John Butler may replace Evan Cooper at Nebraska report says

ESPN reported Saturday that former Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills coach John Butler was expected to be NU’s next defensive backs coach. Butler had recently completed a six-year stint as the Bills’ defensive backs coach — in 2022-2023, he also served as defensive passing game coordinator — before parting ways with the franchise.

A native of Philadelphia, Butler spent the first two-thirds of his coaching career in the college ranks. His first job, at Catholic University in 1995-1996, coincided with the collegiate playing career of current Nebraska general manager Sean Padden.

Butler worked as a graduate assistant at Texas — he was part of the 1998 staff that broke Nebraska’s long home winning streak — and eventually had assistant jobs at Harvard, Minnesota and South Carolina before following Bill O’Brien to Penn State in 2012 and 2013. Butler coordinated the Nittany Lions’ defense in 2013, when the team finished 7-5 and had 20 takeaways.

From there, Butler joined O’Brien with the Texans, then moved to the Bills in 2018.

Buffalo has had some of the NFL’s best, and relatively stable, secondaries over the last six seasons, anchored by longtime standout safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, who were both with the franchise when Butler arrived. So was corner Tre’Davious White, who became an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2019, and made the Pro Bowl again in 2020.

In 2021, the Bills led the NFL in pass defense rating, yards per attempt allowed and yards allowed. Back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2022 and 2023 for White affected the Bills’ pass defense in those seasons.

After Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott, as part of a major coaching staff overhaul this offseason, promoted the linebackers coach to defensive coordinator, Butler and another NFL assistant parted ways with the franchise.

Butler told The Athletic in February he left the Bills voluntarily, with a year left on his contract, because he wants to be a NFL or college defensive coordinator.

“I’m at my best when I’m in charge,” Butler said. “I ran the secondary for six years, but there’s a ceiling there.”

For a second straight year, Tony White will call Nebraska’s defense, but he was a candidate for head coaching jobs last offseason and could again be one after the 2024 season. 

If Butler is Nebraska’s defensive backs hire  — the school made no immediate announcement — he takes over a unit full of depth and experience, led by safeties Isaac Gifford, DeShon Singleton and Marques Buford, all of whom have multiple years in the program, and returning starting corner Tommi Hill, who led the team with four interceptions in 2023. While the starting cornerback job opposite Hill remains in flux, NU signed USC transfer Ceyair Wright in late June. He’ll compete immediately for the job. At some point in 2024, Nebraska may also get FCS transfer Blye Hill back in the fold.

Cooper, a longtime aide of Matt Rhule, resigned Friday for personal reasons, according to a NU spokesperson. At a salary of $670,000, Cooper helped the Huskers finish with the No. 14 pass efficiency defense in college football last season. He also served as one of Rhule’s key talent evaluators.