Integral Part of Nebraska Cornhuskers Program Suddenly, Inexplicably Leaves HC Matt Rhule With Under 2 Months Until First Game

A major shakeup within the Nebraska Cornhuskers program has left head coach Matt Rhule and the rest of the organization scrambling with under two months until the season kicks off.

Defensive backs coach Evan Cooper is no longer a part of the program, leaving a hole within the organization that is bigger than it looks on the surface.

Evan Cooper meant more to the Nebraska Cornhuskers and head coach Matt Rhule than just a defensive backs coach

While Cooper played a large role in shaping the Cornhuskers secondary into one of the strong suits of the team, he did more than coach defensive backs.

On top of being the team’s defensive pass game coordinator, Cooper was Rhule’s top recruiting evaluator. According to Mitch Scherman of The Athletic, Cooper played an essential role in recruiting prospects like breakout wide receiver Jaylen Lloyd.

Cooper also played a major role in the development of the talent he helped evaluate. Defensive backs like Tommi Hill, DeShon Singleton and Omar Brown were some of the members of the secondary that took a large step forward with Cooper’s help in 2023.

The open-field tackling and nose for the ball of the secondary in 2023 was something Husker fans hadn’t seen since the days of defensive-minded head coach Bo Pelini.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers had a solid secondary in 2023, but Evan Cooper’s squad could’ve been better

Even though the massive improvement of the secondary stood out in 2023, they were the weakest part of the Husker’s defense. The weakest part of the 2023 Husker defense was still a strong suit for the team, but there is more than a little room for improvement when it comes to passing defense for the Huskers in 2024.

In 2023, the Huskers were 40th in passing yards allowed per game as they allowed 210.6 yards passing per game. This figure was not a cause for panic, but after a closer look at the Huskers’ competition, the figure becomes less impressive.

Outside of the Colorado Buffaloes and potential first-round draft pick Shedeur Sanders in week two who put up nearly 400 yards passing, the Huskers did not face a fearsome passing attack for the rest of the season. The Michigan Wolverines didn’t need to pass against the Huskers due to such a large discrepancy in score.

Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa and the Maryland Terrapins put up nearly 300 yards on the Huskers. Nebraska ended up ranked 28th in passing touchdowns allowed and a staggering 100th overall in completions allowed.

Cooper may be missed from a talent evaluation and development standpoint, but the Nebraska secondary could certainly use improvement especially when considering the impact the front seven had on the opposing passing offense from a pressure standpoint.

Nebraska Cornhuskers fans are shocked by the departure of Evan Cooper, who has been with HC Matt Rhule for a long time

Many Nebraska fans were shocked by the sudden departure of Cooper considering his history with Rhule. He played under Rhule for the Temple Owls and coached for the Owls after that.

Cooper then followed Rhule to the Baylor Bears and he continued on with Rhule during his stint in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. His history with Rhule and the proximity to the beginning of the season raises many questions as to the nature of his departure.

One potential clue could be within a quote posted on social media by star safety Isaac Gifford.

“The Slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny. I will persist until I succeed.” – Og Mandino

The same quote can be found in Cooper’s X/Twitter biography.

“The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny. I will persist until I succeed.”
-Og Mandino pic.twitter.com/cUGV70XQgg

— Isaac Gifford (@IsaacGifford2) July 6, 2024

🤔 pic.twitter.com/DTxnvEEYvG

— James Pruch (@jamespruch) July 6, 2024

Still, many fans continue to speculate as to why Cooper’s departure would occur on the Friday right after the Fourth of July.

Wonder what led to Evan Cooper’s resignation. I don’t like speculation, just seems very abrupt.

— TheGreatCornholio (@NebCornholio) July 5, 2024

Lots of Nebraska media members three beers deep on a Friday night trying to figure out what’s the deal with Evan Cooper resigning out of the blue.

— Huskers Gameday (@HuskersGameday) July 5, 2024

There’s a story behind the story, nobody wants to hear

— Burke Kaltenberger (@BKaltenberger) July 6, 2024

Must have a criminal offense coming out soon!

— Abel King (@AbelKing238) July 6, 2024

Although Rhule is known for hiring within his own program, Nebraska is expected to go outside of the program to replace Cooper.

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