LINCOLN, Neb. — Every four to six years at Nebraska over the past quarter-century, football coaching staffs have experienced upheaval independent of change at the head-coaching spot.It was like clockwork after the 2002, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021 seasons — one for each head coach to direct the program since Tom Osborne’s 25-year run was marked by unmatched staff stability.Major change within Matt Rhule’s coaching staff arrived a bit early, by Nebraska standards. He oversaw four departures and five additions after the 2024 season. A two-year period of change continued in 2025-26 with four exits after last season and six hires.New faces in full-time coaching roles as the Huskers open Rhule’s fourth season, Saturday at 11 a.m. CT against Ohio: Rob Aurich (defensive coordinator), Geep Wade (offensive line), Lonnie Teasley (run game coordinator), Corey Brown (defensive line), Roy Manning (edge rushers) and Tyler Yelk (safeties).Jamar Mozee (assistant head coach), Brett Maher (special teams coordinator) and Nick Humphrey (co-special teams coordinator) are also new to their roles.Influenced by college football reforms that allow unlimited staff sizes and widespread player movement akin to free agency, Nebraska’s upheaval over the past 22 months must be viewed in a different light than changes of five, 10 and 20 years ago.But one fact remains: Remade coaching staffs have not worked well for Huskers head coaches who cleaned house.For this exercise, I defined a year of upheaval as change by the sitting head coach that included multiple assistants and at least one coordinator.Rhule’s done it in back-to-back seasons. In the five instances before Rhule's arrival, four resulted in the firing of a head coach during or immediately after the next season.The one coach to survive it? Bo Pelini in 2011. He navigated the departure of four assistants and a transition from the Big 12 to the Big Ten without a big dip in wins. The Huskers finished 10-4 in 2010 and 9-4 in 2011, but their average margin in those four losses jumped from 6.5 points to 19.8.Pelini’s program lost its direction amid that change. At least he survived to coach three more seasons after 2011. Frank Solich, Bill Callahan, Mike Riley and Scott Frost didn’t make it 12 months.Callahan and Riley experienced precipitous declines. Solich improved, though not enough for his boss.Frost famously lasted just three games in 2022 after replacing his fired offensive coordinator and four other assistant coaches.I say none of this to suggest that Rhule is doomed. He has resources his predecessors didn't have, and he's got the transfer portal aiding his bid to become the first Nebraska coach since Solich to improve his team the year after a staff reshuffling.As many as 15 of Nebraska's 22 starters on offense and defense arrived over the past two seasons via the portal. That dynamic undoubtedly minimizes the adjustment associated with staff upheaval.“Every team is new,” Rhule said. “Every season is new.”Change is the name of the game in college football.To mitigate the negative effects, Nebraska general manager Pat Stewart said the Huskers seek experienced players.“We do want the guys we have — to retain players,” he said. “And the guys we bring in, we’re not going to spend a lot of time looking at projects.”Especially at both lines of scrimmage, Nebraska seeks players who’ve been through it. Six projected starters out of nine on the offensive and defensive lines are juniors and seniors who started their careers at Power 4 programs outside of Nebraska.Aurich, for his part, didn’t spend a moment this week concerned that he and three defensive assistants have not coached a game at Nebraska.For Aurich, winning relates to preparedness.“Everybody has new toys,” he said. “Just make sure we’re prepped for whatever avenue that the game may go.”Aurich implores his defensive staff to devise “buckets of solutions” to potential problems.Staff change didn’t work for Nebraska's head coach in 2007. It didn’t work in 2017. If managed well, 2026 can be different. Rhule is not taking this on in a vacuum. Coaches across the country face the same circumstances. Twelve programs in the Big Ten and 11 in the SEC enter this season with a new offensive or defensive coordinator.More money and expanded opportunities encourage movement.“They work really hard,” Rhule said of the new coaches in Lincoln. “But the true test will be what we do in games. At the end of the day, this is a production- and performance-based business.”