Nebraska secondary coach Evan Cooper resigns from his position, per report

Nebraska assistant Evan Cooper officially resigned from his position on Friday evening, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The news was also confirmed on Friday night by HuskerOnline.com. He worked as the Cornhuskers’ secondary coach and their defensive pass game coordinator. Nebraska is currently in the middle of their search for a replacement, according to Thamel.

The Cornhuskers had one of the top defenses in the nation in the 2023-2024 campaign, ranking 13th in the country in scoring defense (18.3 points per game). The Cornhuskers passing defense ranked 40th in the nation in yards allowed per game (210.6 per outing). And their rush defense was among one of the best units in all of college football. They allowed just 92.9 yards per game on the ground, ranking them ninth in the country in that stat.

Cooper played at Temple when current Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule was an assistant coach, and Cooper had been serving on Rhule’s coaching staff for the 12th consecutive season.

Matt Rhule has said he trusts Cooper at a high level for his ability to evaluate talent. What’s more, Cooper’s first season coaching Husker players was a success by most any measure.

Nebraska’s pass defense in 2023 limited opponents to 6.1 yards per attempt, a total that ranked ninth nationally. The Huskers also ranked 15th nationally in passing efficiency defense, their highest finish in that category since 2014.

The secondary held two opponents under 100 yards passing and seven opponents to fewer than 200 yards through the air. Cooper’s secondary helped Nebraska rank 14th nationally in total defense and 17th in scoring defense, their best finishes since 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Many of his secondary standouts return for 2024. The Cornhuskers finished with a 5-7 overall record last year and a 3-6 record in the Big Ten. While things have been disappointing in the past, excitement is at an all-time high for Dylan Raiola, one of the highest ranked commitments the Cornhuskers have landed in the past few decades. He was ranked as the No. 3 quarterback in the 2024 cycle and the No. 21 overall player in the country, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

On3’s Steven Sipple also contributed to this article.