Nebraska Football: Analyzing Matt Rhule’s final assistant coach hires

Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule has now completed his coaching staff. Here’s what to make of the hires reported Monday.

It took a little over a month, but Nebraska football finally has a complete coaching staff as the final additions to Matt Rhule’s staff were reported on Monday night.

Nebraska still needed to hire a linebackers and wide receivers coach. Rob Dvoracek was a name we had heard at linebacker a few weeks ago, however, it was reported by the Athletic Monday that Rob Dvoracek will indeed coach linebackers and Garret McGuire will coach wide receivers.

Both are currently on the staff of the Carolina Panthers. Their season will end on Sunday in Week 18 and official announcements should follow soon after that.

Analyzing Matt Rhule’s new hires

Dvoracek was a defensive assistant for Rhule at Baylor before spending two years at Lehigh coaching defensive ends and outside linebackers. He spent the last two seasons with the Panthers and was listed as a defensive assistant for the 2022 season.

Dvoracek played for Rhule at Temple and fits with the youth movement going on with the staff. He’s 28 years old and that will certainly allow him to connect with kids on the recruiting trail. Another thing I like about his addition is that he’s coached defensive ends and outside linebackers.

Nebraska football could potentially use him to coach the EDGE position. Some teams have different coaches for linebackers, outside linebackers, and their EDGE players. I’m not saying that’s what the Huskers will do, but it’s nice to have a guy with that versatility.

Garret McGuire has lots of ties to Rhule too. He’s the son of Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire and played quarterback under Rhule at Baylor. He’s spent the past two seasons as an offensive assistant for the Panthers and is just 23 years old.

Yet, he’s going to understand the offense. He’ll also be able to recruit the state of Texas and as the son of a coach, you can bet he’s been preparing for this role a long time. Spending two years in the NFL won’t hurt and while I’d rather have a receivers coach who played receiver, former QBs coach the position all the time.

Rhule also believes in developing his staff. That’s something that will need to happen with guys like McGuire, Dvoracek, and even Donovan Raiola. Staff development is almost as important as player development.

I like both of these moves and I’m excited to see what these guys can add from a recruiting perspective. But adding young, hungry guys from the NFL, with previous experience under Rhule makes a ton of sense.

I’m not big into grading hires or whatever, but I’d give these a solid B. Geoff Collins probably would have been a dream hire at linebacker and Mickey likely would have been WRs coach if all the legal stuff didn’t go down.

Yet, Rhule made two solid additions and as a whole, I’m happy with his first Nebraska football coaching staff.

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