Nebraska announced Matt Rhule as its next football head coach on Saturday morning.
The former Panthers head coach agreed to an eight-year contract worth $9 million a year according to a report by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport Sunday morning. Nebraska will officially announce contract compensation details Monday.
Matt Rhule had his first head coaching experience at Temple from 2013-2016 leading the Owls to two straight 10-win in 2015 and 2016, including a conference championship in 2016, the first since 1967.
Rhule is most known for his impressive rebuild at Baylor from 2017-2019. After starting 1-11 in 2017, Rhule would lead the Bears to a 7-6 record and then a 11-3 season with a Big 12 Championship appearance and Sugar Bowl berth.
He was named Big 12 Coach of the Year and was the first Power 5 conference head coach to lead a team from 11 losses to 11 wins after 2 seasons. After the completion of the season, Rhule took the job at the Carolina Panthers.
With the Panthers, he finished with a 11-27 record over 3 seasons. He was fired this season after starting the year 1-4.
Athletic Director Trev Alberts said in a statement that Rhule’s success as a coach provides evidence for him to be an ideal fit for the job.
“It is a privilege to welcome coach Matt Rhule, his wife Julie, and their family to Nebraska,” Alberts said in a press release. “Coach Rhule has created a winning culture throughout his coaching career, and he will provide great leadership for the young men in our football program.”
“It’s a tremendous honor to be chosen to lead the Nebraska Football Program. When you think of great, tradition-rich programs in college football, Nebraska is right at the top of that list,” Rhule said. “The fan base is second to none, and I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to coach in Memorial Stadium on Tom Osborne Field.”
After the news broke, Matt Rhule appeared on ESPN’s “College Gameday”. One of the things he was asked was “Why take the Nebraska job now?” He had two things to say.
“Being away from it, the more you miss players, the more you miss the locker room and coaching,” Rhule said. “And then this is Nebraska. This is a team that I grew up not just watching, this is a team that I grew up revering.”
Rhule also said, “One of the things that drew me to it is knowing that Scott (Frost) had been there for the last several years. Scott Frost is a coach that I truly respect and consider a friend. And so I know that program has a good culture, I know they know how to work. Now it’s about just all of us picking up, and moving forward.”’
Rhule will take over for Interim Head Coach Mickey Joseph after Joseph finished 3-6 after a big win over Iowa on Friday Nov. 25th.
Rhule will be formally introduced Monday Nov. 28th at 1:30 p.m. at a press conference at Hawks Championship Center.
