Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule announced today that John Butler has been named as the Huskers’ defensive coordinator. Butler joined the Nebraska staff in July as secondary coach and has 30 years of coaching experience, including 20 in college football.
This season, Butler was part of a Nebraska defense that ranked in the top 20 nationally in rushing defense, total defense and scoring defense. Included on Butler’s impressive resume are two seasons on the Penn State staff under Bill O’Brien, including the 2013 season as defensive coordinator.
“John Butler has been a great addition to our staff this season and has proven he is the right coach to lead our defense,” Rhule said. “John has previous success as a defensive coordinator in the Big Ten Conference and has a history of coaching elite defenses throughout his career.”
With Butler leading the secondary in 2024, the Huskers returned three interceptions for touchdowns, the most by Nebraska since 2013. The Huskers also limited six opponents to 13 points or fewer.
“I appreciate the confidence Coach Rhule has shown in me to lead the Blackshirts!,” Butler said. “I knew Nebraska was a special place before I got here, but it is better than I imagined. I look forward to our continued work with our players to develop them on and off the field. The Blackshirt tradition is one of the best in college football, and we are committed to playing great defense at Nebraska.”
Butler came to Nebraska after spending the previous 10 years in the National Football League, including six seasons with the Buffalo Bills.
The play of Butler’s defensive backs in Buffalo helped the Bills reach the AFC playoffs for five straight seasons, and the Bills captured the AFC East divisional title in each of his final four years.
Butler spent his first four seasons in Buffalo (2018-21) as the defensive backs coach, before adding the passing game coordinator title in 2022 and 2023. During his six seasons at the helm of the Buffalo secondary, cornerback Tre’Davious White and safety Jordan Poyer were All-Pro selections, while safety Micah Hyde and nickel Taron Johnson were second-team honorees.
Buffalo was among the top defenses in the league throughout Butler’s time on the coaching staff. From 2018 through 2023, the Bills’ defense ranked first in the NFL in total yards per game, passing yards per game, yards per completion, yards per attempt, TD passes allowed, opponent passer rating and passing first downs. The stifling pass defense allowed Buffalo to rank second in the NFL in points allowed over Butler’s six seasons as the Bills won at least 11 games four times.
Before his time in Buffalo, Butler was the secondary coach on O’Brien’s Houston Texans staff from 2014 to 2017. During his four seasons leading the Texans secondary, Houston captured a pair of AFC South crowns, and the defense allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards per game (238.1 ypg) in that timeframe. In 2016, Houston ranked first in total defense and allowed the second-fewest passing yards per game.
Butler spent 19 years in college coaching before moving to the National Football League. Butler served as the secondary coach at Penn State in 2012, before taking over as the Nittany Lion defensive coordinator in 2013. In his first year at Penn State, the Nittany Lions ranked second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally in scoring defense.
Butler’s diverse resume also includes 11 seasons as a collegiate special teams coordinator. He led the special teams and coached the outside linebackers at South Carolina in 2011, helping the Gamecocks to a top-10 national finish. He spent four seasons (2007-10) coaching the linebackers and coordinating the special teams at Minnesota.
Before his time at Minnesota, Butler had stops at Harvard (2003-06), Texas State (2001-02) and Midwestern State (1999-2000). He spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Texas in 1997 and 1998. Butler began his coaching career in 1995 and 1996 at his alma mater, Catholic University (Pa.). Butler graduated from Catholic U. in 1995 and played both football and basketball at the school.
Butler’s Coaching History
COLLEGE
Nebraska: Secondary (2024), Defensive Coordinator (Bowl Game/2025)
Penn State: Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks (2013)
Penn State: Secondary (2012)
South Carolina: Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers (2011)
Minnesota: Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers (2007-10)
Harvard: Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers (2003-06)
Texas State: Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties (2001-02)
Midwestern State: Defensive Coordinator/Linebacker/Safeties (1999-2000)
Texas: Graduate Assistant (1997-98)
Catholic: Defensive Coordinator/Secondary (1996)
Catholic: Secondary (1995)
NFL
Buffalo Bills: Defensive Backs/Passing Game Coordinator (2022-23)
Buffalo Bills: Defensive Backs (2018-21)
Houston Texans: Secondary (2014-17)
