Is John Butler to Nebraska an imminent move after Matt Rhule loses another assistant? Exploring potential alternatives for Cornhuskers

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are dealing with some serious issues as their secondary coach Evan Cooper resigned on Friday. However, ESPN's Pete Thamel is reporting that Matt Rhule's coaching staff is expected to hire former Buffalo Bills assistant coach John Butler.

Butler has been in the NFL as a defensive backs coach with the Houston Texans (2014-17) as well as with the Buffalo Bills (2018-23). While the details surrounding this possible appointment have been limited outside of Thamel's report, this would be an intriguing position for the Cornhuskers.

Butler has also been part of college football sidelines. Below is his coaching career resume.

Catholic University Defensive Backs Coach (1995)
Catholic University Defensive Coordinator (1996)
Texas Longhorns Graduate Assistant (1997-98)
Midwestern State Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach/Safeties Coach (1999-2000)
Southwest Texas State Special Teams Coach/Safeties Coach (2001-02)
Harvard Special Teams Coach/Linebackers Coach (2003-06)
Minnesota Special Teams Coach/Linebackers Coach (2007-10)
South Carolina Special Teams Coach/Linebackers Coach (2011)
Penn State Defensive Backs Coach (2012)
Penn State Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach (2013)
Houston Texans Secondary Coach (2014-17)
Buffalo Bills Defensive Backs Coach (2018-21)
Buffalo Bills Defensive Backs Coach/Passing Game Coordinator (2022-23)

What should people expect out of John Butler's potential move to Nebraska Cornhuskers?

The Nebraska Cornhuskers had a somewhat rough 2023 season and were unable to make a bowl game after starting the season 5-3. They lost the final four games of the year.

However, coach Matt Rhule continues to build their roster, and getting an experienced secondary coach in John Butler should help the team going forward.

When looking at the Big Ten stats throughout the team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers were ninth in the conference with 210.6 passing yards allowed per game.

The passing defense was one of the program's biggest weaknesses throughout the season last year. With John Butler now presumably coaching up the secondary for the Cornhuskers, they should do a lot better.

Expect to see Nebraska have a bowl game this season as they are talented enough to win six games and should have done so last year too. This is a great hire as it will get someone with ample experience in multiple facets of the game on board.