"The players hadn't run in yet and there might've been like 90 people in there. And Phil Snow, who's like my mentor in coaching ... he was like, 'Matt, you know we used to have like 12 people out here...'" said Rhule when he was on the Pat McAfee Show during the NFL combine. "But it's a new world, right? And everyone wants to get involved in it. People will work for not a lot of money to get their foot started. And it is big business. We're spending a lot of money. We're spending $20.5 million on athletes this year at Nebraska."
Power programs everywhere are bulking up their staffs in such personnel management positions, as the college game no question resembles more and more the NFL game in structure.
Rhule was asked about that during his McAfee appearance, with a reference to North Carolina coach Bill Belichick hiring Michael Lombardi as his GM. Lombardi is a well respected name and a close connection to Rhule too.
Nebraska was making its own moves that same week, bringing in Pat Stewart to be Nebraska's GM. Stewart has longtime experience with the New England Patriots on his resume.
And the Huskers still have Sean Padden (who has been the GM) in a critical role.
"Sean Padden has been with me forever," Rhule said during the appearance with McAfee. "Took over as the GM here. Brilliant, smart... Sean recently really moved into a new role where all he's doing now is like contracts because it's a big role now dealing with agents."
Rhule said while he was inside Lucas Oil Stadium doing the interview with McAFee and his crew Padden was in the nearby hotels talking to agents.
"They're talking to NFL guys and college guys at the same time because that's the new normal," Rhule said.
Enter Pat Stewart.
He had been a mainstay in the New England Patriots organization, most recently serving as the director of pro personnel. He returned to New England in 2023 after spending 11 seasons with the Patriots from 2007 through 2017. Stewart left New England to become a national scout with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2018 to 2019 and then was named the director of player personnel for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 under Rhule, before being promoted to vice president of player personnel in 2021.
Stewart is certainly familiar with Rhule, having worked together in Carolina, as well as overlapping at Temple and Western Carolina early in their careers.
"We're just taking our personnel department, which used to be four guys, then it was eight – now it's the NFL in college," Rhule said. "It's what you need to have a chance."
During a press conference in December Rhule spoke about how Padden helps manage Nebraska's cap situation in regards to financial dealings with players, as well as Jonathan Bateman, assistant athletic director for NIL strategy and governance. And Haven Fields, deputy athletic director and CEO, signs off on everything.
"Because when it comes revenue sharing next year, there is a cap," Rhule said then. "We're in this weird space right now where people have the ability to use NIL up until July 1. So there's a lot of teams that are maybe aggregating a lot of money and giving a lot of guys signing bonuses. And then hopefully everyone will kind of come to where we're all sort of the same revenue share spot at some point. So Sean lives that daily. I can't do a spreadsheet, so Sean's doing that. But it's a full-time job – managing the cap, per se."
