Nebraska fires Dana Holgorsen after fourth straight loss

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule fired offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen on Saturday after a 24-13 defeat at Illinois gave the Cornhuskers their fourth straight loss, and named Glenn Thomas play-caller.

Rhule had backed Holgorsen days before. On Monday, he dismissed calls to remove his coordinator and said, "Dana Holgorsen is one of the best offensive minds of our generation."

Nebraska opened the season 5-0 but now stands 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten. It put up at least 31 points in each opening win, then fell short of 20 in all four defeats.

"Like so many of you, I am angry, I am disappointed and I am frustrated with our results this season," Rhule said in a statement.

"While there are many areas that need improvement, our offensive plan and execution is simply not working," he said. Rhule described Holgorsen as "a strong leader" with "a fantastic offensive mind," but said, "simply, we need a change."

Nebraska has put up an average of 13.5 points a game during the skid.

The Associated Press reported that Holgorsen drew widespread criticism for leaving the running game behind against Washington, a 17-10 loss in which quarterback Anthony Colandrea attempted 44 passes.

Nebraska gained an average of 246 yards on the ground against nonconference teams, compared with 141 against Big Ten opponents. Across the four defeats, nine of its 46 possessions produced points.

On Friday night, Nebraska gained 426 yards to the Illini's 373 but managed points on two of nine possessions. The Cornhuskers drew 11 penalties for 82 yards, while kicker John Hohl missed attempts from 45 and 54 yards.

Late in the third quarter, Nebraska trailed 14-7 and faced fourth-and-one at the Illinois 25. With the backfield empty, Nebraska had Colandrea throw from the pocket, but Illinois defensive lineman Pat Farrell knocked his short pass down at the line.

The Illinois defeat followed losses of 20-17 to No. 7 Indiana, 17-14 to Oregon and 17-10 to Washington, ESPN reported. Nebraska held the lead at the start of the fourth quarter in each of those games.

Before Holgorsen's dismissal, Sports Illustrated columnist Tad Stryker wrote that there was no reason for him to remain employed by sundown Saturday.

Holgorsen, 55, previously served as head coach at West Virginia and Houston. He joined Nebraska as an offensive consultant from TCU in November 2024, then became coordinator a week later when Rhule shifted Marcus Satterfield to another role.

Thomas has served as Nebraska's co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach since 2024. He previously coordinated offenses at UNLV and Arizona State and worked for Rhule at Temple and Baylor. CBS Sports wrote that the final three games give Thomas a chance to make his case for the full-time position.

Rhule, who is in his fourth season, said he would "continue to evaluate our program through the season and certainly at its conclusion and make additional changes where I believe they will help us win."

Nebraska gave Rhule a new deal this offseason after he compiled a 19-19 record, USA Today reported. It guarantees 90% of his salary through 2032, with a $63 million buyout at the end of this season.

Nebraska needs another win for bowl eligibility. The Cornhuskers visit Rutgers on Nov. 14, welcome No. 12 Ohio State on Nov. 21 and close against No. 19 Iowa on Black Friday.