WATCH: Pre-spring ball press conference with Matt Rhule, new DC Rob Aurich + more
Matt Rhule and the Nebraska football program are set to begin their 2026 offseason practice schedule this weekend.
Rhule and the Huskers are starting their slate of 15 practices earlier than in previous years, beginning with Practice No. 1 on Saturday and finishing up with the return of the Nebraska spring game on March 28 (following the apparently one-time event of last year’s Husker Games).
This year’s spring ball slate, fall camp later this year (when it begins in late July or early August) and Year 4 of the Rhule Era will each be a “rinse, repeat” type of situation for Nebraska. That’s because, once again, the Huskers are entering a pivotal time and pivotal year of Rhule’s tenure in Lincoln.
Nebraska kicked off Year 1 of the Rhule Era with the pleasant, exciting surprise of a 5-3 start that got people to believe in the Huskers’ potential to return to prominence. Then, four consecutive losses in November ensued to dampen those spirits with a 5-7 overall finish.
Year 2 got off to a similar start and nearly ended in the same disastrous ways, as Nebraska bolted out of the gate with a 5-1 record – highlighted by a blowout win over Colorado and some time spent in the AP Top 25 national rankings – but then dropped four straight games. Cruising to a victory over Wisconsin was what salvaged Rhule’s second year in town – one that ended with another crushing loss to Iowa and a win over Boston College in Nebraska’s first bowl game appearance since 2016.
The promising end to the season, plus several enticing additions out of the transfer portal, gave way to major expectations (or, at the very least, some sky-high hopes) as Dylan Raiola entered his second season as the Nebraska starting quarterback.
Once again, of course, it all ended in disappointment – and bordering on near disaster.
Nebraska began the season with records of 5-1 and 6-2 while cracking the Top 25 national rankings. A devastating loss to USC in a de facto College Football Playoff elimination game ensued – plus Raiola being lost to a season-ending injury.
Then, after seeming to have righted the ship with a win over UCLA to improve their record to 7-3, the Huskers end the season on a three-game losing streak. All three losses came in blowout fashion, falling to Penn State (37-10), Iowa (40-16) and Utah (44-22 in the Las Vegas Bowl) by a combined score of 121-48.
Questions and concerns were already abundant following the losses to Penn State and Iowa, and even more followed after Nebraska compounded those defeats with a no-show for the final three quarters in the loss to Utah.
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By the end of it all, Rhule has a 19-19 record as the Huskers’ head coach, and Nebraska posted identical 7-6 overall records in Year 2 and Year 3. Undoubtedly, it is better than it ever was than during the near-decade or so before Rhule’s arrival. Still, it’s not even remotely close to the progress everyone had expected to see – or, at least, had hoped to see – by Year 3 under Rhule.
So…
What’s next for Rhule and this Nebraska program?
That’s the million-dollar question.
Rhule may not have had the exact answer to that specific question on Thursday morning inside Hawks Championship Center. But he answered several others to unofficially kick off Nebraska’s 2026 offseason practice slate with a pre-spring ball press conference.
After Rhule was done at the mic, offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen took the podium, and defensive coordinator Rob Aurich spoke with Husker Media for the first time as Nebraska’s new DC.
In addition to the coaches, a pair of players – offensive lineman Justin Evans and defensive back Andrew Marshall – met with the media as well.
Watch and listen to those interviews via the videos below.
Thursday’s press conference videos are also available to watch for free on the Inside Nebraska YouTube channel.