After the Penn State Nittany Lions fired James Franklin on Sunday, Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule was immediately linked to the job opening.
Rhule played as a walk-on linebacker at Penn State from 1994-97 and began his coaching career there as a volunteer assistant in 1998. Despite his ties to the Nittany Lions, the coach insists he’s not planning on flocking to Happy Valley.
Matt Rhule downplays Penn State rumors
“I came here for two reasons: I love the community, and I wanted to live here, and I love it here. And I wanted to rebuild Nebraska football,” the coach told the media Monday. “[Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen] and I understand the steps that you need to take to make us Big Ten champions and national champions. This place is elite.”
Rhule then admitted he still loves his alma mater and has deep respect for Nittany Lions AD Pat Kraft, who hired him for his first head-coaching job at Temple in 2013.
“I love Penn State, met my wife there, my alma mater,” the New York native who moved to State College, Pennsylvania, as a teenager said. “Fan since I was born, I think probably had a Penn State shirt when I was born. I really love Pat Kraft, and I’m sad to see coach Franklin go.”
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