KEARNEY, NE — There’s a new figure at the front of the Nebraska Kearney football team.

Ryan Held feels his new job is the right fit.

“This is home and I’m so excited for that,” Held said.

And he’s ready to dive in.

“I’ve been getting to work but there’s a lot of work, obviously, left to go and we’re just going to embrace that and attack it,” Held said.

The process to become a Loper started with a phone call for the former Nebraska running backs coach.

“I was sitting on my couch watching Paw Patrol with my two and four year old and a 308 area code came up,” Held said.

It was UNK Athletic Director Marc Bauer. They established mutual interest and moved fast. They agreed on a deal within a week.

“We realized that we aligned and had similar core values and things that he was looking for and what I was looking for," Held said. "I had other opportunities, but this was the opportunity that there was no doubt about I wanted to do. When the job was offered, it was done for me.”

Moving fast was a priority for Bauer. Former Coach Josh Lynn left for West Texas A&M right before winter break.

“I did not want our student-athletes going home and mulling over whether or not they should stay or whether they should go into the portal,” Bauer said.

Only four Lopers have hit the portal since Lynn left.

Bauer locked in on Held early following recommendations from other athletic directors in the conference. He didn’t formally interview any other candidates.

“I would say yes, we got our top choice," Bauer said. "There were other very good choices as well, don’t get me wrong, but we feel like we got somebody that’s going to come in and do a tremendous job.”

Bauer praised Held’s focus and plan, but it was the feeling of being a good fit that sold him most. After Lynn left in part to be closer to family, Bauer wanted someone with regional ties. Held is a former Husker from Overland Park, Kansas.

“In this day and age when you’ve got a young family and you’re wanting to be around family and friends, I think proximity to those individuals is really important," Bauer said. "I think that’s something that really stood out to us.”

Held is already working to prove to his players that he’s the right fit. He held one all-team Zoom meeting and met some players in-person at a voluntary workout before the press conference. 

“We gotta earn their trust number one. I can’t ask them to go and do anything until I earn their trust and my coaches do," Held said. "Once you do that and establish that in consistency in your approach, then that allows you to be able to move forward one day at a time.”