HUSKER FOOTBALL: Nebraska Formally Announces Assistant Coaching Hires

LINCOLN, NE – OCTOBER 27: Members of the Corn Husker Football team take the field after halftime during the game between the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats and the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday October 27, 2018 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

LINCOLN–(NU Athletics Jan. 11)–Nebraska Head Football Coach Matt Rhule has completed the hiring of his first full-time Husker coaching staff with the announcement of the addition of three assistant coaches on Wednesday.

Bob Wager will join the Nebraska staff as tight ends coach, Rob Dvoracek will coach the Husker linebackers and Garret McGuire will serve as wide receivers coach. The three newest additions are pending the completion of the University hiring process and join seven assistant coaches hired to Rhule’s staff since he was named Nebraska’s head coach on Nov. 26.

“I am proud to add three more outstanding football coaches to our Nebraska staff,” Rhule said. “Bob’s experience as a head coach will be invaluable for me, and Rob and Garret’s experience in the NFL will help our student-athletes as they chase their goals to play at the highest level. Each of the three coaches bring great energy to Nebraska and will fit our program very well. I am excited to have all our full-time assistants on board as we finish up the 2023 recruiting cycle and begin to work toward the start of spring practice.”

Wager comes to Nebraska after a highly successful high school head coaching career in Texas. Wager has been a head coach for more than 20 seasons and has posted a record of 206-100-1. Wager has helped develop numerous FBS and NFL players while coaching high school football, including No. 1 NFL Draft pick Myles Garrett.

Wager most recently spent 17 seasons as the head coach at Arlington Martin High in Arlington, Texas. He has the Warriors to the state playoffs in each of his 17 seasons, and posted a 143-64-1 record. Wager’s teams at Arlington Martin had seven undefeated district championships, including each of his final four seasons. Wager has coached in the Under Armour All-America Game 10 times, serving as a head coach in 2022.

Dvoracek joins the Nebraska staff after spending the previous two seasons coaching for the Carolina Panthers. Overall, Dvoracek has spent four years working on Rhule’s coaching staffs, including two years at Baylor and two in the National Football League.

With Dvoracek on staff, the Panthers ranked second in the NFL in total defense in 2021. He previously spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons working as the defensive end and linebackers coach at Lehigh. Dvoracek worked as a defensive quality control coach for Rhule’s first two Baylor teams in 2017 and 2018. Dvoracek played for Rhule for one season at Temple in 2013, before suffering a career-ending injury and subsequently working as a student assistant coach with the Owls.

McGuire worked for two seasons in the National Football League with the Panthers in 2021 and 2022. He joined Rhule’s staff in Charlotte immediately after his playing career at Baylor and worked as an offensive assistant for the Panthers.

In 2022, McGuire helped Carolina feature one of the league’s most balanced offensive attacks, as the Panthers were one of just eight NFL teams to have more than 3,200 passing yards and 2,200 rushing yards. McGuire was a quarterback and special teams player at Baylor, playing for three seasons while Rhule was the Bears’ head coach. McGuire’s father, Joey, is the head coach at Texas Tech.