LINCOLN, Neb. — Defensive coordinator Tony White, the best hire in Matt Rhule’s 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 that’s a generous assessment of the Seminoles — who play in a weaker conference than Nebraska with fewer resources than exist in Lincoln and a head coach seemingly on the hot seat after a 2-10 season.
FSU has a far superior recruiting base to Nebraska. And that’s about it.
So what gives?
Well, Nebraska is not what it once was. It’s not what it was, in fact, 12 months ago. The Huskers, despite ending a seven-year bowl drought, walk into December with limited momentum. They’re not viewed from the outside — after bungling away late opportunities in five defeats this season — as an awakening blue blood on a fast track to national relevance.
Nebraska is just another program mired in mediocrity, without a shiny-looking new coach or the anticipation of a big change coming soon. Excitement around 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 is left in December to deal with the ramifications.
Word of warning: It might feel like an especially long month.
White’s departure is the first big domino to fall. Wide receiver Malachi Coleman, a hometown player and the gem of Rhule’s first recruiting class, announced his intention last month to depart the program. Defensive linemen Jimari Butler and Vincent Jackson are set to enter the portal.
BREAKING: Nebraska DL Jimari Butler plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
The 6’5 260 DL totaled 65 Tackles, 7.5 Sacks, & 1 FF in his 3 years with the Cornhuskers https://t.co/MfHHpnCmhj pic.twitter.com/gOx74CgZgV
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 2, 2024
There will be many more exits. It’s a necessity, with the 105-man roster limit looming in 2025. Nebraska’s roster this season included about 150 players. Some departing Huskers won’t move the meter.
Others will — like White, whose defense kept the Huskers afloat for much of the past two seasons.
Until Dana Holgorsen arrived three weeks ago and yanked the offense out of neutral as Nebraska pounded Wisconsin 44-25, the Nebraska defense allowed no more than 14 points in every one of Rhule’s victories with the Huskers.
If White’s group failed to perform, the Huskers lost.
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And now he’s off to Florida State, which has sued its conference, the ACC, to reduce the fee required for schools to leave. Of course, after a 13-0 record couldn’t get FSU into the College Football Playoff in 2023, it’s got bigger problems to tackle than its conference affiliation.
White and newly hired Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who left the top job at UCF, could be in limbo next year at this time if they can’t turn the Noles in a positive direction under sixth-year coach Mike Norvell.
White turned down at least one opportunity to leave Nebraska after last season. He discussed head-coaching jobs with multiple schools, including his alma mater, UCLA, but ultimately stayed at Nebraska and got a $1.6-million, per-year deal through the end of next season.
It made him the highest-paid assistant coach in Nebraska history.
“As we resurge … a lot of that credit is going to go to Tony,” Rhule said early this year. “And he’ll have an opportunity to be a head coach. He’ll be a great one. And hopefully, I can do some things along the way that help prepare him.”
This detour to Tallahassee is not one for which Rhule stumped.
And yet, here we are, mulling options for Rhule to hire as Nebraska’s next defensive coordinator.
Why leave?
White lost some of his autonomy with the Nebraska defense in 2024. In July, after secondary coach Evan Cooper left the program, Rhule plucked former Buffalo Bills assistant John Butler to coach the defensive backs. Butler brought a traditional defensive mindset from the NFL in comparison to White’s attacking, occasionally exotic system.
The Huskers still ran White’s 3-3-5 scheme, but the schematic influence of Butler was evident. In addition, Nebraska used the services of Phil Snow, the former longtime defensive coordinator under Rhule, as a consultant.
Did extra hands in the kitchen compromise White’s ability to cook?
“Whatever the head man wants, whatever the head man suggests, that’s the way the program goes,” White said two weeks ago. “Right? That’s how it goes, period. And so our job is to make sure that gets done in the way, in the manner in which he wants it done.
“We put it on the grass with the players and make it alive. That’s anywhere, any organization. That man has been through it, and he is the leader. And when he says something, we make it work. We make it happen.”
Nebraska slipped from 11th nationally in yardage in 2023 allowed per game to 19th. Still, the Blackshirts, with returning starters at every position to open this season, put the Huskers in position to win each game except the Indiana debacle.
The immediate task for Rhule is to minimize collateral damage. He can find a top-notch defensive coordinator. Butler told The Athletic early this year that he chose to leave the Bills to position himself to coordinate an NFL or major college defense. If it’s not Butler, Rhule could tap an old colleague, Geoff Collins, the former Georgia Tech head coach who coordinated North Carolina’s defense this year.
Rhule could make a run at recently fired Purdue coach Ryan Walters, an elite coordinator while at Illinois, former Wisconsin coordinator Jim Leonhard, or Chris Kiffin, the son of late, great ex-Nebraska DC Monte Kiffin, who’s working with brother Lane this year at Ole Miss.
How many dominoes could fall? White is interested in taking Terrance Knighton, Nebraska’s D-line coach of the past two seasons, with him to Florida State according to a person briefed on the situation. A few Huskers who played defense for White — like Jimari Butler — could follow. A small exodus at first might lead to a larger one. It might spread to the offensive side, especially as Nebraska trims the roster to meet the NCAA limitations.
Falling dominoes could impact Holgorsen, whom the Huskers want to lock up as OC for next season after he made a positive impact in three games.
Chances are, Rhule will succeed in keeping things mostly intact. He’s good at selling Nebraska to recruits, players and assistant coaches. And Nebraska, as an institution and an athletic department, features plenty to sell itself on.
But the football program is not what it once was — not 12 years ago or 12 months ago.
(Photo: Mitch Sherman / The Athletic)
