Mike Ekeler, Nebraska’s fiery new special teams coordinator, has always been known for his passion and energetic attitude. He is the type of coach who infuses every locker room he enters with energy. The David City native is prepared for a revival of the Huskers’ special teams with the same fire that won him over fans during his first stint more than 10 years ago. Ekeler said that he is prepared to give Nebraska his all once more after years of success at Tennessee, when his unit was regarded among the best in the country. But this time, it’s not only football that’s making him emotional; it’s a recent proud-dad moment involving his daughter, Bella.

In a recent X post, Mike Ekeler shared how proud he was of his daughter saying, “Couldn’t be more proud of@BellaEkeler_I admire her Self-Driven WORK ethic. Up every day at 4:30 AM to before school. Shout out to all of her great coaches@GSAthletics_VB. #GirlDad.”Sharing this moment meant something deeper for the Nebraska special teams coordinator, who is known for his intense on-field energy. It was an intimate look into the heart of the headset, celebrating a daughter who reflects his own strength and courage.

Couldn’t be more proud of @BellaEkeler_ I admire her Self-Driven WORK ethic. Up everyday at 4:30 AM to 🏋️‍♀️ before school🔥. Shout out to all of her great coaches💯❤️@GSAthletics_VB. #GirlDad pic.twitter.com/P7C0b16WIk

— Mike Ekeler (@CoachEkeler) October 7, 2025

Senior setter Bella Ekeler of Farragut High has built up a reputation as an athlete who never gives up. In her junior year, she had a ruptured ligament and a hyperextended elbow, which led physicians to say she would need to take up to six weeks off. But, eleven days later, she was back on the court, guiding her team from elimination to a District 4-AAA title and, ultimately, a state tournament trip, the school’s first since 2016. According to Bella, “I told myself the only way I would not be playing was if I physically could not…If there were any way that I could play with a brace or pain, I would be out there.” Her coach, Andre Alves,  referred to her as “the backbone of my team,” praising her leadership under pressure.

Bella feels ready to advance that same fierce drive now that she is fully recovered and dedicated to Georgia Southern University. “I just fell in love with the campus and the culture,” she said, describing her decision to join the Sun Belt program. From injuries to recovery, from high school courts in Tennessee to a Division I future, her story has evolved beyond just athletics. For Mike Ekeler, it is proof that his own family upholds the same values of discipline that he instills in the Nebraska football players. Bella is definitely a warrior and a daughter who has made her coach dad so proud.

Nebraska’s Mike Ekeler gets candid on coaching guilt and family sacrifices

Mike Ekeler sits by himself every summer before camp begins and asks himself the same awful question: Is it worth it to do this again? The long hours, the travel, the missed birthdays and games that guilt swallows him when he realizes he hasn’t seen his wife or children in weeks. He once stated, “I’m missing volleyball games, I’m missing soccer games, I’m missing all kinds of stuff. And sometimes I feel like I’m missing my kid’s life.” Most coaches wouldn’t publicly acknowledge this type of honesty, but Ekeler has lived it.

Like many other assistants nationwide, Ekeler works in a field where “off days” are negligible. The pressure and recruiting never end here. Bedtime stories have been replaced with late-night FaceTimes. He said, “Each year I’ve got anxiety going into the year..It’s got nothing to do with the game… but I miss my family.” Even something as simple as reading a story to your child might be interrupted by a recruit’s phone call, and saying no seems hard. John Lilly, another coach, said, “You might be sitting there reading to your kids and your phone rings…You feel obligated. You gotta answer this. And at times it breaks your kid’s heart.”

Despite the grind, Ekeler’s clarity about what actually matters. He said, “I could walk out this door again and never coach again; I wouldn’t bat an eye… I love what I do, but it’s not who I am. I’m a father, I’m a husband — that’s No. 1.”  It’s a rare form of balance for a man whose work requires a deep passion for sports. That’s why he was so moved by seeing his daughter Bella succeed: getting up at 4:30 a.m. to practice, leading her team to the state championship, and being accepted to college, now being named the setter of the year. Because every early morning and missed game seems like a full circle moment to him.