A good solution for Nebraska's most pressing need

Taking a closer look at new DBs coach John Butler by the numbers.

Courtesy Nebraska Athletics

July is a bad time to have to hire a football coach. It’s never part of the plan. The carousel is mostly closed this time of year, so the pool of coaches either already available or willing to make a move is smaller. If a team does find the right candidate, that coach gets dropped into recruiting and season preparations midstream.

January is when you want to do this, not July. Most schools in this spot, particularly in the era of analysts at power programs, will simply promote from within.

Nebraska didn’t go that route, choosing John Butler to replace Evan Cooper as secondary coach and pass game coordinator.

“[He] is one of the premier defensive backs coaches in football,” Matt Rhule said upon announcing the hire July 11. “He has a diverse coaching background and a history of being part of winning organizations, and elite defenses at the highest level of football.”

By now you probably know the general route Butler took to Nebraska, but today we’ll zoom in a bit on the numbers his defenses produced, specifically over the past 12 seasons. While I looked at all of the numbers since 2012, the focus will be on the pass given Butler is the Huskers’ defensive pass game coordinator.

Pass defense also just happens to be maybe the biggest growth opportunity for the Blackshirts in 2024.