Dana Holgorsen has been appointed as the offensive coordinator for Nebraska for the remainder of the season, with Marcus Satterfield still remaining on the coaching staff, coach Matt Rhule announced on Monday.
Rhule had brought in Holgorsen, a former head coach at West Virginia and Houston, to evaluate the Cornhuskers’ underperforming offense after it struggled significantly with five-star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola since the commencement of Big Ten play.
In conference games within the 18-team Big Ten, Nebraska ranks 14th in total offensive yards and 15th in scoring. Satterfield has been under increased scrutiny for his play-calling decisions throughout the season.
“I felt this unit wasn’t meeting expectations, so I sought out someone whom I can trust,” Rhule stated during his weekly press conference.
Before joining Nebraska, Satterfield served as the offensive coordinator at South Carolina and was originally part of Rhule’s staff, having been hired two years ago. Under Satterfield’s stewardship, the Huskers averaged only 20.4 points per game over 21 games, placing them 124th out of 134 Bowl Subdivision teams, and 331 total yards per game, ranking 115th, according to Sportradar.
Rhule clarified that Satterfield will carry on coaching tight ends, and all other offensive assistants will maintain their existing roles.
“Marcus is one of the finest individuals I know,” Rhule remarked. “He could have easily chosen to walk away with a settlement, but he didn’t. While we all understand this is a business focused on results, it’s also essential to impart valuable life lessons to our players. He showed humility and asked, ‘What can I do to improve?’”
The university has not yet provided details regarding Holgorsen’s contract terms.
The Cornhuskers enter the upcoming game against Southern California on Saturday with a record of 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the conference, having averaged a mere 18.3 points and 320 yards of offense per game against Big Ten rivals this season.
Holgorsen, 53 years of age, comes from the coaching lineage of Mike Leach. He earned his reputation for creating high-performing offenses while coaching under Leach at Texas Tech and Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State.
From 2011 to 2018, Holgorsen had a record of 61-41 at West Virginia and was 31-28 at Houston from 2019 to 2023. This season, he also contributed as an offensive consultant at TCU.
Nebraska has struggled offensively, managing just 4.69 yards per play in conference matchups, second-worst in the Big Ten, trailing only Northwestern’s 4.49 yards.
Raiola, recognized as the top recruit in Nebraska’s history, has thrown for five touchdown passes but also seven interceptions across six Big Ten games. His passer efficiency rating is the lowest in the conference after he completed less than half of his passes against Rutgers on October 5.
The rushing attack has also faltered, managing only 101 yards per game against conference opponents. “Holgorsen can’t simply come in and overhaul our offensive strategy,” Rhule pointed out. “At this stage in the season, we don’t have the luxury of implementing the Air Raid offense. Instead, he can identify which aspects of our game excel and who our playmakers are, helping us strategize around those strengths.”