LINCOLN, Neb. – Defensive coordinator Tony White, Matt Rhule’s best hire in his two seasons as coach at Nebraska, is leaving the Huskers to take the same position at Florida State. Two people briefed on the move confirmed it to The Athletic on Monday.
It’s a lateral move for White, and it’s a generous estimate by the Seminoles: They have fewer resources than Lincoln in a weaker conference than Nebraska and a head coach who appears to be on the hot seat after a 2-10 season.
FSU has a much larger recruiting base than Nebraska. And that’s about it.
So what’s going on?
Well, Nebraska isn’t what it used to be. It’s not what it was 12 months ago. The Huskers enter December with limited momentum despite ending a seven-year drought. After squandering late opportunities in five losses this season, they aren’t seen from the outside: as awakening bluebloods on the fast track to national significance.
Nebraska is just a run-of-the-mill program that doesn’t expect a new coach or major changes anytime soon. The hype surrounding Rhule’s rebuild evaporated six weeks ago when Indiana torched the Huskers.
After losing five of six games in the second half of the regular season, Nebraska had to deal in December with the fallout.
A word of caution: This may feel like a particularly long month.
White’s departure is the first big domino to fall. Wide receiver Malachi Coleman, a local player and gem of Rhule’s first recruiting class, announced his intentions to leave the program last month. Defensive backs Jimari Butler and Vincent Jackson are set to enter the portal.
There will be plenty more performances. This is a necessity as the roster limit of 105 approaches in 2025. Nebraska’s roster this season is nearly 150 players. Some of the Huskers who go don’t move the counter.
Others, like White, whose defense has held the Huskers back for most of the past two seasons.
Nebraska’s defense had limited Rhule to no more than 14 points in each of his wins with the Huskers until Dana Holgorsen came in three weeks ago and brought the offense out of neutrality as Nebraska beat Wisconsin 44-25.
If White’s group wasn’t successful, the Huskers lost.
go deeper
How Nebraska quickly became new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen
And now it’s off to Florida State, which is suing its conference, the ACC, to lower the fee required to leave schools. Of course, after a 13-0 record keeps FSU out of the College Football Playoff in 2023, there are more issues to address than just its conference affiliation.
White and newly hired Florida offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who left the top job at UCF, could be unsure next year if they can’t lead the Noles in a positive direction under sixth-year coach Mike Norvell.
White turned down at least one chance to leave Nebraska after last season. He discussed head coaching jobs at several schools, including his alma mater, UCLA, but ultimately stayed at Nebraska and received a $1.6 million-a-year contract through the end of next season.
That made him the highest-paid assistant coach in Nebraska history.
“As we get back on track … a lot of the credit goes to Tony,” Rhule said earlier this year. “And he’ll have a chance to become a head coach. It’ll be great. And I hope I can do some things to help prepare him.
This detour to Tallahassee isn’t something Rhule fears.
And yet, we’re still considering hiring Rhule as Nebraska’s next defensive coordinator.
Why leave?
White lost some of his autonomy on Nebraska’s defense in 2024. After secondary coach Evan Cooper left the program in July, Rhule hired former Buffalo Bills assistant John Butler to coach the linebackers. Butler brought a traditional NFL defensive mindset to White’s occasionally exotic offensive system.
The Huskers still used White’s 3-3-5 scheme, but Butler’s schematic influence was clear. Plus, Nebraska has hired former defensive coordinator Phil Snow under Rhule as a consultant.
Did the extra hands in the kitchen hurt White’s culinary skills?
“Whatever the boss wants, whatever he suggests, that’s how the program works,” White said two weeks ago. “Well? It happens, period. So our job is to make sure it’s done the way you want it to be done.
“We put it on the field with the players and bring it to life. It’s everywhere, in any organization. That man has been through it and he’s a leader. And when he says something, we do it. We’ll make it happen.”
Nebraska fell from 11th nationally to 19th in 2023. Still, the Blackshirts, with returning starters at every position to open this season, have positioned the Huskers to win every game except a loss at Indiana.
Rhule’s immediate task is to minimize collateral damage. He could find a top-notch defensive coordinator. Butler told Athletic earlier this year that he decided to leave the Bills to position himself as a coordinator for a major college or NFL defense. If not Butler, Rhule could turn to his former colleague, former Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins, who coordinated North Carolina’s defense this year.
Rhule could run into recently fired Purdue coach Ryan Walters, an elite coordinator for Illinois, former Wisconsin coordinator Jim Leonhard or Chris Kiffin, son of former Nebraska tight end Monte Kiffin, who is working with his brother Lane this year at Ole Miss.
How many dominoes can fall? White is interested in taking Terrance Knighton, Nebraska’s D-line coach for the past two seasons, to Florida State, according to a person briefed on the situation. Several Huskers who played defensive back for White, such as Jimari Butler, could follow him. A small result early on can lead to a bigger one. That could spill over to the offensive side, especially as Nebraska trims down the roster to comply with NCAA restrictions.
The dominoes falling could affect Holgorsen, who after making a positive impact in three games, the Huskers are looking to lock himself in as OC next season.
Perhaps Rhule will manage to keep things largely intact. He knows how to sell Nebraska to recruits, players and assistant coaches. And Nebraska, as an institution and athletic department, has a lot to sell.
But the football program is no longer what it was, not 12 years ago or 12 months ago.