Shatel: The Nebraska OC has been an endangered species — but Dana Holgorsen is different

LINCOLN Hope arrived at Nebraska this week in a most unusual form.

An offensive coordinator.

That position has been an endangered species around Nebraska football for the last two decades or more.

Its been a parade of boy geniuses who needed skin thicker than the playbooks they used to try and impress Husker fans.

The last seven OCs at Nebraska were either fired, demoted or part of a staff that was fired (not including Scott Frost, who was essentially a head coach/offensive coordinator).

Their common thread was an ability to get so wrapped up in their scheme that they often outsmarted themselves, not the opponent.

That and an ability to raise the blood pressure of an entire state.

The signature moment of the Nebraska offensive coordinator came one year at Baylor, when OC Shawn Watsons postgame press conference was interrupted by a Husker fan yelling You (stink) Watson! No wonder Watsons successor, Tim Beck, opened his introductory press conference by saying, Go easy on me, guys.

No chance.

In a state full of armchair coordinators, nobody is immune, not even the legendary Tom Osborne who Husker fans and media sometimes criticized for being predictable and stubborn.

Osborne once answered a critical column with a three-page type-written note explaining his calls.

I dont think Dana Holgorsen will need a keyboard.

Holgorsen is a different kind of offensive coordinator at Nebraska.

When he replaced Marcus Satterfield late last season, it was cause for celebration around Nebraska.

Husker fans with high hopes for the 2025 season list Holgorsen as the No.

1 reason.

The man brought some serious credibility with him.

Now 54, hes been coaching football since 1993, and this season enters his 25th year at the major college level.

Holgorsen has coached under some greats and earned a degree in Air Raid offense from Mike Leach.

Yet, the man has been around long enough to diversify his style and avoid labels.

Hes been a head coach twice.

He was hired as a consultant twice.

Hes not button-down, and he doesnt look like hes from an Ivy League school of offense.

Hes got some gray hair.

His face has a little stubble.

Holgorsen carries himself with a swagger.

Hes confident and speaks with authority.

He has a wry smile and sense of humor.

His players have learned that the quick joke in practice can turn into a no-nonsense jab if they arent doing what theyre supposed to.

He has a condo in downtown Lincoln and likes to walk everywhere.

He takes European trips every summer.

And, armed with a two-year deal at NU, hes back as an offensive coordinator for the first time since 2010 at Oklahoma State.

Hes here to help Matt Rhule lead Nebraska back to winning football.

Is he also rejuvenating his career to take another swing at a head coaching job? Who knows? Holgorsen might find that he finds the life of a well-paid coordinator/guru the way to go.

Besides, hes got a sweet gig at Nebraska.

Rhule is a defensive guy.

Along with defensive coordinator John Butler and consultant Phil Snow, the Husker defense will be covered.

Rhule is entrusting the entire offense to Holgorsen.

He wont meddle.

So Holgorsen is the head coach of the offense.

Hes got a lot of good pieces to work with including a centerpiece young quarterback with supreme skills.

The Holgorsen-Dylan Raiola dynamic is the rocket ship that Husker fans are planning to ride into orbit.

But if that duo becomes dominant, it wont be because of any magic wand that Holgorsen pulls out of his playbook and waves over No.

15.

Oh, of course, Holgorsen knows his way around a chalkboard.

The Air Raid stuff speaks for itself.

Everywhere Holgorsen has been, open routes and touchdowns have followed.

But unlike the other brainiacs who came before him at NU, the brilliance in Holgorsen has been his ability to adapt to each situation.

At Oklahoma State, he ran a diamond formation, a four-man backfield which included two backs and a H-back or tight end in the backfield.

At West Virginia, Holgorsen leaned on the tight end because it was the right thing for that offense.

How many times in the last 20 years have we seen Nebraska go four-wide and empty set on the goal line? Twice in situations like that last season, Holgorsen took the baddest dude from the NU defensive line and put him at fullback at the goal line.

Grown Husker fans wept.

Holgorsen said he did it as a tribute to Osborne.

But as we learn more and more about the man, its apparent the tribute doesnt end there.

The secret sauce to Holgorsens offense: execution.

In his short time at NU, Holgorsen has been a stickler for doing things the right way.

He benched more than one receiver last season for not being able to block.

On Thursday, he said one of the offenses goals is to be more explosive, but added, Thats not what were going to obsess over.

That will come, he said.

Where that really shows up and where your yards per play go up is just routine play after routine play after routine play.

If its a check down for five yards, thats better than an incompletion.

Thats better than a sack.

Were just focused on routine plays, taking what the defense gives you.

If you do that consistently, those routine plays turn into big plays with good players.

To that end, Holgorsen is working with Raiola on recognizing defenses and consistently getting the offense into the right play.

Moving the ball forward, moving the chains.

Killing the defense with execution, not killing themselves with mistakes.

And shaping a scheme around his personnel to give them the best chance to execute.

Thats the goal.

And thats where well see the real genius of Dana Holgorsen.

On the scoreboard..

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