Matt Rhule: ‘Rising Star and Steady Hands’?

When considering and characterizing college football coaches, does “Rising Stars and Steady Hands” sound accurate for Nebraska’s Matt Rhule?

That’s the tier where Rhule landed in preseason rankings of all 136 FBS college coaches by The Athletic. Rhule was in the same tier in 2024.

With the Big Ten schedule starting Saturday against 21st-ranked Michigan, Rhule’s coaching skills will be on the frontline.

What about “Rising Stars?” This season could help determine whether Rhule takes another step toward fortifying that distinction.

The Huskers (3-0) are on the cusp of a breakthrough season after last year’s 7-6 mark. Should the Huskers put up, say, nine victories in 2025, this is destiny fulfilled. And Rhule would earn that title of a Rising Star.

“Steady hands?” Many Husker fans would agree. Rhule seems to have the Nebraska program on solid footing. And after seven consecutive losing seasons, in a college football landscape that seems to undergo dramatic change every year, this is quite an accomplishment.

Rhule’s strategy

Take the transfer portal. Nebraska didn’t use the portal for wholesale changes to its roster, the way some teams do. Instead, Rhule added 15 transfers, many of whom contributed to the Huskers’ three victories.

If the Huskers’ roster construction is to build through recruiting and use the portal to fill holes and fix issues, that philosophy sounds both “steady” and prudent.

Everyone *knew* Nebraska football would be back, but it took nearly a decade — and the Huskers aren’t there yet. Going into 2025, Rhule has shown steady leadership. He arrived in Lincoln with a history of success.

Roaring Huskers fans were out in full voice and full force when Nebraska opened its season with a 20-17 victory over Cincinnati in Kansas City. The Huskers followed that win with two routs at Memorial Stadium — a 68-0 pasting of Akron, and a 59-7 win over Houston Christian.

How coaches were ranked

The Athletic ranked all 136 FBS college football coaches in eight tiers, “weighing everything from resume to resources to longevity and more.”

About Rhule’s Tier 4, The Athletic’s Chris Vannini wrote: “This tier includes a lot of coaches on the way up, led by Shane Beamer [rising two tiers] and Kenny Dillingham [rising three].

“Beamer just went 9-4 with a second Top 25 finish at South Carolina. Dillingham went 11-3 with a Big 12 championship and CFP appearance in his second year at Arizona State. The only reason both aren’t higher is their limited sample size.”

Now, Vannini’s reference to Rhule.

“The group also includes coaches who have a solid track record without a conference championship, like NC State’s Dave Doeren, Boston College’s Bill O’Brien, Nebraska’s Matt Rhule and BYU’s Kalani Sitake,” Vannini wrote.