Nebraska working to hire Phil Simpson to staff

According to multiple reports Friday morning, Nebraska is working to hire Phil Simpson to its coaching staff.

Simpson is an assistant coach who spent the 2023 season with Nebraska as a defensive quality control coach. He left for a role on Florida State’s staff earlier this year and spent the 2024 season with the Seminoles.

According to the reports, if hired, Simpson would coach the defense’s outside linebackers and edge rushers.

Nebraska and Florida State have been connected during the early portions of the coaching carousel. Former Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White was introduced as Florida State’s next DC this week. Rivals’ own Greg Smith reported that Nebraska defensive line coach Terrance Knighton would follow White to Tallahassee.

This has been an offseason of change for Nebraska’s coaching staff. Smith also reported receivers coach Garret McGuire wouldn’t return to Nebraska for the 2025 season and will join the Texas Tech staff. Also, Jack linebackers coach Jack Potenza and assistant linebackers coach Josh Bringuel will not return to Nebraska, either. Potenza and Bringuel followed White to Nebraska from Syracuse in 2023.

Simpson was a defensive lineman for Rhule at Temple from 2004-07 before starting his coaching career in the Florida high school ranks.

Simpson was a successful head coach at Homestead High School from 2019-22. In his final season before joining Nebraska’s staff, Simpson led Homestead to the 2022 Class 3M state championship game, the school’s first state title game. The Broncos went 23-4 over Simpson’s final two seasons, and he was named the Miami Herald Coach of the Year in 2021.

Simpson is an ace recruiter with deep ties to Florida’s high school coaches and athletes. He played a large role in helping land the Miami natives in Nebraska’s 2024 class, including Jacory Barney Jr., Vincent Shavers Jr., Amare Sanders and Larry Tarver Jr.

On Wednesday during the early signing period, Nebraska signed a product of Homestead (Fla.): four-star receiver Cortez Mills, who flipped to Nebraska from Oklahoma.