Donovan Raiola Fired: Matt Rhule Issues Final Message for the OL Coach

Former NFL head coach and current play caller for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Matt Rhule, isn’t waiting until New Year’s to start making changes. Just days after the firing of his defensive coordinator, John Butler, the Nebraska head coach has now informed his offensive line coach, Donovan Raiola, that he is being let go as well.

Nebraska has allowed an average of 30+ sacks per season ever since 2022, so even though Raiola was the only member of Scott Frost’s staff that Rhule chose to retain in 2023, it’s enough to convince the program that it’s time to move on. Much like Rhule, Raiola has the former-NFL stamp on his resume, meaning that there won’t be any shortage of opportunities elsewhere, but after failing to get even a single lineman onto an All-Big-10 roster, Rhule is now wishing him the best in his future endeavors.

In his final statement on the matter, the former head coach of the Carolina Panthers simply thanked “…Donovan for his contributions to Nebraska Football over the past four years and wish him the best moving forward.”

#Huskers HC Matt Rhule has fired OL coach Donovan Raiola

"We thank Donovan for his contributions to Nebraska Football over the past four years and wish him the best moving forward"

A look from before his last game with Nebraska, a 40-16 loss to Iowa@WOWT6News pic.twitter.com/ZDNGtTf9p1

— Mason Kern (@MasonKernMedia) December 6, 2025

It’s since been confirmed that the Cornhuskers will be hiring Georgia Tech’s Geep Wade as its next OL coach.

With an average of 203 rushing yards per outing, the run game of the Yellow Jackets proved to be one of their bright spots of their 2025 season, for which Wade deserves a healthy bit of credit. His group allowed just nine sacks all season long, making Georgia Tech the least-sacked team in the ACC for the third year in a row.

That emphasis on pass protection has now secured him a job on Rhule’s staff, allowing Geep to continue his climb up the college coaching ladder. Of course, the true narrative here is the breakup between the Raiolas and Nebraska.

The dismissal of the offensive line coach is preceded by Dylan Raiola’s decision to de-commit from the program, suggesting that things have completely fizzled between the two parties. It’s been a busy week for Rhule, but given the state of things, that figures to be the theme for the next several months. The transfer portal is upon us, and more coaching decisions need to be made as well.

The former Panther has now managed to deliver a consecutive pair of 7-win seasons after debuting with a 5-7 record in 2023. It’s clear that he has the Cornhuskers headed in the right direction, so even though things may be taking a while, fans shouldn’t be perturbed by the ongoing drama.