Matt Rhule predicts first Nebraska home game will be a bucket list item

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule is chomping at the bit to lead the Cornhuskers onto the field in Memorial Stadium. On Friday, Rhule discussed his excitement over the idea.

“Let me say this very carefully. I cannot wait to be at home in front of our fans and to experience that,” Rhule said. “That will be like a bucket list item for my family and I. I’ve never coached in an environment like that as my home environment with that many people. So I can’t wait for that.”

Unfortunately, Rhule will be forced to wait a bit longer. The Cornhuskers first two games this season are on the road. The team’s first home contest will be on Sept. 16 against Northern Illinois. Luckily for Rhule, he’s used to an on-the-road lifestyle.

Before taking over at Nebraska, Rhule was the head coach for the Carolina Panthers for three seasons. For Rhule, a thousand-mile flight is the equivalent of a weekend visit to the grocery store for most people.

“I love being on the road. I love being in the hotel I’m going to make sure [my wife] Julie understands, I love being at home,” Rhule said with a laugh. “[But] I love being in a hotel bed, I love being around the guys. I love seeing the guys in the elevator as we come down the elevator. I love if we go see a movie, I love going to the movies. I just love being on the road and having it just kind of be us.

“I love getting to some ugly locker room and trying to figure out like where my locker is. And then walking out on the field. And they don’t know who I am. They stop me and say, ‘Show me your pass.’ And I have to get out there.

“I mean, I love all that. It’s just like us against the world, together,” Rhule said. “Now, obviously here, we’ll travel well, which will be awesome. But I just love being sequestered and being together. And that’s what we did at Selleck. That team that was playing at Selleck is the team that I want to show up on 8/31 and play out there.”

Rhule is referring to his offseason decision to house his entire 110-man fall camp roster in the Selleck Quadrangle Dorm on Nebraska’s main campus. Rhule hopes to build upon this familial feeling as his Cornhuskers enter the regular season.