Matt Rhule Returns To College Football
Former Panthers head coach Matt Rhule returns to college football next season after a disappointing stint in Carolina. Check out everything we know about the deal along with what this means for Rhule’s future in the pros and Nebraska’s football program.
Matt Rhule Signs Coaching Deal With Nebraska
News broke Saturday morning that former Panthers coach Matt Rhule has signed with the University of Nebraska. The deal sees Rhule return to coaching college football where he has had much success in the past. Check out the tweet where the university announced the signing below:
The End Of Rhule In The Pros
The Cornhuskers handed Rhule a massive eight-year deal so we won’t be seeing him back in the pros anytime soon although that never seemed likely anyway. There are no details of the value of the contract reported or rumored as of yet.
Nebraska had been looking for a coach the past two months after they fired Scott Frost who coached the team for over four seasons. The 47-year-old head coach has had a lot of success in the college ranks, most recently at Baylor, so the move is a perfect fit for both parties here.
Is This A Good Move For Nebraska?
So what does this massive deal mean for Nebraska football? Well, first of all it means that they are all-in on Rhule. An eight-year deal is a massive long-term investment and it shows that the Cornhuskers are prepared to give Rhule the time that it takes to bring this team back to where they feel that they belong – among the best in the BIG Ten.
Scott Frost was fired after just three games this season after the team suffered a surprise loss to Georgia Southern. Under Frost Nebraska struggled with a 16-31 record with the team going 0-14 against ranked opponents. There was little success in conference too where the Cornhuskers had a 10-26 record.
More Cornhusker Struggles In 2022
This season Nebraska have only won four games while losing six. This puts them second last in the BIG Ten West ahead of only Northwestern. The Cornhuskers are one of the most accomplished programs in the history of college football but they are a long way away from their glory days. It is now 25 years since the university claimed its last national title. That title in 1997 was the third that the team won in the ’90s.
Rhule’s College Track Record
Rhule has had success in college football with both the Temple Owls and the Baylor Bears. With Temple he brought the college to two consecutive conference championship games. Temple won the second of those AAC Championship games which was an incredible achievement for the school as it was their first since 1967.
Following his success at Temple Rhule signed with Baylor where he had even more success. Baylor won the 2018 Texas Bowl against Vanderbilt and then went on to finish the 2019 season with an 11-1 record. That record earned them a spot in the Big 12 Championship game where they were defeated by Georgia. Still, NFL teams were impressed by what Rhule had achieved at the college level and he became one of the hottest names among NFL teams looking for a new head coach.
Exciting Times Ahead For Nebraska Fans?
Even though Rhule struggled in the pros this shouldn’t dampen the spirits of Nebraska fans as coaching in college and the pros are two completely different things. This is an exciting time for Nebraska fans although if the expectations are National Championships like back in the ‘90s then this program might be in for more disappointment.
