Matt Rhule knows the coaching world will test your ability to keep moving forward during difficult times. But when someone involves your family, a line has been crossed — one that is difficult to explain to those who did not sign up for the job.
We see it far too often. That is no excuse for fans who target the families of college football coaches. The social media backlash, trash talk at school and verbal shots from fans who believe they are entitled to voice their opinions because they paid for a ticket — the list goes on.
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While Matt Rhule is fair game for criticism when Nebraska loses or fails to perform on the field, targeting his family is completely unacceptable. The Cornhuskers head coach has every right to call out the individuals who verbally attacked his daughter.
Speaking Monday after Nebraska suffered another fourth-quarter collapse — this time blowing a lead to Washington after the Huskies scored 14 points in just 45 seconds — Rhule said he can handle the criticism.
But targeting his family is an entirely different matter.
“A guy walked up to my 13-year-old daughter and was like, ‘F-you and F your dad.’ I’m not going to keep coaching if it means my kids grow up screwed up,” Rhule told reporters “I said to my daughter, ‘If daddy’s gotta retire, if I have retire because I don’t want you guys growing up in that environment …”
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Head coach Matt Rhule of the Nebraska Cornhuskers leads players onto the field before a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 22, 2025, in State College, Pa. (Getty Images)
Verbal attacks come with the job, but Matt Rhule’s children didn’t sign up for this
No, Matt Rhule is not quitting or walking away from the Nebraska football program. But, you could tell by watching his news conference that the Cornhuskers head coach is also feeling the heat when it comes to where the program currently stands.
Obviously, we live in a cynical society where folks feel as though if someone makes millions of dollars to coach a game that they are subject to the criticism. Sure, I don’t disagree with that, as long as that doesn’t include the threat of physical attack or someone going off the deep end.
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There is a reason we are ‘fans’, which is short for fanatic.
On the other hand, when the verbal attacks start making their way from the head coach to a family member, that’s when the plot is officially lost.
“I’m not leaving. I’m not quitting. I’m fighting for those people,” Matt Rhule explained. “For the people who are listening to the game while they’re on a combine [harvester]. We are going to fight for those people. But please don’t ever question how hard these kids are working or how hard these coaches are working or how hard I’m working.”
And yes, it can get a little chaotic for coaches across different sports.
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule argues with a game official during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
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Schools will provide extra security when needed
Having spoken to plenty of coaches around multiple sports over the years, you would be surprised at just how far some of this can go.
There are schools that will assign security to family members on game days, put a police officer outside a coach’s home when a season goes in a negative direction or even have the need to keep family members away from attending games altogether.
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule watches the game against Maryland at SECU Stadium in College Park, Md., on Oct. 11, 2025. (Getty Images)
While this shouldn’t be the case, unfortunately, we live in a social media society that brings out the worst in some fans who decide to take things way too far, over a game.
If you think losing doesn’t drive these coaches crazy because they are making a large amount of money in the process, you aren’t understanding the personal side to their lives.
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It’s not that serious folks, and a 13-year-old doesn’t deserve to catch heat for something their father decided to do for a living.
