Legendary CFB Fanbase 'Desperate' For Program's Resurgence According To Head Coach

Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt interviewed some of college football’s most notable coaches during his Big Noon Conversations this offseason, but not all of them have proven success on the field with their respective programs yet. He chopped it up with Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders a week ago, who hasn’t seen his success from Jackson State transfer to the FBS level.

This week, he spoke with Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule, who is in his second year at Lincoln. The team he inherited from Scott Frost performed much better than their record would indicate, and there are high hopes for a big turnaround with an upgraded roster.

Rhule isn’t shy about his determination to return the Huskers to their former glory, and he agreed with Klatt that fans are just as desperate.

“I think the word ‘desperate’ is not a bad word. I think that’s exactly the right word Joel because people love their teams. It’s like being in Texas and being in a one-school town,” Rhule said.

While he admits he can’t directly relate to that feeling being from the northeast, he also knows the passion Nebraska fans hold for their football program isn’t something to be taken lightly.

“You get there and they’ve sold the crowd out for so long, that maybe is taken for granted. Immediately I didn’t want to take that for granted. Immediately I wanted to turn a product that people wanted to see, that people were proud to see,” he said. “There’s an unbelievable importance to not just winning, but doing things in a way that represents people in Nebraska.”

In Rhule’s seven losses in 2023, five came down to one score. If the Huskers can improve enough to squeak out more of those close games, they’ll be a dark horse to watch out for in the Big Ten.