Matt Rhule stresses importance of representing Nebraska at Kansas Speedway

It’s the offseason in college football, but that hasn’t kept Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule from being on the move. Most recently, that included a stop at Kansas Speedway.

Rhule explained while making an appearance on Husker Online that those public appearances matter to him. They also matter to the program, as he looks to push forward visibility and continue to build a brand.

“As I look at it, this is really the time for head coaches to network,” Matt Rhule said. “To go speak at different places. I don’t always love all the travel, but I think it’s really, really important for us nationally to just keep pushing our brand out there. Like, yesterday, we went down to Kansas City — Julie and I. Julie and I are huge NASCAR fans to begin with, so for us, it’s a fun thing. It’s Mother’s Day. What a wife I have, she’ll go to NASCAR on Mother’s Day. We were sitting in the pre-race meeting, and it’s the Advent Health 400, and when they announced that we were there, the CEO of the company turned around and was, ‘Oh, I need to meet coach,’ and I met him. He’s a Husker.”

Coaches often go on tours in May and June when they’re away from practice. That typically includes regional spots to speak to alumni and make connections. Matt Rhule is no different with that, and going to an event like a NASCAR race presents a unique opportunity. Joining Kyle Larson in Victory Lane doesn’t hurt either.

“So, I think making all of those different connections, but at the same time, being out there. Kyle Larson in Victory Circle, he’s like, ‘Hey, Matt. I’m gonna be out in Lincoln in a couple of weeks.’ You know, he’s racing out in Eagle on the dirt track. I invited him and his crew to come over and see the facility. So, I just think we have such great things here, and the more that were out there… the more people see us across the country, the more kids shoot me a text. Because if you come to Nebraska, I want them to know you’re going to do cool things. You’re going to do fun things. So, we went down to the Kentucky Derby.”

Recruiting is consistently one of the keys to building a program. Putting yourself in the public eye is part of that, to Rhule’s thinking. So, he wants to show publicly what he and therefore the program are about in the offseason.

“I just think part of this job is the coaches are on the road recruiting. I’m not allowed to go out recruiting, but I have to get out and go do those things. At the same time, I met with every player last week. That’s 130-something players. Met with them each one-on-one. Finished my last one this morning. So, we’ll go to NASCAR on Sunday, but being back in the office on Monday morning.”

Matt Rhule is going into his third season at Nebraska. After going to a bowl game in 2024, he’ll look to build on that in 2025 while representing the Cornhuskers on and off the field.