Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule dismissed offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen after a 13-24 away defeat to Illinois on Friday evening, leaving the team with a 5-4 season record, football-aktuell.de reported on November 8, 2026.
The firing arrived directly following four consecutive losses in which the Huskers averaged only 13.5 points per contest. Nebraska announced the decision on Saturday, ending a turbulent stretch that followed an initial 5-0 start in Lincoln.
During their five victories to open the season, the Huskers scored 31 points or more in every matchup. By contrast, the subsequent defeats saw the offense fail to reach the 20-point threshold in any single game.
Head coach Matt Rhule addressed the termination in an official statement released by the program. “Wie so viele von euch bin ich wütend, enttäuscht und frustriert über unsere Ergebnisse in dieser Saison,” Rhule explained, as reported by football-aktuell.de.
Rhule accepted ultimate responsibility for the team’s trajectory while pointing directly to scheme execution. “Als Cheftrainer trage ich die letztendliche Verantwortung für jeden Anpekt unseres Programms – einschließlich der Siege und Niederlagen – und es liegt in meiner Verantwortung, Veränderungen vorzunehmen, wenn diese notwendig sind,” Rhule stated in the sourced text.
Dana Holgorsen took over the offensive coordinator position in 2024, departing after nearly three seasons in Lincoln. The 55-year-old previously served as head coach at West Virginia and Houston.
Glenn Thomas steps in immediately to handle play-calling duties for the remaining three games of the season. Thomas has worked under Holgorsen since 2024 as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
| Date | Opponent | Result/Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 05 | Ohio Bobcats | Completed (Win) |
| Sept 13 | Bowling Green Falcons | Completed (Win) |
| Sept 20 | N. Dakota Fighting H. | Completed (Win) |
Thomas brings prior coordinator experience from UNLV between 2020 and 2021, alongside a stint at Arizona State in 2022. He also previously collaborated with Rhule at Temple and Baylor.
The remaining fixtures pit Nebraska against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on November 14, the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 21, and the Iowa Hawkeyes on November 27.
