Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule makes first public comments on AD Trev Alberts's move to Texas A&M
Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule has had an interesting past week, to say the least. While taking a short breather last week in Scotland before spring practice, Rhule learned that athletic director Trev Alberts was leaving NU for Texas A&M.
Monday, Rhule spoke to reporters for the first time since Alberts’ decision to leave Lincoln for College Station, Texas.
“I was really sad to see Trev and Angie go,” Rhule said. “He was more than just a great boss. I consider Trev a great friend. He’ll be a friend of mine forever. I think they are classy people. I wish them the best. This business is hard. People move from job to job.”
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Alberts and former University President Ted Carter were instrumental in bringing Rhule to Lincoln in November 2022. Carter announced he was leaving Nebraska to become Ohio State’s President in August, while Alberts’ decision to leave for A&M broke on Wednesday.
On top of that, former UNL chancellor Ronnie Green announced his retirement one month after Rhule’s hiring, meaning the entire leadership structure that hired Rhule has changed at Nebraska in less than 16 months. Nebraska hired Rodney Bennett from Southern Miss to replace Green as the chancellor. Bennett has no day-to-day involvement or oversight over athletics.
“Everyone is going to wonder why Trev left, but that’s his story to tell,” Rhule said. “I don’t know why, but I know he was very forthcoming and forthright with me. So I’m very grateful to him.”
What will Nebraska’s leadership structure look like post-Alberts and Carter?
Before Carter left for Ohio State, the NU Board of Regents arranged the leadership structure to have the athletic director report to the president instead of the chancellor, which is how it had always been before. This was a set-up that both Carter and Alberts preferred, and it required the approval of the regents to happen.
At that time, Alberts’ persistence and the university’s financial commitment to Rhule were major factors in getting him to Nebraska. Things nearly fell apart in the final days before the announcement of Rhule’s hiring.
Alberts and Carter got things done to meet the contract requirements for Rhule to accept the Husker job after the Carolina Panthers let him go on Oct. 10, 2022.
“I really want somebody that has unbelievable urgency,” Rhule said on the next AD hire. “This is one of the most pivotal times in college athletics. We just need doers. People that will figure things out and work.”
Rhule and his team will open spring practice Sunday as he prepares for his second season at Nebraska.
“We can’t take a step backward; we have to take a step forward,” Rhule said as he turns the page to spring practice.
“We can’t worry about optics and worry about what people say.”
