Matt Rhule has heard the boos and the “fire him” chants before. But this time, a fan crossed the line by confronting his 13-year-old daughter after Nebraska’s 17-10 loss to Washington. On Monday, Rhule admitted he would rather walk away from coaching than let his children grow up in that environment. The Cornhuskers are now 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten after three straight defeats.
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Saturday night in Lincoln was already ugly. Nebraska led 7-3 with 1:30 remaining before Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. connected with Chris Lawson for a 25-yard go-ahead touchdown. Just 15 seconds later, Alex McLaughlin returned Anthony Colandrea’s third interception 48 yards for another score. Fans threw trash onto the field, and the situation turned even uglier afterward when a man confronted Rhule’s daughter at Memorial Stadium.
“A guy walked up to my 13-year-old daughter and was like, ‘F— you and F— your dad,'” Rhule said, according to an X post by College Transfer Portal. “I’m not going to keep coaching if it means my kids grow up screwed up. I’m not going to see my daughter shook.”
Rhule addressed the incident during a 19-minute opening statement at his press conference. He told his daughters he would retire if that was what it took to protect them, although he made it clear he had no immediate plans to leave Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers started 5-0 before falling to Indiana (20-17), Oregon (17-14), and Washington (17-10), surrendering late leads in each defeat. They have been outscored 39-10 in the fourth quarter of those games, while Rhule holds a 24-22 record in his fourth season.
Rhule isn’t the only coach whose family has faced the uglier side of college football criticism. South Carolina’s Shane Beamer revealed weeks earlier that his daughters had been reading online criticism following the Gamecocks’ loss.
For Rhule, the decision to stay ultimately came down to his family. His wife, Julie, asked their children whether the pressures of coaching had become too much. His 10-year-old daughter responded with a text expressing her love for Nebraska, its players, and their life in Lincoln. She insisted she was tough enough to handle the situation and urged her father not to quit.
“So I’m going to fight for the fans,” Rhule said. “Yeah, they get passionate, they boo, they throw a bottle. I get all that. The guy who attacked my 13-year-old daughter, I’m not coaching for him. I’m coaching for the people who are in the boat.”
Rhule urged players, coaches, staff, and supporters to remain focused on what they could control. His message was simple: Get back to work rather than allow frustration over the losing streak to derail the program.
He also defended offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who faced criticism after Nebraska attempted 45 passes compared to 29 rushing attempts against Washington. Rhule described him as one of the best offensive minds of his generation. Holgorsen, offensive line coach Geep Wade, and safeties coach Tyler Yelk will work from the press box against Illinois.
Despite Nebraska outgaining Washington 387-267, its minus-3 turnover margin proved costly. Rhule praised the defense for controlling long stretches of the game, although the unit failed to force a takeaway.
“I’m going to fight for the people who give money to the program, for the fans who spend whatever money they make to come to our games. I’m going to fight for the people at the Elbow Room in Johnston, Nebraska, who welcomed me,” Rhule said. “I’m not going to worry about the person who wants to throw something at Colandrea. I’m not going to worry about the person who wants to cuss out my daughter.”
Nebraska faces Illinois next, needing one more victory to secure bowl eligibility for the third consecutive season. Matchups against Rutgers, Ohio State, and Iowa will follow.