Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule has some intense ties to the Penn State Nittany Lions. That’s why when long-time Penn State head coach James Franklin
was fired this past weekend, Rhule was one of the first names to be mentioned on all of the hot lists.
Rhule was a walk-on linebacker under Joe Paterno from 1994 to 1997. Penn State’s current Athletic Director, Pat Kraft, hired Rhule at Temple in 2013.
The ties are deep, but Rhule has now built some ties to the Cornhuskers as well. He’s midway through his third season in Lincoln and has Nebraska ranked No. 25 in the nation at 5-1 with some important games ahead. Rhule has become a Husker, so while he did address the Penn State opening, he talked up his current situation as well.
“This place is elite,” Rhule said of Nebraska on Monday, according to ESPN. “And I want to be a great father, and I want to be a great college football coach. And so I’m not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come.”
Matt Rhule is saying athe right things about Nebraska football
Rhule even went as far as to profess his love for Penn State. He clearly loves what he has at Nebraska as well, though. The Huskers won three national championships in the 1990s under legendary head coach Tom Osborne. The Huskers are a sleeping giant that just needs to be woken up, and Rhule is well-known for being a program builder.
“I absolutely love it here,” Rhule said, “and I just want us to continue to take the steps needed for us to turn this thing into a beast and have players all across the country want to come here with the best facilities. We have elite fans.”
Rhule said that he really is happy at Nebraska, but consider for a moment the opportunity he just might have in front of him at Penn State.
1) He can go back to where his college football roots were put down. Despite a quick stint in the NFL as head coach of the Carolina Panthers, Rhule is a college football coach through and through.
He was born in New York City, but his family moved to Pennsylvania when he was a teenager. That brought him to PSU, and his legend would grow from there.
No offense to Nebraska, but as things currently stand, Penn State would also give Rhule the chance to use his skills at the highest level in the Big Ten. He wants to get the Huskers back to that profile, but despite these past three losses, Penn State is already there on a national scale.
He’d be able to use his abilities as a recruiter at one of the biggest brands in football, not just in college football. Presumably, Penn State would also be happy to shower him with (more) money.
“I’m just looking at the future, but again, I love that place [Penn State], I love Pat, I love James Franklin and am sad that came to an end. I wish him the absolute best. But I’m really happy here,” Rhule said.
Rhule is happy at Nebraska, but he loves Penn State. That has got to be a scary thing to hear for the Cornhuskers.
