5 ideal defensive coordinator candidates for Nebraska football

Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule answered the call from a large segment of Husker fans, including this website, who were calling for a new defensive coordinator.

John Butler was dealt a tough hand. He didn’t really have his own scheme, adopting the 3-3-5. He also didn’t have a very good defensive line, which makes the job of any defensive coordinator difficult.

There are weaknesses you can overcome, but it’s hard when it’s up front. So whoever the new defensive coordinator is, they will need reinforcements from the transfer portal. Hell, Nebraska football might need an entirely new defensive staff.

That depends on who is hired and who the coach wants to bring along. Looking ahead to the defensive coordinator search, here are five candidates who make the most sense.

These are the ideal candidates who feel within the realm of possibility.

Jim Leonhard, Broncos Def. Pass-Game Coordinator

Ok, maybe this isn’t the most realistic candidate, but I had to include him. Leonhard probably wants his next step to be an NFL defensive coordinator. However, you could make a case that being a really good coordinator for Nebraska football could help him land a college head-coaching job.

His career path is likely going to determine if he ever wants to come back to college. He was the Wisconsin defensive coordinator for six years and put together some elite defenses.

Leonhard is a young guy who could connect with recruits/players. He’s also the perfect blend of college and NFL. He knows the game and can teach it. He knows what college players can do, but he can also bring some things with him from the NFL to help stop elite quarterbacks.

The NFL hires, like Matt Patricia or the slew of guys Michigan got before Wink Martindale, are ideal if they work out well. Some of them don’t because some coaches are asking college players to do NFL things.

Leonhard wouldn’t make that mistake. He’s about as proven as they come, and I’d open the checkbook with a $2-3 million offer. Nebraska football would need to make him among the highest-paid defensive coordinators in college football to get him away from Denver, but that might just do it.

Can we dream right?

Brent Pry, former Virginia Tech head coach

Some former head coaches are being mentioned by Nebraska football fans; however, most of the time, it feels like those guys take a year off.

That’s why I wouldn’t consider Justin Wilcox. I doubt he wants to jump right back into recruiting and all that after being fired from Cal.

Yet, Brent Pry, the former Virginia Tech head coach, was fired months ago. He’s been away from the game already, so maybe the former Penn State defensive coordinator who coached Micah Parsons would be willing to come back to the Big Ten to help out a former Penn State player.

In 2017 and 2019, he coordinated Penn State defenses that ranked among the top 10 in college football in points allowed. The 2018 defense led the country in sacks per game. He’s coached eight different defenses that finished in the top 25 of total defense.

He’s also got proven success in the Big Ten and was the DC when Penn State won the Big Ten championship back in 2016.

Geoff Collins, former Temple head coach

It feels like this is the kind of coach Nebraska football fans would like, just on a more realistic timeline. Collins followed Matt Rhule at Temple. He was fired as the head coach at Georgia Tech and is now a defensive assistant for South Carolina.

I know that last line doesn’t look great, but he joined the program as a “senior defensive assistant coach” before the start of fall camp. That shows he was ready to be back on the field after being fired during the 2022 season.

Before being the head coach for Temple, Collins coordinated two top-10 defenses at Florida. Both years, the Gators allowed fewer than four yards per rush. He also helped Mississippi State win 17 games in two years as DC, with defenses that ranked 32nd and 23rd in scoring, respectively, although the run defense allowed 4.2 yards per game. The Bulldogs did have 36 sacks in his final season as DC.

Collins would fit the mold of a “proven” DC. He’s had success in multiple stops, although my one concern is that the defenses at Temple and Georgia Tech weren’t great, never finishing in the top 50 in terms of scoring defense.

Scott Symons, SMU

The one candidate that Nebraska football has been connected to so far is SMU defensive coordinator Scott Symons, that’s according to a report from On3.

The SMU On3 website is also reporting that Symons isn’t likely to leave for Nebraska. Other programs have shown interest in him, such as Texas A&M and Florida State. In 2024, SMU made the College Football Playoff, allowing 100 yards per game, which was seventh-best in the FBS. The Mustangs also had 43 sacks.

SMU allowed 3.0 yards per attempt this season and ranked 33rd in scoring defense. Symons would be a great hire, and it’s good to see Rhule swinging for the fences on one of the fastest-rising names in the coaching world.

Like Leonhard, this will take $2-3 million to get done.

Jim Knowles, Penn State

Knowles could be on the market if the new head coach moves on from him. Or, he could stick with Penn State; we just don’t know. If he is available, though, Nebraska football would be an ideal landing spot.

Knowles has coordinated defenses at Duke, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, and Penn State. In 2021 at Oklahoma State, the Cowboys ranked in the top five in the FBS in sacks, total defense, and rushing defense. His defense in 2020 led the nation in third-down percentage.

Beyond that, Knowles had a top-25 total defense in his final season at Duke. So he’s had top-25 defenses at three different programs, and top-10 defenses at two different programs.

Knowles is also from Philly, like Rhule, so you never know. He will also cost north $3 million, which is what he made at Penn State this season, but it would be worth it.

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