Does Rhule Appreciate, Understand, & Revere Nebraska More Than Failed Favorite Son Frost?
By Rock Westfall
Matt Rhule may prove to be the Nebraska Savior that Scott Frost was touted to be.
From the Ruins Comes a New Big Red Rhule
The University of Nebraska and Matt Rhule needed each other. Both had a history of excellence. But both were reduced to the ashen ruins of losing. Nebraska was coming off the shock of a failed favorite son being unable to deliver a return to glory. While Rhule was coming off the humiliation of an NFL failing and firing. In 2023, the school and coach united for a significant heavy lift. And while a 2023 bowl game was not clinched, the future looks tantalizing.
A Failed Favorite Son Brought Hopelessness and Despair
In December 2017, when Scott Frost arrived in Nebraska, men in Cornhusker State literally shed tears. Finally, the football program that made the state so proud would be restored to its rightful place among the nation’s elite.
Nebraska was coming off a 4-8 season under Mike Riley, a nice guy who was proven to be out of his depth and element. Frost was at the end of his tenure as head coach of the UCF Knights, where he was to finish 13-0, 6th in the nation, and with a Peach Bowl win over mighty Auburn of the SEC.
Fans and media alike called Frost’s hiring the best of 2017 and a sure thing. There was no way the Nebraska native, alum, and 1997 national champion QB would fail. Yet Frost did fail spectacularly. Frost went 4-8, 5-7, 3-5, and 3-9 in his first four seasons. After an embarrassing home loss to Georgia Southern for a 1-2 start in 2022, Frost was fired.
During his time at Nebraska, Frost did not establish good relations with the state’s high school coaches, especially in Omaha. Once upon a time, a Nebraska kid would never leave the state for another program. But they did in the Frost era.
Frost’s Nebraska teams were known for self-destruction. Nebraska’s kicking teams were among the worst in the country. Prize recruit Adrian Martinez was tasked with carrying too much of the load at QB. And the Huskers were often a turnover machine with poor fundamentals.
Also, then-athletic director Bill Moos had a hands-off approach with Frost. Moos extended Frost with absurdly favorable terms early in his tenure when it was not necessary. Frost was unsupervised and unaccountable. That lack of supervision and guidance led to wild stories about his lifestyle off the field. And it ultimately helped lead to his demise.
A Preacher’s Son Sings From the Big Red Hymnal
Matt Rhule had some free time on his hands after getting fired by the NFL Carolina Panthers five games into the 2022 season. Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts reached out and invited him up to Lincoln. Rhule attended a Nebraska game incognito with his wife. She fell in love with the town while Rhule fell in love with the game day experience and the fans, known as college football’s best.
Rhule got the feeling that the legendarily loyal Big Red Wave sellout crowds at Memorial Stadium could give him a huge advantage on game day and with recruiting and the portal. Alberts and Rhule came to terms shortly after the 2022 season ended.
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Rhule was born in New York City, the son of a minister, and went on to Penn State, where he joined Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions program as a walk-on. Amazingly, despite having zero connection to Nebraska, Rhule seemed to know and understand it better than a native, including Frost.
Rhule talked about such things as the importance and responsibility of giving the farmers a team to be proud of. Rhule said that in Nebraska, farmers listening to games in their tractors working the crops needed to feel good about their favorite football team and enjoy the program's success. It was as if he were raised on a Nebraska farm himself. Most importantly, he connected with the state in a way that Frost never did.
Hunger vs. Entitlement - Patching Up Broken Relationships
Scott Frost put little effort into establishing relationships with in-state high school coaches and related recruiting contacts, and it showed. Perhaps he felt kids would stampede Lincoln and come pounding on his office door. Or maybe Frost just gave up in an era where everything is national. Also, there was an aura of arrogant entitlement in Frost that stayed with him to the end. Regardless, he failed to get the job done with in-state recruiting.
By contrast, Matt Rhule began blitzing the Cornhusker State on Day 1. He relentlessly drives all over the state to visit high schools and coaches, as does his staff. Rhule has made major strides in repairing the wounds in the critically important Omaha metro area. The reward was the nation’s 24th-ranked recruiting class in 2024, up from Frost’s final class ranking of 41st.
Similar rapprochements were made with Big Red program legends. Past head coaches such as Tom Osborne and Frank Solich have been prominently mentioned. Solich was given a much-deserved day of recognition at the 2023 Spring Game.
Rhule’s work with past Huskers had a major payoff when he flipped 5-star QB Dylan Raiola from Georgia to Nebraska. Raiola’s father, Dominic, was an All-American center at Nebraska, and his uncle, Donovan, is an offensive line coach for Rhule.
Such relationships may not seem like a big deal to outsiders. But at Nebraska, they are critical in restoring a tradition of grandeur in a state consumed by the program and proud of its historic legacy in the sport.
Matt Rhule’s hunger for success is obvious. Scott Frost’s cold demeanor, privilege, and standoffish personality have been replaced by the warmth and preacher’s zeal of Rhule.
Nebraska Defies Its Naysayers
College football insiders, observers, and media love to say that the thought of Nebraska returning to national prominence is no longer possible. They say the Big Red had past advantages that are no longer relevant.
Indeed, Nebraska was ahead of its time with national TV appearances, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and having a national recruiting footprint. Now, everyone has that going for them. But Nebraska still has the advantage of the best fans in the sport, plenty of cash on hand, and a tradition that still resonates.
Ironically, a kid from New York City and Penn State is likely to flip the switch to turn Husker Power back on.
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