3 thoughts on Glenn Thomas as Nebraska football QB coach

Matt Rhule hired Glenn Thomas to be the Nebraska football quarterbacks coach on Tuesday and here are three thoughts.

It seemed like only a matter of time before Matt Rhule hired a true quarterbacks coach and on Tuesday, it was reported that Nebraska football has indeed hired Glenn Thomas to be the QB coach.

Thomas was with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an offensive assistant, but with their season ending, Rhule moved to hire his former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Baylor and Temple.

Thomas has also been an offensive coordinator for UNLV and Arizona State and coached NFL quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and P.J. Walker during his college days.

Nebraska football fans have been clamoring for a quarterbacks coach and here are three thoughts on the hiring of Glenn Thomas.

A critically important move for Matt Rhule

After Nebraska quarterbacks led the FBS in turnovers last season, Rhule had to make some changes at the position. It started with the on-field talent. Nebraska added a five-star quarterback in Dylan Raiola, as well as another Elite 11 passer in Daniel Kaelin.

That takes part of one part of the equation. But getting the most of that talent requires coaching and it was clear that Marcus Satterfield had a lot on his plate last season coaching quarterbacks and calling plays.

The production would have been better regardless because of the talent being better for the Huskers but with two freshmen, this was a critical hire by Rhule to try and fast-track their development.

Thomas will help Dylan Raiola get ready to start day one

It’s a reality at this point that Dylan Raiola is going to be the starting quarterback for Nebraska football. Just watch the way he threw the football on Monday. The kid will be a star and there’s no question that he’s a special talent.

However, going from high school to the Big Ten is a big leap. Thomas will need to accelerate the development of Raiola and Kaelin, who is likely going to be the No. 1 backup throughout Raiola’s time in Lincoln. Heinrich Haarberg is another option and Thomas should help him improve too.

With two freshmen and another quarterback in desperate need of better fundamentals, Rhule needed a trusted hand to develop this quarterback room. Dana Holgersen has been mentioned, but he could still be hired as an analyst which might be a better fit long term.

I don’t see Holgersen wanting to remain as the Nebraska football quarterbacks coach over the next few years. Thomas, however, has a long history with Rhule and Satterfield. He’s also spent 15 seasons coaching quarterbacks and having him for the next few years could be crucial for the development of all three quarterbacks.

Another checklist item

Nebraska football fans are getting tired of winning the offseason. I totally get that, but you have to be impressed with the way Rhule has crossed off things on the checklist.

The Huskers needed a starting-caliber running back in the transfer portal, especially after Kewan Lacy decommitted and got a guy ranked in the top 10 by every recruiting service in 2023 in Dante Dowdell. 

Nebraska football added two veteran receivers who are 6-foot-3 or taller. Isaiah Neyor averaged 20 yards per reception back in 2021, while Jahmal Banks has two straight seasons with 600 yards or more.

The Huskers have also added a starting guard, a linebacker, and a cornerback who have all started double-digit games in their career although Byle Hill did so at the FCS level.

Rhule improved a lot of things in his first season. The special teams got better, the entire defense got better, and the offensive line took a big step forward.

But the quarterback position lagged. Rhule wasn’t going to allow that to be the case in 2024 and the hiring of Glenn Thomas only further improved the position going into next season.

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