Speaking last Tuesday at what would turn out to be his final press conference as the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ Defensive Coordinator, John Butler’s frustration following the 37-10 loss to Penn State was evident early on. When asked what went wrong it that game, he replied simply, “They kicked our ass.”
Butler, like Head Coach Matt Rhule and Offensive Coordinator Dana Holgorsen, has always been honest to the point of fault. He spoke of his attempts to try to slow the rushing onslaught with multiple sets, but said they had an answer for everything he tried. He went into more details about the game and also touched on the necessity of keeping emotions in check on Senior Day.
Then he was asked what needed to change to improve the run defense – the Achilles heel of a top 25 defense which had been laid bare in Happy Valley. And after talking about improving fundamentals and a bevy of young talent with potential currently on the roster, he said this:
“I think after the season, we have to improve our roster as well, as relates to run defenders, the level of physicality, the level of size, the level of ability that to to be harder to block, so to speak.”
I did a bit of a quiet double-take. He surely didn’t it mean it that way, but it sounded as if he had just called the older players on the defensive line inadequate.
He went on to discuss their red zone issues pointing out correctly that Nebraska ranked around 9th nationally (prior to Iowa) in fewest red zone attempts allowed, but quickly pointing out (as did CN’s Nate here shortly after Butler’s release) “when they do get down there, they score” which, at the end of the regular season, they did at a 30/31 clip, 24 of those scores being touchdowns.
He was then asked about the younger guys at the position. He reiterated his belief the future was bright there, but then doubled down on the need to hit the portal hard on the defensive line.
“There’s some guys there, but – and that’s our job, to improve them over the next week and in the bowl season – but in the recruiting season, in the player acquisition season, we have to go get better in that area.“
There was no mistaking it this time – he was publicly saying that the Huskers needed to hit the portal hard at the position, because the group coming back next season would not be up to the challenge. It’s fair to ask me if I was overthinking it or perhaps he saw senior attrition gashing an already weak position.
To put that in perspective, the 2025 roster lists 18 defensive linemen. The only senior who played meaningful snaps was Elijah Jeudy. I’m playing a little here when I say that.
Elijah Jeudy is the only senior defensive lineman.
Stephen Bruce
So, the Huskers were headed into an always heated Iowa game with a position group basically having been called inadequate by its coordinator. Even though Rhule had lost his first two tries against the Hawkeyes, he had at least reversed the embarrassing Mike Riley trend of being blown off the planet – until Black Friday. Upset fans were calling for everyone’s heads, but I wasn’t sure if any would actually roll. And, for the moment, I had forgotten about Butler’s comments – and whether anyone else had heard what I heard.
At least one person apparently had – Matt Rhule.
The weekend went by and then Monday dawned with the announcement Butler had been dismissed. It seemed a bit knee-jerk, but at Rhule’s signing day press conference Wednesday about six minutes in, he explained it was just a not-a-great-fit thing and took the blame saying that was likely his problem. He spoke of Butler in glowing terms.
“I love John Butler. John’s an amazing coach, an amazing person, and it’s just – he did a lot of great things for us. It just wasn’t exactly the right fit for me and the way I am, and so it’s probably more me than anything else, and he’ll go on and have a ton of success. And his character, his work ethic, were unmatched, but it’s just not the right fit for us moving forward.”
Honestly, I believe he meant every word of that. But while discussing what he wanted from Phil Snow in his interim role, he also appeared to confirm the cardinal sin Butler had violated:
“And even though the (defensive) numbers were good? In this league, in this stadium, you better stop the run. And we … (thinks it over) … it’s easy just to throw it on the players. I don’t throw things on the players. There’s only one rule worth it for me, and that’s – don’t tell me the players aren’t good enough. Don’t ever say that to me. So you can evaluate and say, ‘Hey, this guy’s got to get stronger. It’s got to get bigger. Hey, we have a hole here. Let’s go get this guy.‘ I have no problem with that, but I want a coordinator who gets 11 guys to play as one.”
It should be noted he said basically the same exact thing on a signing day podcast just prior to the 11am press conference where he stated he couldn’t have players, support staff, advisors and, yes, coaches, around who thought the players weren’t good enough. One time? You can put that off to getting heated in the moment.
Twice within an hour or two? When not being asked directly either time about anyone questioning whether any players were good enough?
Man, that sounded like a not so subtle warning shot – calling out players publicly as just flat not being good enough will not be tolerated.
Stephen Bruce
I heard rumors things might have become tense between the two after the Minnesota game, but I didn’t hear that until after Butler’s firing, so it felt more like fan guessing. Also, as hard as some of that second half was to watch, pinning it on Butler would have been an odd reaction after the offense was completely shut down.
And at the same presser last Tuesday, Butler sounded like a guy who fully expected to be back in 2026. He had been talking about defensive back Donovan Jones and how, for a cornerback, he was was of the team’s best and most physical players against the run game:
“And I don’t want to have our corner be one of our most physical players. So I think the collective of the back seven and how we’ve defended on the perimeter and how we’ve defended the past has gotten dramatically better from last year. (But) you can’t rob Peter to pay Paul, so it’s not like all of a sudden, we can just put everything into stopping the run and be average or below average against the pass. The objective is to be strong in both areas with our personnel, our scheme and our coaching, so that will be the intent. And I think that’s how you improve it. The proof is in the pudding, how we went from where we were in secondary last year to where we are now, and we’ve got to do the same thing with our run defense.“
Stephen Bruce
Statistically, the national numbers on Butler’s 2025 defense illuminate the run and red zone weaknesses. But, overall, they are not strong enough reasons to fire a first year coordinator. Especially one who was left somewhat bare at the defensive line position, first by the losses of Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher to graduation and then several others thru the transfer portal following Tony White’s departure, and next by failed efforts to find serviceable – or any – replacements in the transfer portal.
Here are the 2025 numbers:
Total Defense – 23rd – 312ypg
Scoring Defense – 53rd – 23ppg
Rush Defense – 95th – 171.2ypg
Pass Defense – 2nd – 141.1YPG
Red Zone Attempts – 13th – 31
Red Zone Efficiency – 133rd – 96.8% scoring pct
(Total FBS teams – 134)
Okay, I know what many of you are thinking and you can definitely make a case for it.
“John Butler was not wrong about anything he said above, was he?” or something along those lines.
Maybe or even probably not. But I’m not here to argue whether he was right, whether Rhule was right to fire him after his burst of honesty, or even if stating such a thing is a fireable offense. And I’m not privy to any closed door stuff or have “sources” inside the program which I’d spread around even if I did, so it could absolutely be 50 other reasons.
But do I believe John Butler’s remarks last Tuesday are the reason for his firing? Yes, I do. Not necessarily 100%, because very few things are. The run and red zone defensive issues had to be present, both as negative coaching performance to place on Butler and a reason for Butler to call out the talent deficit. But the evidence in front of me leaves to believe that was one thing Rhule could or would not ignore.
In the end, I’m just trying to work under the words of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes – “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.“
Stephen Bruce
