THE STORIES AND PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S CHRONICLE. I LIKE EVERY OTHER CORNHUSKER FAN, WANT TO GO TO A BOWL GAME? YOU KNOW, I DON’T WANT TO PLAY JUST 12 GAMES. I WANT TO GO TO A 13TH GAME. AND THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, TO ME, THAT’S THAT SHOULD BE THE BARE MINIMUM. AND THEN WANT TO COMPETE FOR THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP. I WANT TO COMPETE FOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. I JUST DON’T THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW HERE TODAY. YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, TODAY, THIS TEAM AND WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, HEY, LET’S LET’S BE GREAT THIS WEEK. LET’S BE GREAT IN FINALS. LET’S BE GREAT IN RECRUITING. YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO THREE AND NINE AND FOUR AND EIGHT, THEN THEN TO ME, WE JUST HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE SPRING. THAT WAS PART OF MATT RULES INTRODUCTION TO HUSKER NATION IN LATE NOVEMBER 20TH, 22. NOW IT’S JUNE. SPRING BALL IS OVER. THE HUSKERS SET THEIR SIGHTS ON AUGUST 31ST AND THE MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS AS THE 2023 FOOTBALL SEASON QUICKLY APPROACHES. HELLO AGAIN, EVERYBODY AND GOOD MORNING. I’M ANDY CANDY. THANKS FOR JOINING US ON CHRONICLE. MATT RHULE SAYS THE LONG TERM GOAL IS TO GET NEBRASKA BACK PLAYING IN BOWL GAMES. THE SHORT TERM GOAL IS IMPROVING DAY BY DAY. THE HUSKERS HAVEN’T HAD A WINNING SEASON SINCE 2016, WHICH IS ALSO THE LAST TIME NEBRASKA PLAYED IN THE POSTSEASON. THE MUSIC CITY BOWL. REMEMBER THAT ONE? THAT WAS WHEN MIKE RILEY’S SQUAD LOST TO TENNESSEE. 3428. SO AFTER FIVE LOSING SEASONS UNDER SCOTT FROST, ENTER MATT RHULE. MATT RULES COLLEGE HEAD COACHING CAREER STARTED IN PHILADELPHIA IN 2013 AT TEMPLE. HE SPENT FOUR SEASONS THERE. HE FINISHED 2 IN 10 IN YEAR ONE WITH THE OWLS IN 2013. BUT BY 2016, HIS TEAM WENT TEN AND THREE. BUT BEFORE TEMPLE’S BOWL GAME THAT YEAR, RULE LEFT FOR TEXAS AND BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE SPENT THREE YEARS LEADING THE BEARS SIMILAR STORIES. TEAMS STRUGGLED IN YEAR ONE, 2017, THEY FINISHED ONE AND 11, BUT BY HIS FINAL SEASON AT BAYLOR RULES TEAM WENT 11 AND THREE AND ENDED UP THE YEAR WITH A TRIP TO THE SUGAR BOWL. RHULE THEN WENT ON TO THE NFL, WHERE HE COACHED THE CAROLINA PANTHERS FOR JUST OVER TWO SEASONS. RULE WON JUST 11 GAMES, LOST 27 AND LOST HIS JOB LAST OCTOBER AFTER A 1 IN 4 START. THEN TREV ALBERTS CAME CALLING LAST NOVEMBER, AND WHEN NEBRASKA’S ANNOUNCED RULES HIRING, HE SAID, QUOTE, MATT RHULE HAS CREATED A WINNING CULTURE THROUGHOUT HIS COACHING CAREER AND HE WILL PROVIDE GREAT LEADERSHIP FOR THE YOUNG MEN IN OUR FOOTBALL PROGRAM. NOW, WE SAT DOWN WITH MATT RHULE THIS PAST WEEK TO TALK ABOUT THE PROGRESS HE’S MADE IN LINCOLN SO FAR, AND WE BEGIN WITH ROB MCCARTNEY, WHO WANTED TO ASK COACH RULE ABOUT HIS MOTIVATION. THE CULTURE OF NEBRASKA FOOTBALL AND SOCIAL MEDIA. I TRY TO FOLLOW PEOPLE THAT I RESPECT AND WANT TO LISTEN TO. I TRY TO POST THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE’RE NOT TELLING OUR OWN STORY, THEN WE’RE COUNTING OTHER PEOPLE TO DO IT. BUT I TRY VERY HARD NOT TO TO TO READ THINGS ABOUT US OR MYSELF OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE I’VE SEEN THE IMPACT IT CAN HAVE ON PEOPLE WHERE THEY START BEING A VICTIM TO IT. SO, YOU KNOW, LET MY KIDS BE SLIGHTLY INVOLVED. I MONITOR VERY MUCH WHAT THEY’RE INVOLVED WITH. SO THINK IT’S A GREAT, GREAT, GREAT TOOL. BUT YOU HAVE TO YOU HAVE TO USE IT WISELY. YOU TALK ABOUT TELLING YOUR OWN STORY. SO NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS. I MEAN, EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT NIL. NOT LOOKING AT THE FOOTBALL PLAYER ASPECT, BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR LIKENESS TO BE OUT THERE? OH, UM, YOU KNOW, THINK I SAID THIS THE OTHER DAY TO SOMEONE AND IT KIND OF RESONATED WITH ME AFTER SAID IT LIKE, I JUST WOULD LIKE PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA TO FEEL LIKE, HEY, MATT’S OUR FOOTBALL COACH, RIGHT? THIS STAFF, YOU KNOW, MARCUS IS ARE NOT JUST YOU KNOW WE SERVE THE PLAYERS. WE WAKE UP EVERY DAY SERVING THE PLAYERS, WANTING THEM TO HAVE BETTER LIVES. WE WANT TO WIN. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE BE A PART OF THE PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I’LL BE WALKING AT THE FARMER’S MARKET AND PEOPLE ARE SHOCKED THAT I’M AND I’M LIKE, THIS IS MY COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BE A PART OF IT. SO I THINK THAT AS MUCH AS ANYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, I CONSIDER US, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS AND WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A PIVOTAL ROLE, I THINK, TO, YOU KNOW, JUST JUST TO BE A GOOD PART OF THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, HEARD YOUR WIFE PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN, YOU COMING HERE. IS THAT TRUE? OH, YEAH. YEAH, WE WAS SHE THE ONLY REASON YOU CAME HERE? OH, NO, NO. I THINK HER AND MY SON WERE VERY MUCH THEY. YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW ME. AND THEY WERE THEY WERE VERY MUCH BEHIND THIS MOVE. I THINK THEY THINK JULIE SAW A SHE SAW TREV ALBERTS B, SHE SAW PRESIDENT CARTER. AND THEN SEE, WHEN WE CAME HERE, SHE FELT LIKE THIS IS WHERE WE WANTED TO LIVE. YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF THE MIDWESTERN VALUES, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, THE ETHOS OF THIS PLACE. SO SHE KNEW FROM DAY ONE I HAD I HAD TO CALL HER LIKE TWO WEEKS IN AND BE LIKE, HEY, YOU WERE DEAD, RIGHT? THIS IS THIS IS THE RIGHT PLACE. SO, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION BECAUSE I’M TIRED OF MOVING MY FAMILY AROUND. AND WE THINK WE DID. DID SHE SAY, I TOLD YOU SO? NO. KIND OF IMPLIED KIND OF IMPLIED THINK HAVE THE SAME KIND OF WIFE. YEAH. SO. SO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT DURING THE SEASON. THERE’S SOME THERE’S SOME COACHES WHO ARE SO INTO IT, THEY’LL SLEEP IN THEIR OFFICE. YOU KNOW, IT’S ALMOST 24 OVER SEVEN. FOOTBALL, FOOTBALL, FOOTBALL. IS THAT TRUE FOR MATT RULE? DO YOU SPEND NIGHTS IN THE OFFICE DURING THE SEASON OR WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE WHERE YOU SAY, HEY, I GOT TO BE A FAMILY GUY? YEAH, YOU KNOW, I’LL SAY THIS, I THINK A LOT OF COACHES THAT THAT SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE OFFICE, THEY DO IT SO THEY CAN TELL EVERYONE. THEY SPENT THE NIGHT IN THE OFFICE, YOU KNOW, AND THERE’S SOME THAT ARE WIRED THAT WAY. I WOULD I WOULD PUT OUR STAFFS WORK ETHIC UP AGAINST EVERYBODY. AND SO TO ME, IT’S NOT REALLY LIKE DAILY BALANCE. THERE’S JUST THERE’S JUST KIND OF LIKE PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER. SO I MIGHT STAY LATER ON TUESDAY NIGHT SO THAT I CAN GET HOME AND SEE MY KIDS ON THURSDAY NIGHT. YOU KNOW, I’M LIKE, YOU KNOW, OUR KIDS ARE WELCOME IN THE OFFICE ANY TIME MONDAY NIGHTS. WE DO FOR ALL THE COACHES AND STAFF, FAMILY DINNERS AND, YOU KNOW, TAKE AN HOUR AND HAVE MY KIDS COME OVER AND JUST SEE THEM AND PUT MY ARMS AROUND THEM. SO I NEVER WANT MY KIDS TO LOOK BACK SOMEDAY AND SAY LIKE, HEY, MY DAD DIDN’T TRY TO BE A REALLY GOOD DAD. I MEAN, THAT’S THAT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO ME THAN ANYTHING ELSE. AND SO I’LL COME AWAY FROM THEM RIGHT NOW. SO WHEN I HAVE A CHANCE TO BE THERE, I’D BETTER BE PRESENT. THERE’S A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN FOOTBALL, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I’M GOING TO TRAIN THE GUYS. I’M GOING TO LET THEM GO OUT THERE AND PLAY AND THEY’RE GOING TO CATCH BALLS AND MAKE TACKLES AND I’LL TRUST THAT PROCESS. BUT YEAH, BEING A BEING A FATHER AND BEING A GOOD FAMILY MAN IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. I ALSO WANT TO WIN. SO IT’S JUST THIS JUGGLING ACT THAT THAT ALL OF US TRY TO WORK AT. SO THIS FAMILY NIGHT IS THAT HOW DOES THAT WORK AND WHERE DID YOU GET THAT IDEA? WE’VE BEEN DOING IT EVER SINCE I BECAME A HEAD COACH. I DON’T KNOW IF IF I DID IT FOR SOMEONE, HE DID IT FIRST. MAYBE STEVE AND DAD. BUT YEAH, JUST, YOU KNOW, WE WORK ALL DAY SUNDAY SO WE DON’T SEE OUR FAMILIES ON SUNDAYS. AND THEN MONDAYS WE GET IN EARLY AND WE WORK ALL DAY. AND SO USUALLY ABOUT 5 OR 6, YOU KNOW, WE’LL CATER SOME FOOD IN AND ALL THE COACHES, THE SPOUSES AND THEIR KIDS. AND IT USED TO BE THAT MY KIDS WERE DYING TO SEE ME. NOW THEY COME IN, THEY’RE LIKE, HI DAD. BYE, DAD. AND THEY’RE THEY WANT TO GO OUT AND RUN AROUND THE FIELD OR PLAY WITH THEIR FRIENDS. BUT I THINK THERE’S SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FOR OUR TEAM TO SEE US. YOU KNOW, THEY SEE THIS INTENSE VERSION OF US. THEY SEE THIS EDUCATIONAL IT’S REALLY COOL. I THINK WHEN THEY SEE US WITH OUR KIDS AND THEY SEE US WITH OUR WIVES, YOU KNOW, WHAT GREATER GIFT CAN WE GIVE THEM THAN TO SHOW THEM THAT, HEY, YOU CAN TRY TO BE ELITE IN YOUR CAREER AND ALSO BE ELITE AT HOME. SO SPEAKING OF YOUR TEAM, WHAT KIND OF CULTURE DO YOU WANT TO HAVE HERE? WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR TEAM TO BE? WHAT WHAT WILL BE, FOR LACK OF THE RULE OF LAW, WHEN WHEN YOU HAVE A CULTURE AND YOU WANT PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THIS WAS A MAD RULE TEAM. THEY ARE WHAT KIND OF TEAM. YEAH WE WE JUST YOU KNOW WE JUST WANT TO BE BE A TOUGH, HARD WORKING, COMPETITIVE TEAM. YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS DON’T TAKE ANY TALENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU’RE TOUGH. I MEAN, YOU KNOW WHAT A PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY TOUGH MEANS. IT MEANS YOU’RE STRONG ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND, YOU KNOW, LIFE’S HARD. THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GET THROWN AT US. YOU HAVE TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND THAT AND GET THE JOB DONE NO MATTER WHAT. WE WANT TO WORK HARD AND GOING TO DO EXTRA. WE WANT TO DO MORE. WE WANT TO CHASE DOWN EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO BE GREAT AND THEN WE WANT TO COMPETE LIKE WE WE WANT TO GO OUT AND TRY TO WIN EVERYTHING, NOT NOT JUST ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD, IN THE CLASSROOM, IN THE COMMUNITY, AND HAVE A STANDARD FOR THE WAY THAT WE PLAY. AND SO I THINK THAT TOUGH, HARD WORKING, COMPETITIVE NATURE THAT THAT LEADS TO A PHYSICAL TEAM, THAT LEADS TO A TEAM THAT PUTS GAMES AWAY, THAT LEADS TO A TEAM THAT DOESN’T BEAT ITSELF. AND SO THE GREAT THING IS NONE OF THOSE TAKE TALENT. THEY ALL JUST TAKE CHARACTER. AND WHEN YOUR TEAM DOES, WHEN I SAY IT, IT’S JUST OUR PHILOSOPHY. WHEN OUR TEAM DOES IT, THEN IT TRULY IS OUR CULTURE. SHORTLY AFTER YOU WERE HIRED, YOU WERE TWEETING IN ALL EMOJIS. YOU YOU THREW OFF NEBRASKA. PEOPLE ARE GOING, WHAT? WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE? AND ACTUALLY, THIS WAS ONE OF THAT YOU HAD FROM FEBRUARY OF 23RD. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THIS WAS DURING RECRUITING? YEAH, I CAN’T SAY IT NOW BECAUSE IT’S STILL IT’S STILL 20 STILL THE 24 CLASS. OKAY. SO BUT LIKE THE, LIKE I’LL JUST GIVE YOU THE END LIKE. YEAH, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ONE FLIES HOME, YOU KNOW, LIKE ONE WITH TWO FLIES HOME. SO. OKAY, SO YOU DID THAT. I DID THIS ONE TIME. THIS IS PLAYING OFF OF YOU. THIS WAS ABOUT SEVERE WEATHER. IT’S GOING TO BE COLD AND ICY WHERE YOUR COAT, IT’S GOING TO BE SLIPPERY. KEEP YOUR DOGS AND CATS INSIDE LIKE THAT. RIGHT. SO BUT IT WAS JUST BASICALLY I WAS JUST RIFFING OFF OF YOU AND PEOPLE LOVED IT. WHY DO YOU DO THAT? WHY DID YOU DO THAT? YEAH. MEAN HAVEN’T DONE IT FOR A WHILE. THINK IT’S THESE THINGS KIND OF COME AND GO IN PHASES. THINK SOMETIMES YOU HAVE YOU KNOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SAY BUT YOU’RE NOT LIKE KIND OF BY RULE ALLOWED TO SAY IT, YOU KNOW. SO YOU KNOW, OR YOU DON’T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, YOU BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY. SO GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO SAY IT. AND SOMETIMES MAYBE A SUBTLE MESSAGE TO A RECRUIT OR TO YOUR OWN TEAM. A LOT OF THAT WAS RECRUITING. SO IT A WAY FOR YOU TO NOT ONLY CONNECT WITH THE FANS, BUT ALSO WITH THE PLAYERS THEN, OH YEAH, YEAH. MEAN THINK IT’S I THINK IT’S REALLY A WAY TO KIND OF IT’S MULTILAYERED TRY TO HAVE A MESSAGE FOR SOMEBODY HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF INTRIGUE AND THEN IF PEOPLE LIKE IT, THEY LIKE IT, YOU KNOW, SO RIGHT. HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR TENURE HERE AT NEBRASKA TO BE JUDGED? OH, THAT’S SUCH A GOOD QUESTION. DON’T KNOW. YOU KNOW, I JUST HOPE LIKE I SAID, I ALWAYS HOPE THAT PEOPLE FEEL LIKE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE WHEN IT’S ALL SAID AND DONE THAT WE LEFT THE PLACE BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT. YOU KNOW, THINK THAT’S A TRUE MEASURE OF A MAN? I CERTAINLY, GOING BACK TO THAT BRAND I TALKED ABOUT HOPE. THEY FEEL LIKE WE WERE TOUGH, THAT WE DIDN’T JUST, YOU KNOW, FLAILING THE WIND AND CHANGE WHO WE ARE. WE STAYED TRUE TO AN IDENTITY THAT WE WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COMPETED. I MAKE NO I MAKE NO BONES. WE’RE GOING TO TRY TO WIN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. AND AND ALL THOSE THINGS ARE WORDS, THOUGH. WHEN YOU SEE OUR ACTIONS, I HOPE, HOPE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY BACKED THEM UP. AND IT’S GOING TO HAVE TO BE WINS AND LOSSES AND YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT MORE WINS ON THE BOARD RIGHT? OTHERWISE EVERYTHING ELSE WILL JUST BE. YEAH, YEAH. DON’T DON’T EVEN TALK TO ME. LIKE, THE WHOLE POINT IS THE WHOLE POINT. THE WHOLE POINT OF THE MISSION. THE REASON WHY I’M HERE IS TO WIN. I HAVE A GREATER PURPOSE THAT I’D LIKE TO SERVE THE STUDENT ATHLETE, BUT WE HAVE TO WIN. BUT I’M NOT COMPARING MYSELF TO WHO WAS HERE BEFORE. LIKE, YOU KNOW, MY MY, YOU KNOW, I CAN I COMPARE MYSELF TO LIKE, HEY, YEAR THREE AT TEMPLE, WE WIN TEN GAMES. WE’RE THREE, FOUR TEMPLE WIN TEN GAMES. YOU’RE THREE. AT BAYLOR, WE WON 11 GAMES. LIKE WE NEED TO GET UP IN THOSE NUMBERS AND SO I DON’T KNOW WHEN THAT’LL HAPPEN. I DON’T KNOW WHERE WE ARE. THERE’S YOU KNOW, COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S CHANGING. UM, SO WE’RE ADAPTING AS IT GOES. BUT THE EXPECTATION FOR US IS THAT WE, THAT WE COMPETE FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS. THE EXPECTATION WITH US IS THAT WE GO TO BOWL GAMES. AND SO, BUT TOO OFTEN, LIKE WHEN PEOPLE TALK TO ME, I’M COMPARED TO WHAT’S HAPPENED THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HERE. WELL, I WASN’T HERE. YOU KNOW, I HAVE AN EXPECTATION LEVEL. I’M JUST VERY MUCH LIKE KIND OF METHODICAL, LIKE DAY BY DAY, JUST TRYING TO JUST TRYING TO BE THAT SAME HARD WORKING GROUP TO GET US TO THAT POINT. FINALLY, THEN, YOU’RE A PREACHER’S KID. ARE YOU REALLY DOING THE SAME JOB HE DID? NO, NO ONE. YES. I THINK, YOU KNOW, MY MY MOTHER WAS A SOCIAL WORKER. MY DAD, YOU KNOW, A MINISTER WHO WORKED WITH KIDS AND ALSO TAUGHT AND COACHED, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU HEAR ME TALK ABOUT PURPOSE. A LOT. I THINK ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE A PURPOSE IN LIFE AND MINE IS TO SERVE YOUNG PEOPLE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WENT TO THE NFL AND DID THAT, AND THAT WAS SORT OF A DREAM TO TRY IT. AND FELT SOMETIMES UNFULFILLED AND COMING BACK AND LIKE WALKING DOWNSTAIRS NOW AND SEEING ALL THE GUYS HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY AND SEEING THE GROWTH THAT THEY’RE HAVING IN THEIR LIVES, LIKE THAT’S PURPOSE. AND SO I WAS NOT MEANT TO GET UP ON A PULPIT AND PREACH. I WAS NOT MEANT TO TO MARRY PEOPLE, BUT I WAS MEANT TO WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. AND SO I’M GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. THANKS, ROB. NEXT ON KETV, NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S CHRONICLE. MORE WITH OUR CONVERSATION WITH MATT RHULE. I TALKED TO THE COACH ABOUT HIS MINDSET AS THE HUSKERS GET CLOSER AND CLOSE