Tom Osborne’s “warm” phone call with Matt Rhule includes a chat about Mickey Joseph

LINCOLN — Matt Rhule said he crossed an item off his bucket list Saturday morning.

“I talked to Coach Osborne,” the new Nebraska football coach told ESPN of a conversation with the legendary Husker coach and athletic director.

Osborne said on Saturday that the call was “cordial” and relatively brief. Osborne said he was expecting Rhule’s call after NU Athletic Director Trev Alberts called on Saturday to say Osborne wanted to talk to Rhule.

“I told Matt I would help in any way I could,” Osborne said, “but I won’t interfere.”

Osborne was instrumental in encouraging Rhule’s predecessor, Scott Frost, to become NU’s head coach in 2017. Osborne also supported Frost’s interim replacement, Mickey Joseph, another former Husker quarterback.

“I talked to (Rhule) a little bit about Mickey and the work Mickey has been doing in the meantime,” Osborne said.

Joseph would be a good addition to any staff member, Osborne said when asked if Rhule should try to keep Joseph.

“I would think of course that would be important,” Osborne said. “I can’t go into that. “He’s a good recruiter, he’s good with people and he’s a straight shooter. He’s not giving you crap. He pretty much tells you how it is. I love those qualities in him. It would do everyone good to have it.

Osborne praised Alberts for a “thought-out” search process. Osborne didn’t talk much to Alberts about the coaching search in recent months, but he received occasional updates, including an idea of ​​who the final six or seven candidates turned out to be.

“I just listened because I’ve never met most of these people,” Osborne said. “I’m old enough now that I don’t have contact with the current generation of coaches.”

Due to some “arrangements” that are “quite important”, Osborne said it is unlikely he will attend Monday’s 1.30pm press conference at the Hawks Championship Center to introduce Rhule. If Osborne isn’t there, he said, it doesn’t say anything about how he feels about the rental.

“I don’t want to be an external or disruptive presence,” Osborne said. “This is between Matt Rhule, the university, Trev Alberts and the rest of the coaching staff. I’m not part of that. I’m not going to be there.”

Rhule has done a great job turning two college programs, Temple and Baylor, from struggling teams into double-digit winners.

“He certainly took over Baylor under difficult circumstances,” Osborne said of Rhule, who became Baylor’s head coach in the wake of the program’s sexual assault scandal.