expected of ANY competent special teams coordinator. We still had too many breakdowns. His punter was WAY over valued. Love the kid and I expect him to get more consistent.
IF Ek goes so be it. IF he stays that’s probably a good thing because who knows if our GM, AD or head coach are smart enough to find another competent coordinator from the hundreds that are out there.
If Ekeler were to leave I wouldn't mind seeing Bill Busch come in, he's a proven coach that would do a great job and he lives in Nebraska. Not only has Bill coached special teams but many positions on the defensive including coordinator, he has a proven record. I will say one of Matt Rhule's biggest mistakes was when he was hired he did not retain Busch who was on the previous staff, Matt made the big mistake, he chose that former ST coach Foley? what a mess that was. By the way Busch is available and probably would love to coach again, he has a wonderful football mind and is a great recruiter, he would be a plus for the Nebraska football team. I just think Matt is too hard headed sometimes and needs direction when it comes to hiring the right coaches.
Actually having a return threat was a vast improvement, 13th in kickoff return average and 17th in punt return average. The bowl game hurt those rankings but I still think it's more on Barney since Kenneth Williams didn't return a single kick. Archie Wilson has been a disappointment no doubt, (and his story is overblown and annoying,) but the kick and punt coverages vastly improved also.
16.39y vs 21.74y kickoff coverage 2025/2024
3.83y vs 12.32y punt coverage 2025/2024
The special teams rankings had nowhere to go but up. I think Ek is good. I also think he’s replaceable but I don’t have much confidence in Rhule on his own making a good choice. I think there’s lower division guys who could do the job well.
Kickoff coverage is what it is, kick the ball out of the end zone and it could be 0.00
It is easy to do better on punt coverage when you kick low line drive kicks that bounce for a quarter of the total distance or high short kicks for fair catches.
It isn't rocket science
Do you think Rhule has too many people telling him different things and that’s why he’s made some questionable hires?
It must require at least basic science because the punt return average is the lowest since 2019 by about 4yd/r and the kickoff coverage is the best in the last decade, I didn't look any farther back. More getting players to buy into special teams and guys like Ekeler get them motivated.
Opponents only returned 6 of 37 punts because they were low line drive punts or high short punts. Look I figured it out.
Nebraska kicked off 75 times, 34 were touchbacks 9 were fair caught, 3 out of bounds, 1 onside kick and 28 were returned. Nebraska utilized the high short kick that resulted in short returns.
The key to see if the strategy was successful would be to compare the kick/ punt return average to the average starting field position.
2025 Field Position Value — BCF Toys
bcftoys.com
They only track FBS vs FBS non garbage time so that's what I got but 37th in opponent starting field position vs 90th and 110th the two previous years.
So look in one hour we figured out how to minimize return yardage and maximize opponent starting field position by simply kicking the ball high and short or thru the end zone, and punting the ball low line drive so it bounces or also kick it high so there is no return.2025 Field Position Value — BCF Toys
They only track FBS vs FBS non garbage time so that's what I got but 37th in opponent starting field position vs 90th and 110th the two previous years.
I am sure that there is someone on the staff can show players how to accomplish this.
Where he would be missed is the motivational side, but again, I have worked with many coaches that are motivators and emotional people.
I hope he stays, but I do not think he is irreplaceable.
No. I think at first he mostly hired people he knew and had worked with. He got a late start on his first staff and had been out of the college game for 3 years. He’s tried to adjust staff as it became obvious he needed to. I just don’t think the product he has put on the field has been overly attractive to experienced proven assistants. We would probably need to talk to multiple college assistants “off the record” to get a true sense of how he’s viewed by other coaches. Nebraska is a darned tough gig. Thus far, some of his hires have been underwhelming. Maybe the new O line coach and new DC make everybody look better.
Rhule addressed the situation, doesn't sound confident Ekeler will return, will promote from within if he goes. Josh Martin, Nick Humphrey and Brett Maher.
Within? Oh fudge.
In the video, Rhule mentioned hiring Aurich as DC. I wonder if Ekeler wanted the job and that’s why he’s considering leaving.
Yeah I'd wager Ek is gone. Shame if he is.
I can't listen to Matt the Hat. He is fond of the phrase "All I can do". He comes across as a spineless, babbling dope.