First off, I have to admit it – Associate Head Coach Phil Snow gives me a glimmer of hope for the Vegas Bowl. Not through any special sets or surprises he shared with the press corps last week, because, gosh, coaches do that all the time.
No, it’s simply the twinkle in his eye, the jump in his step and an invisible spark which seems to indicate he’s having a ball in his role as interim Defensive Coordinator thru December 31st and the Huskers’ date in Las Vegas. In fact, he looked so happy talking
about it all that I couldn’t resist asking him if he had any thoughts about perhaps trying to jump back into the role in a full-time position again somewhere. There wasn’t any hesitation.
“No!”
After a few laughs, he expanded.
“So guys – what I’ve done is I said okay. I told my wife I’ve got 18 days to act like I used to. Then (it’s) back to being an old man.”
Despite what some people may have thought, there was never much doubt – from my view anyway, but, boy don’t I love to be confidently incorrect – that 1) Phil Snow was 100% going to take over the defense for the bowl game, and 2) he would immediately return to his previous duties. The short version of those current duties would be acting as the team’s Yoda.
Obviously, that’s the quick definition and his involvement with the team and especially the defense runs much deeper than that. His coaching resume began almost 50 years ago as a high school defensive backs coach. He served as a defensive coordinator under Matt Rhule at Temple, Baylor and for the Carolina Panthers, so it was little surprise when he answered Rhule’s call for help as an analyst in 2024 and eventually his current position this season. He talked about his new role blending with the old.
“Oh, it’s fun, you know, when I’ve been brought here just to help with certain things, right? And I voice my opinion when I can. But there’s different ways of doing things, right? In your profession there is, and in ours too, right? So I have a role. But now with my new role, I can get more involved with everybody, right? And so it’s fun for me.”
And he’s no stranger to the players on the defensive side of the ball who quickly fell in behind their interim chief. Williams Nwaneri called Snow his “favorite coach on staff” and when asked about his traits, pointed to his energy and wisdom and the fact he is “100% honest” with his players. Dasan McCullough said the transition had been pretty seamless since Snow was already “always involved” but did note he was more vocal since taking over the reins.
Donovan Jones dissuaded everyone of the notion it was all fun and games with Snow. While echoing that he liked and respected him, he did say Snow was “loud” and “getting on everybody”.
By the way, the new interim defensive coordinator wasted no time letting other members of the coaching staff know that he wouldn’t be the only one taking on new duties for the rest of December. And one of those staff members would be none other than Head Coach Matt Rhule.
“We have an army. Guys, I’ve worked with Coach Rhule a long time, so I told him he’s got to put his hat on backwards and get out here and start coaching the D-line again. Him and (Phil) Simpson have taken the tackles. Okay? I’ve recruited Eck (Mike Ekeler) to coach the (defensive) ends along with Ira Lewis, our quality control guy.”
Nwaneri had mentioned the energy Snow brings to the practice field. How does that compare with Mike Ekeler’s legendary exuberance? Said Nwaneri with a chuckle, “That’s a totally different level of energy.”
As the current DC, the question did come up as to just what happened in the final two games in which they gave up a combined 77 points. He didn’t hide behind it and his description of things certainly seemed to match what was seen on the field.
“Well, anytime that you see plays that aren’t very well executed, that’s really the problem, right? It’s that people aren’t in the proper gaps. Their eyes aren’t doing what they’re supposed to. Some of the guys, at times, don’t even know what the call is, believe it or not.”
“You know, to be honest with you, we did not have the same energy or play with the same zest as we did the previous 10 games. And I don’t want to go into all that, but we just didn’t guys. We didn’t match intensity, we didn’t match physicality.”
So given the mistakes seemed to be mental and perhaps effort-based, it shouldn’t come as much surprise the Blackshirts will not be overhauling the schemes or trying to install a new base set on the fly.
“No, there’s not a lot we’re going to do differently. I think if you’ve followed my career, one of the things we’ve prided ourselves on is how hard we play, how physical we play, and we know and do our job. So that’s my primary goal. If we can have 11 guys out there that know exactly what they’re doing, then we can live with the consequences, right?”
“So think about how hard you play. That doesn’t take talent, knowing what you’re doing. That doesn’t take talent all right. Now the physicality of the game, a little bit of that does, but a lot of it’s heart too, and you got to bring it.”
“Guys, how we play on the field is a direct reflection of who’s coaching them.”
So for now, Snow is out there enjoying those 18 days and the fact it’s only those 18 days. As he said, “Guys, this is the 48th year, so you know, you got to put an old horse to pasture at some point, right? But, but I’m enjoying the heck out of it right now with the guys and I know them now, right? So it’s been fun.”
If it were a more permanent position, the Huskers would perhaps be involved in a search for a new head coach as Rhule’s temporary position might become more permanent if Snow, tongue fully in cheek, had his way.
“He’s a hell of a D-line coach, and that’s what he should be doing, but I’m not the D-coordinator anymore after this game, so we’ll see what he does.”
Call me crazy, but I think we can be pretty certain Coach Rhule will hang on to his primary position as he and new Defensive Coordinator Rob Aurich find a replacement on the defensive front for recently released Terry Bradden. And, as for Phil Snow, he certainly doesn’t sound if he is quitting anytime soon.
“Guys, this is the 48th year, so you know, you got to put an old horse to pasture at some point, right? But I’m enjoying the heck out of it right now with the guys and I know them now, right? So it’s been fun.”
