Imagine watching an awards ceremony where a coach doesn’t just accept an honor and move on—he delivers a speech so raw, so deeply personal, that it leaves an entire room in stunned silence. That’s exactly what happened when Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule took the stage at the Broyles Award ceremony. Instead of making the night about himself, Rhule turned the spotlight on the man who changed his life: Al Golden. And when the speech hit social media? The internet collectively lost its mind.
Rhule’s Journey: From Longshot to Leader
This wasn’t just another polished, predictable speech. This was a moment of pure gratitude, a coach remembering the man who took a chance on him when no one else did. Before Matt Rhule became a household name in coaching circles—before Temple, Baylor, the NFL, and Nebraska—he was just a young, hungry coach looking for an opportunity. And that opportunity came from Al Golden.
Back in the day, Temple football wasn’t exactly a dream job—it was a sinking ship. The program was in shambles, struggling for wins, respect, and even relevance. But none of that mattered to Rhule. He saw a chance to be part of something bigger, and he wasn’t about to let it slip away.
Determined to get his foot in the door, Rhule packed up his wife and pets, jumped in the car, and drove 11 hours straight to Philadelphia. No job offer, no guarantees—just faith and hustle. When he arrived, he introduced himself to Golden and told him, “Hey, I’d love to work for you someday.” There was no job available at the time, but Rhule’s persistence paid off. A month later, Golden called him with an offer, and just like that, a coaching career was born.
More Than a Mentor: The Golden Influence
Once Rhule was in, he wasn’t just some clipboard-holding assistant. Golden threw him into the fire, and Rhule embraced every challenge. He wasn’t just coaching a position—he was everywhere, taking on roles as a defensive line coach, offensive coordinator, and recruiting coordinator. Each responsibility was a stepping stone, a lesson in what it took to not just coach a team, but build one.
Golden’s impact on Rhule extended far beyond X’s and O’s. He taught him about resilience, work ethic, and what it truly means to lead. “He taught me a lot. He taught me how to work. He certainly worked. And that’s something I try to carry with me.” Those lessons propelled Rhule from an unproven assistant to a program builder, a culture shaper, and ultimately, the head coach tasked with restoring Nebraska’s former glory.
A Speech That Hit Different
When Rhule took the stage at the Broyles Award ceremony, the room was expecting a standard speech. What they got was something else entirely. He wasn’t there just to acknowledge coaching excellence; he was there to honor it.
“To be here tonight to support high school winners is something that I’m passionate about,” he said, and you could feel every word. This wasn’t just about celebrating awards—it was about recognizing the people behind the scenes who rarely get the spotlight. It was about gratitude, about paying it forward, about lifting others up the way Golden had lifted him.
And the internet? The internet felt it.
Fans Had One Thing to Say: “Watch This.”
The moment the Broyles Award posted the 15-minute speech online, fans flooded the comments. The reactions weren’t just positive—they were unanimous. Everyone was saying the same thing:
- “My goodness… take the time to watch.”
- “If you haven’t seen this yet, you’re missing out.”
- “That’s my coach 🫶🏽.”
When a speech resonates this deeply, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Nebraska fan, a Temple alum, or just someone who respects the game. It cuts across fan bases, and Rhule’s message did exactly that.
One user summed it up perfectly: “Definitely worth watching.” Another added, “Damn, that was awesome.” And when even non-Nebraska fans chimed in with “Even if I wasn’t a Huskers fan, that was an amazing speech!!”, you knew Rhule had delivered something special.
More Than Football – A Lesson in Leadership
Rhule didn’t just talk about football—he talked about what it means to be a leader, to build something out of nothing, to believe in people before they believe in themselves.
“It’s hard to be an assistant coach,” he said. “It’s hard every single day to walk in, take the head coach’s message and make it your message. Take decisions that sometimes aren’t yours and make them yours.”
That line alone struck a chord. Every assistant coach in that room—every coach grinding at the high school level, dreaming of something bigger—felt seen, felt understood.
Rhule also used his speech to highlight high school coaches, a group he believes is being overshadowed in today’s money-driven college football world. “Every step along the way, from Temple to Baylor to Valley University to Nebraska, I’ve always hired at least one, if not multiple, high school football coaches because college football is getting ruined by guys coaching just for the money.”
This wasn’t just about honoring Golden; it was about reinforcing a core truth: coaching isn’t just about schemes and wins—it’s about people. It’s about mentorship, about lifting others up, about leaving a legacy beyond the scoreboard.
The Moment That Defined the Night
Toward the end of his speech, Rhule delivered a line that left the audience in awe.
“I want them to remember us, and I want them to know that we care, because somewhere in your building is a kid like my son, and somewhere in my building is a kid like your son, and maybe he’s nervous, and maybe he’s anxious. Can I do it? Can I not do it? But every single day, I want to find something, something to believe in him with, something to inspire him with.”
That wasn’t just a message to coaches—it was a message to everyone.
A Speech for the Ages
At the end of the day, Rhule’s Broyles Award speech wasn’t just a moment—it was a movement. It was a reminder that football, at its core, is about relationships, mentorship, and belief. Trophies gather dust. Championships fade. But the impact a coach has on their players? That lasts forever.
And as Matt Rhule continues his journey, from Temple to Baylor to the NFL and now Nebraska, one thing is clear—his legacy won’t just be written in wins and losses. It will be written in the lives he’s changed, just like Al Golden once changed his.
So if you haven’t seen the speech yet? Do yourself a favor. Sit down, press play, and listen. Because once you do, you’ll understand why the internet couldn’t stop saying one thing:
“You NEED to watch this.”
