Nebraska hires longtime NFL assistant as new DBs coach

Nebraska has officially found its next secondary coach. And, perhaps, a future candidate to eventually coordinate its defense.

The Huskers on Thursday announced the hire of longtime NFL assistant John Butler to coach defensive backs. The 51-year-old replaces Evan Cooper, who resigned on July 5, and brings with him considerable credentials for someone available on the open market less than two months before the start of the college football season.

Butler, a Philadelphia native, was a Division III defensive coordinator at age 23 and a Big Ten assistant at Minnesota by 34. He spent four years with the Gophers (2007-10) as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach and another at South Carolina (2011) in the same role under coach Steve Spurrier. Butler served as defensive backs coach at Penn State for a season after that and rose to defensive coordinator there in 2013 — his unit forced a pair of fumbles in a snowy 23-20 overtime loss to Nebraska.

Butler followed PSU coach Bill O’Brien to the NFL and the Houston Texans as secondary coach for his next four campaigns. Then six more seasons at Buffalo, adding the title of passing game coordinator in 2022 and 2023.

Butler’s first coaching job was at Catholic University in 1995 and 1996. He was a grad assistant with Texas for the next two years before taking assistant positions at Midwestern State, Southwest Texas State and Harvard before joining Minnesota and new coach Tim Brewster.

The defensive coach drew attention in the industry for leaving the Bills on his own last winter despite a year remaining on his contract and no other job offers pending. The franchise had elevated another defensive assistant to the coordinator role and Butler felt a “ceiling” to his career there.

“People are probably wondering why a guy who’s had so much production and so many great things to say about the organization is leaving,” Butler told The Athletic in February. “There doesn’t have to be a crazy story behind it. I just want to run a defense in the NFL or college football. I want that opportunity, and I don’t want to wait.”

Butler may well have not coached anywhere this season if not for Nebraska, which needed to fill an opening after the departure of Cooper. Cooper had been alongside coach Matt Rhule for virtually all of Rhule’s career as a head coach and was among the first of Rhule’s Nebraska hires but departed for “personal reasons” after one year in Lincoln. At a salary of $670,000, Cooper helped the Huskers finish with the No. 14 pass efficiency defense in the FBS and had also served as one of NU’s key talent evaluators.

Butler inherits a position group stocked with depth and experience. Safeties Isaac Gifford, DeShon Singleton and Marques Buford are established leaders and veteran Huskers while cornerback Tommi Hill returns after pacing the defense in interceptions (four) and pass breakups (nine) a year ago. The other corner spot remains unsettled, though NU added USC transfer Ceyair Wright in late June and will get back FCS transfer Blye Hill at some point in the fall.

Nebraska has endured extreme turnover among its defensive backs coaches in recent times. The Huskers enter their 14th season in the Big Ten with their 10th different secondary coach — only Travis Fisher (2018-22) lasted more than two seasons and seven assistants were in Lincoln for one year or less.

Butler could potentially also be a long-term option as defensive coordinator if and when DC Tony White leaves for a head coaching job. White was in the running for several such opportunities after one season with NU as he led the Blackshirts to a No. 13 finish in FBS scoring defense (18.3 points per game). White could again be a strong candidate to take over his own program after 2024.

Multiple Bills defensive backs praised Butler in an Athletic story in February. Former corner Levi Wallace called Butler “rare” for his ability to lead and communicate at such a high level. Damar Hamlin — who nearly died in January 2023 after a hit on “Monday Night Football” — credited Butler for helping him become a pro.

“He has that fire, and you’ve got to be able to match that passion,” Hamlin said. “He truly cares, and he only wants people around who are truly willing to invest themselves. The only thing I had to do out there was trust my training.”