Nebraska has dismissed defensive coordinator John Butler after just one season as the Cornhuskers’ defensive playcaller. The move comes after Nebraska’s defense struggled to control both Penn State and Iowa’s running attacks in back-to-back losses. Several media outlets reported the move before it was officially announced by the university Monday.
Butler joined the Nebraska program late in the summer of 2024 after the dismissal of longtime Matt Rhule aide Evan Cooper as defensive backs’ coach. When Tony White, Rhule’s defensive coordinator for his first two seasons with the Huskers, departed for Florida State immediately after the Iowa game last season, Butler was elevated to defensive coordinator for the Pinstripe Bowl and remained in the role for the 2025 season. Before joining the Huskers to start the 2024 season, Butler had been an assistant coach on in the NFL for nearly a decade, first for the Houston Texans, then for six years with the Buffalo Bills.
Nebraska had one of the top pass defenses in the country this season, ranking second in the nation, but the Huskers were 95th against the run, including 14th in the Big Ten Conference. In the final two games, the Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes combined for 459 rushing yards on 85 attempts, an average of 5.4 yards per carry.
The coordinator change is the fourth made by Nebraska in Rhule’s three seasons as NU head coach. Phil Snow, another longtime Rhule aide, will be the Huskers’ defensive coordinator for the upcoming bowl game. Nebraska will learn its postseason fate Sunday, after the completion of all the conference championship games and the selection of the 12 teams to the College Football Playoff.