Matt Rhule went shopping for assistant coaches, handed out two school record-breaking contracts, and came back to Lincoln with more than $1 million to spare.
Nebraska allotted $7 million for Rhule to hire his 10 on-field assistant coaches and his head strength coach, and the new Head Husker managed to spend "only" $5.97 million.
Nebraska released the contract details on Wednesday; all salaries other than Wager's were previously known, and the entire staff netted 3-year contracts.
That's still a substantial increase from the $5.45 million Scott Frost paid the same 11 staff slots in 2022, but more than $1 million below his budget. It's expected Rhule will roll those savings into filling out his off-the-field staff. (Those with long memories will recall Frost took a $1 million pay cut at the end of the 2021 season in order to re-invest that in his staff. We know how that ended.)
Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Marcus Satterfield leads the staff with a $1.4 million salary on a 3-year contract. Rhule's hiring came with excellent timing for Satterfield; his 2-year contract at South Carolina ($900,000 per year) expired after the 2022 campaign.
Defensive coordinator Tony White will be the second million dollar coordinator in Nebraska history, earning an even $1 million on a 3-year deal.
Defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach Evan Cooper is the highest-paid position coach in Nebraska history at $670,000.
Rhule himself will earn $5.5 million in 2023, a point of contention for his former employer.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.