Mike Ekeler

Veteran college assistant coach and Nebraska native Mike Ekeler is in his first season as the Huskers' special teams coordinator in 2025.

Ekeler brings an impressive coaching background to the Husker staff after spending the past four seasons at the University of Tennessee. He served as the Volunteers’ special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach, helping UT to the College Football Playoff in 2024. Overall, Ekeler brings more than two decades of college coaching experience to Matt Rhule’s staff.

Ekeler is a graduate of Blair (Neb.) High School and Kansas State University and previously coached for three years at Nebraska from 2008 to 2010, helping Nebraska to a pair of Big 12 Championship game appearances.

During Ekeler’s four seasons at Tennessee, the Vols won 37 games, including a 10-3 record and trip to the CFP in 2024, and an 11-2 record and Orange Bowl victory in 2022. Tennessee ranked either first or second in the SEC in punt return average in all four seasons under Ekeler, averaging better than 15 yards per return in both 2024 (15.7 ypr) and 2022 (16.5 ypr).  Over the past four seasons, Tennessee’s cumulative average of 13.9 yards per punt return led the nation.

Individually, Tennessee produced the SEC punt return average champion in three of the past four years, including 2021 SEC Special Teams Player of the Year Velus Jones Jr, Dee Williams in 2022 and Boo Carter in 2024. Jones and Williams are two of four Ekeler proteges who were starting punt returners in the NFL in 2024.

Tennessee also led the nation in percentage of punts downed inside the 10 over the past four years. Since the start of the 2021 season, 19.4 percent of the Vols’ punts pinned the opponent inside the 10-yard line, including 28.3 percent in 2024. Over the past two seasons, Tennessee ranked second in the SEC and seventh in the nation in touchback percentage on kickoffs (77.5 percent), and during Ekeler’s tenure the Vols blocked eight punts and gave up a total of 138 punt return yards.

Ekeler also coached a first-team All-SEC outside linebacker in each of his final three seasons in Knoxville.

Ekeler has spent a total of 20 seasons as a coach at Power Four schools, including six seasons at current Big Ten schools, and has eight seasons of experience as a special teams’ coordinator.

During his first stint in Lincoln from 2008 to 2010, Ekeler coached the Husker linebackers and was part of Nebraska teams that won 29 games, captured two Big 12 North crowns and played in two Holiday Bowls and the Gator Bowl. The Husker defense was among the nation’s best in 2009 and 2010. The 2009 defense led the nation in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense while ranking in the top 10 in total defense and rushing defense.

In 2010, Ekeler coached Lavonte David who set the Nebraska single season record with 152 tackles and earned All-America honors. Ekeler also coached future NFL linebackers Cody Glenn, Phillip Dillard, Will Compton and Eric Martin during his three seasons with the Blackshirt defense.

Ekeler spent two seasons as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Indiana in 2011 and 2012, then spent the 2013 season coaching linebackers at USC. His first role as special teams’ coordinator came at Georgia in 2014 and 2015, when he also coached the Bulldogs inside linebackers. Following his time at Georgia, Ekeler had stints at North Texas (2016 and 2020), North Carolina (2017-18) and Kansas (2019), before moving to Knoxville under Coach Josh Heupel in 2021. 

A native of David City, Neb., Ekeler began his coaching career in Nebraska as a volunteer coach at Omaha Skutt High School. He then served as an assistant at Manhattan (Kan.) High School, before working as a defensive graduate assistant at Oklahoma (2003-04) and LSU (2005-07).

Ekeler was a linebacker and special teams stalwart for Coach Bill Snyder’s Kansas State teams from 1991 to 1994.

COACHING CAREER
2025: Nebraska (Special Teams Coordinator)
2021-24: Tennessee (Outside Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator)
2020: North Texas (Special Teams Coordinator)
2019: Kansas (Inside Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator)
2017-18: North Carolina (Linebackers)
2016: North Texas (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2014-15: Georgia (Inside Linebackers/Defensive Special Teams Coordinator)
2013: USC (Linebackers)
2011-12: Indiana (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2008-10: Nebraska (Linebackers)
2007: LSU (Defensive Intern)
2005-06: LSU (Defensive Graduate Assistant)
2003-04: Oklahoma (Defensive Graduate Assistant)
2002: Manhattan (Kan.) High School (Assistant Coach)
1999-2001: Omaha (Neb.) Skutt High School (Volunteer Coach)