Husker Football Coach Matt Rhule to Headline Governor's Summit in August

Register for the 2025 Governor’s Summit at govsummit.nebraska.gov. 

LINCOLN, NE - Governor Jim Pillen announced that Matt Rhule, head football coach for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will keynote the Governor’s Summit the morning of August 14 in Kearney.

“Coach Rhule loves Nebraska because - it's the people! He is Nebraska and he brings positive energy, grit, determination and passion to leading young men," said Gov. Pillen. "It's exciting for us to have him at this year's Summit to inspire all of us to be more than we believe we can be."

Rhule is entering his third season as the Nebraska’s head coach in 2025, having led the Huskers to victory in the Pinstripe Bowl to close out the 2024 season. He has 12 years of experience as a head coach, including nine years in the college ranks and three seasons as the head coach of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Highly regarded as a program builder and player developer, Rhule led successful turnarounds of the programs at Baylor and Temple and has improved Nebraska’s record in each of his first two seasons in Lincoln. A native of New York City, Rhule earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Penn State and his master's degree in educational psychology from Buffalo. He and his wife Julie have three children, Bryant, Vivienne and Leona.

The 2025 Governor’s Summit officially kicks off on Wednesday night, Aug. 13, with a reception and banquet hosted by the Nebraska Diplomats. Thursday, Aug. 14, is the primary day of the Governor’s Summit. It features remarks from Gov. Pillen, a keynote from Husker Coach Rhule, a full slate of breakout sessions, and the inaugural Governor’s Youth Summit.

To register for the Diplomats Banquet and Governor’s Summit, visit govsummit.nebraska.gov. Students may sign up for the Youth Summit at https://govsummit.nebraska.gov/youth/