Nebraska Coach Rhule Defends Staff After Daughter Is Harassed by Fan

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule stated Monday that he intends to remain at his position until officially told to leave, following a third consecutive loss in which his team held a lead deep into the fourth quarter.

The Cornhuskers, currently at 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten, fell 17-10 to Washington on Saturday in Lincoln. The loss caps a stretch of games against Indiana and Oregon where the team also surrendered late leads.

Rhule described the Saturday loss in detail, noting the Huskers were up 7-3 with under two minutes remaining. Washington converted a fourth-down conversion from the 18-yard line two plays before scoring the go-ahead touchdown. The Huskies then sealed the victory when Anthony Colandrea threw his third interception of the game, which was returned for a touchdown.

Following the final play, fans threw trash onto the field. Rhule said his 13-year-old daughter was approached by a man in the stadium who told her to "F-U and F your dad." Rhule said he would not continue coaching if the pressure caused his children to become "screwed up."

The coach said his wife, Julie, asked their children if the high-profile nature of his job was becoming too difficult. Rhule noted his 10-year-old daughter texted him back, stating she loved the team, the players, and living in Nebraska, and that she was tough enough to handle the situation.

Rhule used a boat metaphor to describe the program's current state. He said the players, coaches, staffers, and fans are all in the same boat. He urged everyone to stay steady in the water and focus on going back to work rather than reacting to the rough conditions outside.

"You get to these moments and the water is rocky, the ocean is rocky," Rhule said. "Just steady in the boat, man. Steady in the boat. Don't take a rocking boat and a rocking sea and rock it even more, man."

Rhule defended offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, whose position had come under scrutiny. Holgorsen was widely criticized for abandoning the running game and having Colandrea attempt 44 passes against Washington. Rhule called Holgorsen "one of the best offensive minds of our generation" and said he would fight for the offensive staff.

The head coach also praised the defense for its long stretches of dominance against Washington, though he lamented the lack of takeaways. He said he is fighting for the fans who spend their own money to attend games and for those who support the program financially.

Rhule said he is not coaching for the fan who wanted to throw something at the quarterback or the one who harassed his daughter. He is coaching for the people who are "in the boat." The team plays at Illinois on Friday night.