It wasn't a huge mystery as to which search firm had most likely contacted Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule with interest in Tony White, but we probably have our answer now.
According to a report from Kirk Kenney of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the San Diego State Aztecs have contacted White in its head coaching search.
White, a four-year player and three-year starting linebacker at UCLA, began his coaching career in 2006 with three one-year stops at different programs before being hired by San Diego State in 2009. That turned into the longest stop of White's coaching career thus far as the Aztecs' cornerbacks coach for nine years from 2009-17, in addition to holding the team's recruiting coordinator title for his last seven years there.
After spending two years at Arizona State (cornerbacks coach/defensive pass game coordinator) and three years at Syracuse (defensive coordinator), White was hired by Rhule last offseason to be the Huskers' defensive coordinator and made him one of the first two $1 million coordinators in program history (alongside current offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield). White is currently on a three-year deal worth $1 million annually at Nebraska.
In his one season with the Huskers, White has spearheaded a complete overhaul of the defense and has led them to one of the best turnarounds in the country. In 2022, the Huskers ranked 77th nationally in scoring defense (27.6 points per game allowed), 100th in total defense (414.4 yards allowed per game) and 109th in rushing defense (189.1 rush yards allowed per game, ranked 97th at 4.5 yards allowed per carry).
In 2023, through 11 games, Nebraska is 19th in the country in scoring defense (18.7), 15th in total defense (307.7) and 6th in rushing defense (86.5, ranked 5th at 2.8 yards allowed per carry).
On Monday afternoon, two days after a 24-17 overtime loss to Wisconsin, Rhule was asked about White's candidacy as a head coach and said that White "100 percent" should be, and will be, fielding calls from programs seeking a new head coach. His advice to White and any of his other assistants get calls with great offers to leave Rhule's staff?
“Go get a job," White said. "I told Tony, a firm called me asking for Tony’s number and I said, ‘Yes you should hire Tony White, Tony White should be a head coach. He’s excellent.’ I told Tony, ‘Don’t take the wrong one. Don’t take the wrong job now.’ Like, don’t take a job with no resources, don’t take a job with no support. Don’t take a job without a great recruiting base. Don’t take a job, here me when I say this, this is deep, where the expectations outweigh the commitment. If I want to be in great shape and I work out one day a week, you want to be a 10-win team and you’re spending at the middle of your conference, the expectation. I do that with all my guys because it’s like the players, I want them to want to be here. ... Our guys are professional, they would never ever put anything but the players first, but yeah anybody that’s called me about Tony being a head coach, I’ve said, ‘Yeah give him a shot.’
"I tell Tony, ‘Pick the right job, don’t pick the wrong job.’ We’re going to be good on defense here for a while. The stark reality and maybe people like it, maybe people don’t is everywhere I’ve been, we’ve had a good defense. Everywhere I’ve been, we’ve had kind of a middle of the pack offense. We’re not quite middle of the pack yet on offense, I’d like to get to be more dynamic. I’ve never had athletes like this. Wait until Malachi (Coleman) and Jaidyn (Doss) and Kwinten (Ives) and all these guys grow up, I think we’re going to be pretty darn good but we’re going to be really good on defense for a while if Tony decides to stay. If he gets a head coaching job and he wants to take it, I’m going to hug him, love him, wish him the best and then we’ll continue to play good defense.”
In addition to San Diego State, Syracuse is another potential destination for White if he moves on from Nebraska after the season and takes a head coaching role after the Orange fired Dino Babers over the weekend.
