Matt Rhule Nearing Deal to Become Nebraska HC

November 25, 2022, 3:46 pm ET

Carolina Panthers HC Matt Rhule

Photo: USA Today Sports Images

NCAA Week 13 - Former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is close to a deal to take over as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. A final deal is expected in the coming days.

Rhule was hired by the Panthers in 2020, finishing his tenure with a record of 11-27 before his firing in October. One of the final hurdles in Rhule's new contract, according to Thamel, is working out compensation from Carolina. Following Rhule's firing, the Panthers still owe the former head coach nearly $34 million.

While Rhule was unsuccessful as an NFL head coach, Rhule did have a proven track record of turning college programs around. Rhule first received an FBS head coaching opportunity from Temple, where he finished his inaugural 2013 season 2-10, then put together back-to-back ten win seasons in 2015 and 2016. Rhule then left Temple for Baylor, where he went from one-win team in 2017 to an 11-win team in 2019, Rhule has a 1-3 record as a head coach in bowl games.

Nebraska was last coached by Scott Frost, who failed to lead the Cornhuskers to a single winning season. Frost, who was fired in early September, finished his tenure with a record of 16-31 over five years.

Comments

3 comments, Last at 26 Nov 2022, 9:51pm

#1 by Pat // Nov 25, 2022 - 5:03pm

Hey look, the Panthers tactic of hyping Rhule while firing him worked!

Now we know why you fire him early in the season...

#2 by Aaron Brooks G… // Nov 26, 2022 - 3:39pm

Rhule had a pretty easy entrance back into college football regardless of what the Panthers did.

Saban bombed out of the pros, too.

#3 by Pat // Nov 26, 2022 - 9:51pm

Releasing him early was pretty obviously intended to make sure he was available for as many college jobs as possible. If they had waited until the end of the year, it would've been a lot harder.