Two home-run candidates for Nebraska football special teams coach

Even though the focus of Nebraska football fans has been on the transfer portal pursuits of the Huskers, the program is still searching for a new special teams coach after Ed Foley was fired.

It’s been a little quiet honestly. There hasn’t been much chatter about the hire. Bill Busch, the former Nebraska special teams coach, and local radio analyst said he would be interested in the job.

However, Busch said he hadn’t heard from Matt Rhule and didn’t expect to. It seems like if Rhule wanted Busch on staff, he would be on staff.

Outside of Foley, there aren’t any special teams coaches with clear connections to Rhule. But there are two with connections to Nebraska football that continue to generate rumblings.

Two names that keep popping up for Nebraska football special teams coach

One of those is Tennessee special teams coach Mike Ekeler. We have mentioned him before, but Ekeler, a Nebraska native and former Huskers assistant, would be a home run. Since he was hired under Josh Heupel, the Vols have shined on special teams. Here’s a passage from his UT bio:

“Ekeler has established the Volunteers as one of the premier and most efficient special teams units in the country. UT has ranked either first or second in the SEC in punt return average in all three of Ekeler’s seasons, and the Vols have been first in the league in punt return defense in two out of his three years. Tennessee has racked up 874 punt return yards and allowed only 23 total punt return yards during Ekeler’s tenure. Perhaps no special teams unit in the country made as significant a jump as Tennessee’s under the direction of Ekeler in 2021. The Volunteers finished in the FBS top 20 in five team categories, including blocked punts (2 – 17th), kickoff return average (25.41 – 15th), net punting (42.08 – 19th), punt return defense (2.0 – fifth) and punt return average (11.83 – 16th). Tennessee either led the SEC or ranked in the league’s top three in punt return defense (first), punt return average (first), net punting (second), and kickoff return average (third). It represented the first time since 1997 that the Vols were tops in the SEC in punt return average.”

There has been zero reporting to suggest that Nebraska is interested or that Ekeler would be. That doesn’t mean things aren’t happening behind the scenes — they surely are — but outside of the fact that most fans want him as the special teams coach, there hasn’t been much to suggest it’s happening.

Another home-run candidate

The name of Baylor Bears assistant Mark Scott has started to circulate more. Scott is currently Quality Control Special Teams for Baylor but has an extensive background coaching special teams and was once the special teams coordinator of Dana Holgorsen at Houston.

Scott wasn’t the coordinator for Baylor but did “lead” the Bears special teams units. At Houston, under Holgorsen, he did a spectacular job.

The Cougars were the only team in college football to have a punt and a kickoff return for a touchdown in each season from 2019-2023. Houston led all of college football with 13 total return touchdowns (punt and kickoff returns) during that time.

Since Nebraska football hasn’t scored one of those in a long time, Scott would be a welcome addition. It would be something to have the return game be a weapon again.

Both coaches would be home-run hires in my book. The Huskers would do well to hire either one.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see, but a move should be coming sooner rather than later.

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