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Report: Matt Rhule, Nebraska hires former NFL cornerback Rashaan Melvin as assistant DB coach

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•07/30/24•

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Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska reportedly hired former NFL cornerback Rashaan Melvin as an assistant defensive backs coach, according to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports.

Melvin played nine seasons in the NFL, making 42 career starts. He also played under Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule in Carolina with the Panthers in 2021.

Melvin played his college football at Northern Illinois and went undrafted in 2013. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played for them for two seasons.

Melvin also had stints with the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and last played in 2021 with the Panthers.

Melvin finished his career with 223 solo tackles and four interceptions.

Matt Rhule hires Rashaan Melvin to Nebraska staff

Nebraska recently retooled its football coaching staff, hiring John Butler as the new defensive backs coach. But it’s not a move that Rhule would’ve wanted to make during the middle of the summer.

But when then-defensive backs coach Evan Cooper resigned, Rhule didn’t have much of a choice. And he was actually able to lock down Butler as a new assistant after previously trying to hire him in the spring.

Now, Melvin adds to the depth of the staff in that area.

“So I reached out to John like, ‘Hey, you’re out, would you want to do this?’ And it was just not the right time. He’s got a 13-year-old son,” Rhule said at Big Ten Media Days. “Well, Evan resigns, the job’s open, we interview a bunch of people. John’s two towns down from me at the beach. I said ‘Hey, come down and talk to me.’ And I think at that point, because football season was right around the corner, I think he was ready and we’ve known each other a long time.

“I think it just made more sense. So his football acumen, the fact that he’s been a coordinator, his intelligence. You talk to him for five minutes and you’re like, ‘OK, I get it.’ He’s going to be — I think he’s going to make our players better.”