Tony White explains decision to join Matt Rhule's Nebraska staff

New Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule decided to hire former Syracuse defensive coordinator Tony White to his coaching as the Cornhuskers’ new defensive coordinator. White bring a ton of playing and coaching experience with him to Lincoln, and recently explained his decision to join Nebraska and Rhule’s new staff.

“One of the biggest things was obviously the connection with coach Rhule and the success he’s had, just the energy he brings and knowing him for as long as I have,” White explained.

This will be Rhule and White’s first time together as a part of the same coaching staff, with the duo boasting more than 30 yards of college coaching experience. Rhule brings NFL coaching experience to the table as well, but most notably turned around programs like Temple and Baylor in a short amount of time.

As a player, White was a three-year starting linebacker at UCLA and spent four years between the NFL and the CFL. He transitioned to coaching in 2006, starting off as the head coach St. Genevieve High School in California before making stops at his alma mater, New Mexico, and San Diego State before being promoted to the defensive coordinator at Arizona State in the final game of the 2019 season, where he helped lead the Sun Devils to a 20-14 Sun Bowl victory over Florida State where his defense caused six turnovers.

White’s football journey speaks for itself, and his knowledge about the rich history of Nebraska also played a part in his decision to join their coaching staff.

“And then when I was growing up in football, you didn’t talk about college football without mentioning Nebraska,” White said. “The blackshirts, the National Championships, just the way they played, the brand of football, so it was something I felt I couldn’t pass up.”

For the past three seasons, White was the defensive coordinator at Syracuse, improving his unit every single year since his arrival. Syracuse gave up 32.7 points per game in his first season, followed by 26.3 in 2021, and most recently 22.7, ranking in the top five of the ACC.

Nebraska is hoping he can generate a similar defense turnaround for the Cornhuskers, who surely need it after finishing in the bottom four in the Big Ten in points and yards allowed per contest.