Huskers hire new head coach

After a 76-day search on the coaching trail, Nebraska officially introduced its 31st head coach, Monday.

Matt Rhule, a former walk-on Big 10 linebacker at Penn State and former coach in collegiate and NFL ranks, will make $72 million for an eight-year stint.

Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts told the crowd assembled in the Hawks Championship Center, he interacted with 13 coaches throughout the search process.

"Candidate 1A, for me and the University of Nebraska, was always Matt Rhule," Alberts said.

During the search, Alberts relied on analytics to differentiate tangibles among candidates for what it will take to lead a success program in the Big 10 in Lincoln.

"The University of Nebraska has always been the premiere development program in he country. It's in our DNA, it's who we are," Alberts said.

Rhule thanked university officials for the opportunity and credited UNL President Ted Carter and Alberts for the discussions which led to his hiring.

"Throughout this process, we found what we're looking for. We found leadership, we found alignment," Rhule said. "No matter how fertile the seed is, it has to be in great soil for the plant to grow.

Rhule's passion for football was reinvigorated during talks with Husker officials.

"This is a place that's commited to greatness," Rhule said. "It's the right fit. It's the right time. And if I have one message for you, we can absolutely do it. It will be hard. It may take time, but it will be done."

Rhule said while he sees the rewards football offers - conference and national championships and individual awards - he sees himself as a "day-by-day guy."

"I want to build a team that's tough. The price of glory is paved here at 6 a.m. The price of glory is paved on the recruiting trail. This is going to be hard."

Old-school football is what Rhule will be formulating, touting physicality and balance.

"At the end of the day, I don't believe you can win if you can't win the line of scrimmage."

Rhule and his staff will rely on recruiting ties in football hotspots, including Texas and Florida, as well as within Nebraska's borders.

"I hope you trust us to take you into the future. It's going to take everybody who bleeds red to get the Nebraska Cornhuskers to be where they're supposed to be. We will do it, but we'll have to do it together."