Coaches
John Butler
His career from Wikipedia, each job checked against the team-season pages (✓ = a second source agrees, ≠ = they disagree)
John Butler
Played at Catholic
Source: Wikipedia, read 2026-10-26
| Years | Team | Role | Title | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Catholic | Position | Defensive backs coach | not known |
| 1996 | Catholic | DC | Defensive coordinator | not known |
| 1997-1998 | Texas | GA | Graduate assistant | John Mackovic (1997), Mack Brown (1998) |
| 1999-2000 | Midwestern State | DC | Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach/safeties coach | not known |
| 2001-2002 | Texas State | Position | Special teams coach/safeties coach | not known |
| 2003-2006 | Harvard | Position | Special teams coach/linebackers coach | not known |
| 2007-2010 | Minnesota | Position | Special teams coach/linebackers coach | Tim Brewster |
| 2011 | South Carolina | Position | Special teams coach/linebackers coach | Steve Spurrier |
| 2012 | Penn State | Position | Defensive backs coach | Bill O'Brien* |
| 2013 | Penn State | DC | Defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach✓ | Bill O'Brien* |
| 2014-2017 | Houston Texans (pro) | Position | Secondary coach | not known |
| 2018-2021 | Buffalo Bills (pro) | Position | Defensive backs coach | not known |
| 2022-2023 | Buffalo Bills (pro) | Position | Defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator | not known |
| 2024 | Nebraska | Position | Secondary/Defensive pass game coordinator | Matt Rhule* |
| 2025 | Nebraska | DC | Defensive coordinator/Secondary✓ | Matt Rhule* |
Record
Confirmed coordinator seasons since 2005. FBS rankings
| Season | Team | Job | EPA/play | Points/poss. | Success | Year before | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Penn State | Defensive coordinator | 38 | 52 | 36 | 31 | 125 |
| 2025 | Nebraska | Defensive coordinator | 95 | 81 | 89 | 47 | 136 |
Worked under
- John Mackovic · Texas 1997 (GA)
- Mack Brown · Texas 1998 (GA)
- Tim Brewster · Minnesota 2007-2010 (Position)
- Steve Spurrier · South Carolina 2011 (Position)
- Bill O'Brien* · Penn State 2012-2013 (DC, Position)
- Matt Rhule* · Nebraska 2024-2025 (DC, Position)
His tree
Coaches who were on his staffs
No one on his staffs among the coaches we hold.
Coached together
- Tom Clark · Catholic 1995-1996 · him DC, Position, them Head coach
- Danny Rocco · Texas 1997 · him GA, them Position, ST coord.
- Carl Reese · Texas 1998 · him GA, them DC
- Everett Withers · Texas 1998 · him GA, them Position
- Greg Davis · Texas 1998 · him GA, them OC, Position
- Mack Brown · Texas 1998 · him GA, them Head coach
- Tim Brewster · Texas 1998 · him GA, them Position
- Bob DeBesse · Texas State 2001-2002 · him Position, them Head coach
- Jason Simpson · Texas State 2001-2002 · him Position, them Position
- Dave Schramm · Texas State 2002 · him Position, them Other, Position
- Chris Nugai · Harvard 2003-2004 · him Position, them Position
- Dave Cecchini · Harvard 2003-2006 · him Position, them OC, Position
- Kevin Doherty · Harvard 2003-2006 · him Position, them DC, Other
- Patrick Murphy · Harvard 2003 · him Position, them Position
- Tim Murphy · Harvard 2003-2006 · him Position, them Head coach
- Everett Withers · Minnesota 2007 · him Position, them DC
- George McDonald · Minnesota 2007-2008 · him Position, them Position
- Mike Dunbar · Minnesota 2007-2008 · him Position, them OC, Other
- Thomas Hammock · Minnesota 2007-2010 · him Position, them OC, Position
- Tim Brewster · Minnesota 2007-2010 · him Position, them Head coach
- Ted Roof · Minnesota 2008 · him Position, them DC
- Jedd Fisch* · Minnesota 2009 · him Position, them OC, Position
- Kevin Cosgrove · Minnesota 2009-2010 · him Position, them DC, Position
- Ronnie Lee · Minnesota 2009-2010 · him Position, them DC
- Jeff Horton · Minnesota 2010 · him Position, them Head coach, OC, Position
- Ellis Johnson · South Carolina 2011 · him Position, them DC, Other, Position
- G. A. Mangus · South Carolina 2011 · him Position, them OC, Position
- Lorenzo Ward · South Carolina 2011 · him Position, them Position
- Shawn Elliott · South Carolina 2011 · him Position, them Other, Position
- Steve Spurrier · South Carolina 2011 · him Position, them Head coach
- Steve Spurrier Jr. · South Carolina 2011 · him Position, them Other, Position
- Bill O'Brien* · Penn State 2012-2013 · him DC, Position, them Head coach
- Larry Johnson · Penn State 2012-2013 · him DC, Position, them Position
- Ron Vanderlinden · Penn State 2012-2013 · him DC, Position, them Position
- Ted Roof · Penn State 2012 · him Position, them DC
- Dana Holgorsen · Nebraska 2024-2025 · him DC, Position, them OC
- Ed Foley · Nebraska 2024 · him Position, them ST coord.
- Glenn Thomas · Nebraska 2024-2025 · him DC, Position, them OC, Position
- Marcus Satterfield · Nebraska 2024-2025 · him DC, Position, them OC, Position
- Matt Rhule* · Nebraska 2024-2025 · him DC, Position, them Head coach
- Tony White · Nebraska 2024 · him Position, them DC
- Mike Ekeler · Nebraska 2025 · him DC, Position, them ST coord.
- Phil Snow · Nebraska 2025 · him DC, Position, them Other