Who's Really Running the Defense?

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, Seanoh. Yesterday John Butler was in the spotlight.
He's the new Nebraska defensive coordinator. This guy was promoted
from defensive backs coach, brought in from the NFL by
coach Matt Ruhle, and then promoted when Tony White took
off for Florida State. But talk to me about how
he functions with Phil Snow. Snow is the associate head coach,

(00:22):
but he's a defensive guy. So who's really running the
defense down there?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, it's John Butler. I mean, but Snow was just
kind of a guy that is in that room that
has a lot of experience too. That's a good guy
to bounce things off of. He was Matt Rule's former DC.
He's reached a point in his career, doesn't I only
want to be at d C anymore. He's an older coach.
I mean, he was the defensive coordinator guys in the

(00:48):
nineteen ninety six or Arizona State Nebraska game in Lincoln
or I'm sorry, in Tempee. So he's been coaching a
long time and he was coordinating games against Charlie McBride.
But I think having him around, you know, being a
former NFL and high level college decoordinator with John Butler.

(01:09):
It's a really good team and two guys that Matt
Rule I think feels very comfortable with now running that defense.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Okay, so what about Butler? Those guys a grinder. He's
been coaching since he got out of college, started down
there in the low level D three's worked his way up,
been in the NFL. What kind of philosophy is he
going to bring in here to whom would you compare
him that people around here would know.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, it's hard to compare styles of defense, but I
do think they'll keep the principles of a three three five,
but be very multiple and still run a lot of
four man looks. The key thing is getting different players
on the field to create more pressure, and that might
mean having you know, if you normally play with one
jack linebacker on certain pass situations, you can have two

(01:54):
or three out there. I mean, I think everything's off
the table as far as are on the table, as
far as creative of what he's going to do in
different ways to use players like Bits and Shavers and
Willis McGahee and Desam McCullough, Williams wen Aeri, who he
confirmed is kind of play a role for them this
year as a pass rusher and you know, a guy

(02:15):
at that defensive end spot. So I think that will
be something you'll see him be a little bit more
creative with the players they put on the field and
how they line up, especially in those passing downs and
situations to get pressure on quarterbacks.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
Do you have any concern that he spent so many
years in the NFL and it's hard sometimes for NFL
guys to make the adjustment back to college because you're
not dealing with experienced guys that need more practice time
and more technique time, and so there is an adjustment.
You concerned at all about that?

Speaker 2 (02:46):
Well, he was here last year and I think it
was an adjustment initially to come back. But the players
all loved him. I mean the players, and you know,
I talked to a lot of guys behind the scenes too,
and he was really really well liked within the program
with by the players. Now, as far as the media,
he doesn't give us a lot. He's really careful about

(03:08):
what he says, you know, very by the book, and
you know if you ask him a specific question about
a player, a lot of times he doesn't want to
praise certain players or you know, he's real careful in
that sense with the media, but behind the scenes, he's
really really liked by the players, and you know, Desam

(03:29):
McCullough said he was one of the big reasons why
he chose to come back.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Hey, grip bruiting is important, no doubt, player connection. Thanks Sean.
Our Husker insider Sean Callahan