New Nebraska Offensive Coordinator Dana Holgorsen Wants to 'Help This Great Program'

Holgorsen had some jokes about why he took the job but also shared his respect for Husker football's tradition and head coach Matt Rhule.

Sep 23, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen reacts after a play against the Sam Houston State Bearkats. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Heads turned across the country when Nebraska football demoted its offensive coordinator, Marcus Satterfield, and brought in veteran offensive guru Dana Holgorsen to be the Huskers' new playcaller.

It was a shocking change to make so deep into the season, but it is a move that could benefit the Huskers a great deal in the long run. In head coach Matt Rhule's second season, Nebraska is still trying to recapture what made the football program special for all those years under former head coach Tom Osborne.

In fact, it has been so long since Nebraska football was relevant, most players today do not remember Nebraska as a powerhouse. However, new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen certainly does.

"I grew up 30 minutes south of Iowa City," Holgorsen said. "So I grew up a fan of theirs... I knew what Nebraska football was all about."

After many successful seasons as a head coach at West Virginia and Houston, Holgorsen found himself without a job. He was interested in working for Nebraska and Rhule, but at first the time was not right.

"I was bored," Holgorsen joked. 
“I have a great deal of respect for Coach (Matt Rhule). We visited in December and I didn’t think it was fair to him, me or the program at that point. I was tired, I had been through a lot. Just didn’t have to do it at that point and I didn’t feel like I was ready to give it my all."

Fast forward to November of 2024, and Holgorsen and Rhule made it work. He is now fully focused on his job of bringing Nebraska's offense to the greatest heights he can. It will be a long process, as evidenced by the offense's struggles Saturday against the USC Trojans, but Holgorsen is the right man to lead this offense.

After serving as a consultant at TCU for the first part of the season, Holgorsen got a phone call from Rhule. That call led him to where he is now.

"I was slated to go back to Fort Worth on Sunday night and Coach Rhule called and said ‘let’s come try to figure this out. I need your help.’ I was grateful to him for saying that he needed my help. I think a great deal of him. I think a great deal of this program. I was excited to jump on it. Rules allow it. In years past, rules wouldn’t have allowed it. I just wanted to insert myself and try to help Coach Rhule and help this football team and try to help this great program.”

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