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Struggle to stop the run leads to Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler’s firing after 1 season

Struggle to stop the run leads to Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler's firing after 1 season | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler watches warmups before an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Oct. 25, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Bonnie Ryan, File)

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska first-year defensive coordinator John Butler was fired Monday after the Cornhuskers lost four of their last six games and struggled all season to stop the run.

Coach Matt Rhule named associate head coach Phil Snow the interim defensive coordinator for the Huskers’ bowl game and said he hoped to hire a permanent replacement for Butler in coming weeks.

“We thank John for his contributions to our football program over the past two seasons and wish him the best moving forward in his coaching career,” Rhule said.

Butler was secondary coach and pass game coordinator in 2024. He was promoted to defensive coordinator when Tony White left for the same position at Florida State.

The Huskers (7-5, 4-5) are 14th in the Big Ten in rushing defense, allowing 171.3 yards per game overall and 183 in nine Big Ten games. They are 15th in the Big Ten and tied for 104th nationally with 19 sacks. They were outscored 77-26 by Penn State and Iowa in their last two games, gave up a combined 444 rushing yards and recorded one sack.

Nebraska is second-to-last in the nation in red-zone defense, with opponents coming away with points on 30 of 31 (96.8%) of their trips inside the 20-yard line. The Huskers are last in stopping touchdowns in the red zone, allowing 24 on those 31 opportunities (77.4%).

Butler was hired by Rhule after spending six seasons with the Buffalo Bills as defensive backs coach. He was the Bills’ passing game coordinator his last two years in Buffalo. He previously was on the Houston Texans’ staff for four seasons.

Snow was Rhule’s defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers from 2020-22. He also has been a DC at Arizona State, UCLA, Washington and Baylor.

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