RHULE NAMED NEW HEAD COACH OF HUSKERS; PRESS CONFERENCE SET FOR TODAY:
Former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was announced as the 31st full-time head coach for the Nebraska Football team on Saturday, a day after the Huskers wrapped their 2022 season with a win over Iowa on Black Friday.
The former Baylor and Temple coach will make $72 million – $9 million annually – over his eight years in Lincoln. The annual total makes him the ninth highest paid head coach in the country.
Nebraska fans will have their first opportunity to hear from their new head coach today at 1:30 with a live press conference that will be live on KGFW and online at Huskers.com.
RHULE MAKES FIRST CHANGES TO ASSISTANT STAFF:
At least one piece of Matt Rhule’s coaching staff at Nebraska appears to be in place.
Long-time Rhule assistant Evan Cooper is expected to join him at Nebraska. The Miami native Cooper was with Rhule at Temple, Baylor and Carolina. He was let go by the Panthers this month.
During his time at Baylor, Cooper played an instrumental role in securing three consecutive top-35 recruiting classes as the recruitment coordinator.
HUSKER VOLLEYBALL SELECTED INTO LOUISVILLE BRACKET, FACE DELAWARE STATE:
The road to Omaha for Nebraska volleyball begins in Lincoln.
The Huskers will begin NCAA Tournament play at home this week as they were selected No. 7 overall. As announced on the selection show Sunday evening, NU is the No. 2 seed in the Louisville Quarter.
Nebraska will open play against Delaware State on Thursday. The winner of that match will take on the winner of No. 7 Miami and Kansas on Friday.
The other seeded teams in the quadrant are No. 1 Louisville, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Baylor, No. 5 Rice, No. 6 Arkansas and No. 8 Purdue.
Texas, Louisville, Wisconsin and Stanford received the top four seeds.
NEBRASKA MEN’S BASKETBALL STOMPS OUT SEMINOLES:
Derrick Walker had career highs of 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead Nebraska to a 75-58 win over Florida State in the ESPN Events Invitational Sunday night.
Walker led five Huskers (4-3) in double figures with 20 points on 10-of-12 shooting and matched his career high in rebounds, as Nebraska put five in double figures in snapping a two-game losing streak.
The Huskers return home on Wednesday to take on Boston College in the ACC/Big ten Challenge. Tipoff is set for 8:15 p.m. The game can also be heard on KGFW across the Huskers Radio Network.
TWO LOPER VOLLEYBALL SENIORS NAMED ALL-REGION:
Seniors Emersen Cyza and Bailee Sterling represent Nebraska Kearney on the 2022 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Central Region team.
The squad is voted upon by a panel of coaches from within the region.
Cyza (Alliance) made the first-team with Sterling (Kearney) receiving honorable mention accolades. Both are now up for the AVCA All-American team which will be announced in the coming weeks. Additionally, both make the all-region team for the first time and both could be “Super Seniors” in 2023 as they each have a COVID season to use.
A transfer from Wyoming, Cyza led UNK in kills (3.92) for the second straight year.
Sterling, who began her career at Northern Colorado, came in at 2.76 kills, 0.94 digs and 0.88 blocks per set while hitting .311. She ranked first on the team in blocks, was second in kills and attack percentage and also served up 27 aces.
UNITED STATES HAS WIN-OR-GO HOME AGAINST IRAN:
The task is clear for the United States: beat Iran in a politically charged World Cup match or go home.
U.S. players have been praised as the best generation of American soccer. But they finished third behind Canada and Mexico in World Cup qualifying and now face a must-win final group-stage match.
A draw or a loss would eliminate the Americans, who tied Wales 1-1 and England 0-0. England leads the group with four points, followed by Iran with three, the U.S. with two and Wales with one.
For the U.S., this year’s situation is similar to 2010, when the Americans were on the verge of elimination in the last round of group play before Landon Donovan’s stoppage-time goal beat Algeria 1-0.
Iran famously beat the U.S. 2-1 in a 1998 World Cup match in France that eliminated the Americans and caused thousands of flag-waving fans to greet the Iranians when they returned home. In the leadup to the rematch Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation angered Iran’s government by briefly displaying Iran’s flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic.
FICKELL LEAVES CINCY FOR WISCONSIN PASTURES:
Wisconsin is bringing Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell back to the Big Ten.
Athletic director Chris McIntosh announced Sunday that the Badgers had hired Fickell to take over their football program after his successful run with the Bearcats.
Fickell posted a 57-18 record in six seasons at Cincy and helped the Bearcats earn a College Football Playoff berth last year. The former Ohio State defensive lineman and longtime assistant went 6-7 as the Buckeyes’ interim coach in 2011 after Jim Tressel’s resignation.
Fickell, 49, takes over for interim coach and former Badgers defensive back Jim Leonhard, who replaced Paul Chryst on Oct. 2.
NFL SCORES/SCHEDULES:
THURSDAY: (THANKSGIVING)
Buffalo Bills 28-25 Detroit Lions
Dallas Cowboys 28-20 New York Giants
Minnesota Vikings 33-26 New England Patriots
SUNDAY:
Miami Dolphins 30-15 Houston Texans
Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 Tennessee Titans
Carolina Panthers 23-10 Denver Broncos
New York Jets 31-10 Chicago Bears
Washington Commanders 19-13 Atlanta Falcons
Cleveland Browns 23-17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (OT)
Jacksonville Jaguars 28-27 Baltimore Ravens
Las Vegas Raiders 40-34 Seattle Seahawks (OT)
Los Angeles Chargers 25-24 Arizona Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers 13-0 New Orleans Saints
Kansas City Chiefs 26-10 Los Angeles Rams
Philadelphia Eagles 40-33 Green Bay Packers
MONDAY:
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts – 7:15 PM
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
SATURDAY:
- UNK:
- Women’s Basketball: v. College of St. Mary
- UNK 78-33 St. Mary
- Women’s Basketball: v. College of St. Mary
MONDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Football – Matt Rhule Press Conference (12:30 PM – 2 PM)
- High School Coaches Show (5 PM – 6 PM)
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
TUESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Unified Bowling: DISTRICTS @ Westside Lanes, Grand Island – TBD
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
WEDNESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Men’s Basketball v. Boston College (7 PM – 11 PM)
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Swimming & Diving: v. GISH/Hastings Triangular – 4:30 PM
- Girls Basketball: Early Bird Tournament v. Marian @ KHS – 5:15 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 5 PM
- Boys Basketball: Early Bird Tournament v. Creighton Prep @ KHS – 7 PM
- KGFW Pregame at conclusion of KHS GBB/Marian
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: v. GISH/Hastings Triangular – 4:30 PM
- UNK:
- Women’s Basketball: v. Rogers State @ Health & Sports Center – 5:30 PM
- Men’s Basketball: v. Rogers State @ Health & Sports Center – 7:30 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney High Girls Basketball v. Marian (5 PM – 7 PM)
- Kearney High Boys Basketball v. Creighton Prep (7 PM – 9 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Wrestling: Hastings Dual @ Kearney High School – 6:30 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: v. Blue/Gold Intrasquad @ Cushing Coliseum
- Wrestling: @ Cliff Keen Invite @ Las Vegas, NV – 11 AM
- M/W Cross Country: @ NCAA Championships @ Seattle, WA – 12 PM/1:15 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Hastings Invite – 9 AM
- Wrestling: @ Kearney High School Invite – 10 AM
- Girls Basketball: Early Bird Tournament – TBD
- Boys Basketball: Early Bird Tournament – TBD
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Hastings Invite – 9 AM
- Wrestling: @ Broken Bow – 9:30 AM
- Girls Basketball: v. Holdrege – 2 PM
- Boys Basketball: v. Holdrege – 3:30 PM
- UNK:
- Wrestling: @ Doane Open @ Crete, NE – 9 AM
- Wrestling: @ Cliff Keen Invite @ Las Vegas, NV – 11 AM
- Women’s Basketball: v. Northeastern State @ Health & Sports Center – 2 PM
- Men’s Basketball: v. Northeastern State @ Health & Sports Center – 4 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney High Girls/Boys Basketball @ Early Bird Tournament (TBA)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Women’s Basketball @ Maryland (12 PM – 3 PM)
