Darrel Dupit’s signature mustache feels out of place next to his unassuming Northwestern quarter-zip and black sweatpants. It’s all business for Northwestern’s veteran in-game host. He’s got his work cut-out for him.
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There are about a hundred things that are vastly different now in college football than they were back when Tom Osborne took the reins at Nebraska in 1973. One of those that’s taken for granted now, which used to be a much bigger deal, is the continuity of the coaching staff. During Osborne’s tenure, staff changes were not just unusual, they were rare. Guys like legendary Defensive Coordinator Charlie McBride, George Darlington, Milt Tenopir and future head coach Frank Solich were pretty much Huskers for life.
Nowadays, guys change jobs and schools like they change socks. Sometimes it’s the coaches decision, and sometimes it’s not.
The notion that a head coach like Osborne would have employed three different defensive coordinators in three years was laughable. That sort of thing just didn’t happen.
Staff Changes Happen for Very Different Reasons Now
Fast forward. It can and it did happen to Matt Rhule. His first DC, Tony White, left for “more autonomy” and a higher profile at Florida State. White’s replacement John Butler didn’t work out this past season. Now Rob Aurich will take over for next season with high expectations…but clearly a very short leash.
Rhule isn’t the only coach who goes through yearly staff changes nowadays. If a guy is doing a great job – like Nebraska Special Teams coach Mike Ekeler did this past season – other programs take notice. And in this era, that typically means a rapid promotion.
It now appears that Ekeler will be moving on, unexpectedly, to take over the special team unit at Big Ten rival Southern Cal after just a single season back in his home state at Nebraska. The Huskers vast improvement in special teams play last season wasn’t a secret, and clearly other teams took note.
After being one of the worst special teams units in the country in 2024, the improvement in 2025 was noteworthy. Midway through last season Rhule offered Ekeler as new contract with a significant raise, which the well-traveled and highly regarded assistant coach did not sign. It was (and still is, for the moment) Ekeler’s second stint with Nebraska after he spent two seasons 2008-2010 coaching the linebackers under Husker Head Coach Bo Pelini. The native of David City, Nebraska (just 50 miles from Lincoln) also began his coaching career as a high school coach in Omaha. These facts are why Ekeler’s impending departure has caught Rhule and Husker faithful by surprise.
Ekeler’s System Will Remain Even if He Doesn’t
Rhule has said he won’t replace Ekeler with an outside hire as he has done with each of the other coaching changes he’s made this offseason. Instead, he will continue to employ the same system with Ekeler’s former assistants calling those shots.
Going into this fourth season in Lincoln next fall, Rhule will have very different coaches and systems in other places, like the offensive line, where veteran O-Line coach Geep Wade has already gotten his unit much larger and more experienced via the Transfer Portal. The same can be said for Aurich’s defense, which will have more veteran linebackers and edge rushers. Expect new edge rush coach Roy Manning to have Nebraska putting a lot more pressure on opposing quarterbacks next season.
And if these new coaches have units that excel, don’t be shocked if other programs come calling with promotions and bigger paychecks for them next offseason. We don’t live in Tom Osborne’s world anymore.
Mark Knudson Mark is a former MLB pitcher for the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies. He’s the only person ever to play high school, college and professional baseball in Colorado. Mark earned a BA in Technical Journalism from Colorado State University and has worked in radio, television and print sports media since 1994. He’s the co-author of “Pitching to the Corners” with former teammate Don August and the author of “Just Imagine,” a historical fiction novel about The Beatles.
Mark is currently a feature writer and columnist for Mile High Sports in Denver and recently joined the team at Heavy.com. Mark is also a high school baseball coach in the Denver area. More about Mark Knudson
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Traveling fans of undefeated No. 8 Nebraska outnumber the home Northwestern crowd 2-to-1 in the paid seats, and a sleepy Saturday afternoon student section does not look like it can make up the difference at tip-off.
By the second half, Welsh-Ryan Arena is loud in all the wrong ways. Dupit enters a hostile environment at the under-eight media timeout with the Cornhusker faithful bursting at the seams after an 11-0 Nebraska run. ’Cats trail by 19.
“Northwestern needs you now more than ever,” he pleads to the home fans not already rushing for the exits. “Lets – go – ‘Cats! Let’s – go – ‘Cats!”
Dupit’s voice on the arena loudspeakers holds back the away fans for a moment, but he’s ultimately powerless against the wall of traveling Cornhuskers, who are loud in their pride as they watch what already feels like the best team in program history.
“Go – Big – Red!” overwhelms Dupit and Welsh-Ryan. Nebraska shoots 10 quiet second half free throws. Northwestern falls 77-58 in its largest home loss since an 87-58 loss to Pittsburgh on Nov. 28, 2022. You have to go back a full five years to find a worse home loss in the Big Ten — a 96-73 loss to No. 8 Iowa on Jan. 17, 2021.
“I walked out of the tunnel pregame, I looked up and the whole balcony looked like it was red,” said Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg postgame. “It’s just incredible to have that support…I know we get a good group on the road and we play like that makes a difference. It really matters and helps us.”
Northwestern and Nebraska have long been sister programs in the Big Ten, bound by record-setting mediocrity. For years, the ‘Cats were the only Power Five program to never qualify for the NCAA tournament, breaking the 78-year long cold streak in 2017. The Cornhuskers still hold the unfortunate distinction as the only Power Five program without a single NCAA tournament win. It’s coming.
The similarities extend beyond the ugly histories. Both Hoiberg and Chris Collins pride themselves as developmental head coaches. They win with upperclassmen — Northwestern with Nick Martinelli, Boo Buie and Bryant McIntosh; Nebraska with Rienk Mast, Pryce Sandfort and Keisei Tominaga. What their teams lack in talent, they make up with hustle and hard, disciplined defense.
Hoiberg and Collins even look alike, if you squint. Two former all-conference college hoopers who still look like they could give you an efficient ten points on the right night. Hoiberg has a little bit more hair, but Collins has more years in the Big Ten. It’s easy to keep stress levels low when you’re undefeated through 18 games.
“We were never 18-0, but watching how they played today reminded me a lot of our best teams,” said Collins postgame.“ Everybody was just locked in, helping each other out, playing off of each other. And we haven’t been able to find that with this group. Ultimately that’s my responsibility, and we’re going to keep at it.”
Nebraska is a ghost of good Northwestern teams past. Hoiberg started five upperclassmen on Saturday afternoon, all but one of whom have been with the program for at least two years. Collins didn’t start one underclassman in either tournament run in 2023 or 2024.
The 2025-26 ‘Cats are younger than this juggernaut Nebraska side. Collins started two true freshman, one true sophomore and a transfer junior. Only two of the five — Nick Martinelli and Angelo Ciaravino — were on the team last year.
That inexperience cost Northwestern in the second half, as Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager gleefully torched the ever-sloppy Wildcat defensive rotations. The two Nebraska sharp-shooters made as many second half threes (five) as Northwestern made all game.
“[Defensive execution] in the second half of games seems to be a little bit of a bugaboo,” said Collins. “Part of that is a little bit of fatigue. Part of it is mental toughness, finding a way to get spots. We haven’t been as dialed in with some of our rotations and our schemes, and we work on them every single day.”
Northwestern’s second half unraveling occurred mostly without Arrinten Page on the court. Page finished with his first goose egg in a Northwestern uniform, playing a season-low nine minutes and failing to even attempt a shot. He didn’t play after the 17:35 mark in the second half.
Page’s future in the Wildcat rotation is in serious jeopardy if he continues to struggle offensively because his defense has become a genuine liability. In the last two games, the transfer big man’s defense has regressed from below average to Friday the 13th if Jason traded his machete for an M-16. Per Inside NU’s Eliav Brooks-Rubin, Northwestern’s defensive rating was a full 50-points worse with Page on the court against Illinois and 28-points worse in his nine minutes of tick on Saturday.
“I just didn’t feel like he was playing that well,” said Collins of his decision to sit Page for most of the second half. “Tough matchup, they were playing five guards…We’re going to stick with him and hopefully get him ready to play on Wednesday night.”
Without Page’s offense — or really anyone else’s offense outside of Tre Singleton and Nick Martinelli —Northwestern failed to reach 60 points for the first time in the 2025-26 campaign. True freshman guard Jake West had his flashes but looked altogether overwhelmed in his second career start. Jayden Reid, playing the sixth-man role for the second straight game, never found his rhythm after dropping a season-high 28 points against Illinois on Wednesday night, scoring just seven in 27 minutes.
Singleton and West are reasons for optimism. Collins fawned over his freshman point guard after the loss — scrappy, competitive, tough, hard-nosed all found their way into one sentence.
“[West’s] got to get more experienced and seasoned and learn how to continue to run a team, and all those things that it takes for a freshman point guard,” he said. “I’m not comparing him, but I remember playing against Braden Smith as a freshman, and now what he looks like as a senior. It’s a vastly superior player, and you get that by experience.”
It’s all about experience. Northwestern’s true freshman are getting a crash course what it takes to win in the Big Ten. Saturday’s loss showed to Nebraska them everything this Northwestern team can be — and everything it’s not.
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