Matt Rhule on having Dana Holgorsen on coaching staff: 'I think he's a genius'

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are going to have a new look on offense in 2025 as head coach Matt Rhule turned that side of the ball over to Dana Holgorsen. That was a move that Rhule made for plenty of reasons, but in particular because he wanted to add his offensive mind.

Recently, Rhule appeared on Always College Football. There, he praised Holgorsen, going so far as to call him a genius.

“You go back and look at his time with Houston,” Rhule said. “He was unbelievably successful. That last year, they made whatever decision they made, but I think he’s a genius. He’s a perfect fit for me because I can be kind of conservative and he obviously is not. And I need that from someone I respect to kind of take the reins and go.”

Holgorsen comes from the Air Raid tree, having been a Mike Leach assistant. By 2011, he’d become the head coach at West Virginia and in 2019, he transitioned to Houston. That Houston tenure ended when he went 4-8 in 2023, their first Big 12 season. Before that, though, he’d gone 20-7 in their previous two seasons.

Since parting ways with Houston in 2023, Holgorsen has been an assistant. Previously, he’d been a head coach since 2011 with West Virginia. Now, in the same vein as Chip Kelly leaving a head coaching job at UCLA to focus on calling plays and coaching at Ohio State, Matt Rhule believes he’s found a lot of joy in the offensive coordinator role.

“It seems like he’s enjoyed it. He’s certainly someone I lean on. He’s certainly somebody who gives me tons of feedback and suggestions and ideas. But at the end of the day, I think he really enjoys being around the players. I mean, each of us got into coaching originally just because we love being in the locker room, we love coaching the guys. And as you have more and more success, you get put into positions like this where you’re pulled away from it. It’s still the best part of your day.” Rhule said.

“But being the head coach is about a lot of other things and so for him to get back out there with the guys, be in the meeting room with the guys, to call and design plays, it’s what makes him unbelievably special. It seems to me like he’s having one of the best times of his life.”

The top task for Holgorsen at Nebraska is going to be to get the most out of sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola. A top recruit, he flashed his talent but lacked consistency as a freshman, but the pairing with Holgorsen has Rhule excited.

“His body looks great,” Rhule said. “And he and Dana [Holgorsen], I think, are going to make a dynamic duo. I think we have a chance to be really special on offense.”

Cornhusker fans have a few more weeks before they see what that combination looks like on the field. Nebraska will open its 2025 season at Arrowhead Stadium against Cincinnati on August 28th.