First of all, I have a quick message for those who thought there would be definitive answers about the Matt Rhule to Penn State rumors. (Or Bill O’Brien, Curt Cignetti, Lane Kiffen, Manny Diaz, Joe Brady,
Urban Meyer, Jerry Jones, Vince Lombardi, The Decaying Corpse of Dabo Sweeney’s Career, Joe Paterno’s Actual Corpse or The Belichicks, gawd help us all.)
And there weren’t, for which I’m sure two or three Husker fans will take to TwitterX to vilify him or at least declare him headed for Happy Valley as soon as the stadium lights go out on the Iowa game.
I’ll just tell you what I know and heard today and at the end, I’ll make my way too early call on how I think this turns out. As always, wagers made based on my predictions will more often than not land you anywhere from just sad to fully divorced depending on how much whip-out you lay down, whether it’s with your local bookie or online from an Iowa cornfield. Just choose wisely.
Coach Rhule entered the press room in a fantastic mood. He began with remarks about the Maryland team and how the Huskers had to get better about putting teams away, but he seemed pretty thrilled in general about going into Maryland and pulling one out in the 4th quarter. A little surprisingly to me – see, I’ve already been wrong once today before sammich-time – he didn’t address the Penn State speculation in the opening remarks.
But I’m pretty sure he knew what the first car out of the garage was going to be. And he was right. And he began by addressing the Nittany Lion in the room head on.
“I love Penn State. I met my wife there. It’s my alma mater, been since I was born. I think I probably had a Penn State shirt when I was born. I love Pat Kraft (Penn State AD). And (it’s) really sad to see Coach Franklin go. You think about what he did for my alma mater. The program was in peril, right? I mean, people remember the historic sanctions. You could transfer out, you could do whatever you want. Bill O’Brien comes in, stabilizes it for two years, program in disarray, and gives stability and excellence.”
After some more nice words about Franklin, how bad he felt about the heckling James endured and the respect he has for him, he turned his attention to Nebraska and the program he leads here.
I came here for two reasons. I love the community here, and wanted to live here. I love it here, and I wanted to rebuild Nebraska football, and Troy and I understand the steps that we need to take to make us Big 10 Champions and National Champions. This place is elite. I want to be a great father. I want to be a great college football coach.
And, yes, there’s Nebraska’s Athletic Director Troy Dannen. Listening to Rhule talk about Dannen, he doesn’t sound like a guy taking to much of a back seat to Kraft.
Troy and I are in unbelievable relationship, too, and Troy and I are in constant, constant, constant communication about this program and where we’re headed.
But he was quick to let everyone know he was not going to talk about things that no coach ever will when thrust into this situation.
“And so you know, I’m not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come. Maybe it’s been a while (since it’s happened) here, but this is what happens when you win. I’ve dealt with it, you know. We won at Temple, and I dealt with it all the time. Dealt with it all the times, double bill (speaking of Baylor). I’m not going to talk about those things ever. I’m not gonna talk about my contract here.”
And while frustrating to fans, this is understandable. While contacts between third parties connected to Penn State and coaches on their want-list are surely heating up, no one would ever be foolish enough to acknowledge that. And no coach will ever have anything to say about his contract, let alone a job opening at one school while he’s employed at another.
And Matt Rhule did repeatedly try to reassure everyone he is nothing but thrilled to be where he is.
“I absolutely love it here, and I just want to, I want us to continue to take the steps needed for us to turn this thing into a beast. And players all across the country want to come here with the best facilities. We’ve got elite fans. And I’m just looking at the future here. But again, I love that place. I love Pat, I love James Franklin, and I’m sad that came to an end. I wish him the absolute best. But I’m really happy here. I’m excited to get going this weekend.”
He tried to reassure everyone that pursuit of your players and coaches were things that only happen when you’re winning – “But this is a good thing. It just hasn’t happened here in a while, but it’s going to happen. And it’s people are gonna want to hire Dana, and people are gonna want to hire like they wanted to hire Tony White last year. So you know, it’s all good stuff” – but at that point I piped up.
I asked if he understood why it’s a little different in this case; how this involves his alma mater, their AD who he’s tight with, the college where he played football – doesn’t that make the discussion a little bit different?
“100%. 100%. (Pause) I’m trying to be as respectful as possible and answer it and then get it over with. Like, I’m here. You know, I’m not a cyborg. I have two little girls. I have a wife. I’m worried about have my daughters found a volleyball club to play for. I’m not just like a 20-something. I love it here. It’s AWESOME.“
So real quick, here’s where we’re at:
- The hire will most likely be announced after the final regular season game – or conference title game, should the candidate be involved in that. (Urban Meyer, Ed Orgeron or anyone else currently not under contract is fair game at any time.)
- No one will have a quote about any rumors which may pop up.
- Confirmation of a Matt Rhule pay raise and extension before then would be wonderful news.
- You won’t hear anything about that beforehand either.
- TwitterX is probably a terrible place to find info.
- But a hilarious place from which to quote goofy stuff as solid inside info just to start shit.
And full transparency – I want Matt Rhule to remain. I feel like the good stuff is just beginning.
So finally, since you didn’t ask, here is my best guess as to how this all plays out:
Matt Rhule will remain your Nebraska Cornhuskers Head Football Coach.
I don’t say this because it’s already a done deal in his head. Or that Penn State is even coming after him. Put it this way – I think many Penn State fans may have an issue with the Nittany Lions going after a coach who has a worse record against ranked teams (2-22) and Top 10 teams (0-11) than the guy they just shitcanned for his failures in that regard, especially Top 10 teams (17-26 and 3-17, respectfully).
That has the odor of firing a coach who can’t get over the hump just to hire one who had maybe ever been to the hump once. I’m not saying it would end anywhere near as bad for Penn State with Rhule as it did for Nebraska with the Mike Riley debacle. But optically, that’s the kind of blowback Pat Kraft could potentially face with a Matt Rhule hire and I don’t think there’s been too many CFB new man success stories which start with pissing off a chunk of the fan base with the hire.
But say they do make a run at Matt Rhule. Barring unforeseen circumstances like Nebraska not making an effort to bump his pay, I think he chooses Lincoln. Why?
Because I think he chose them two and a half years ago.
Now things change. And neither he nor anyone else foresaw the PSU 2025 meltdown mere months after they made the CFP semis. That’s an unexpected recalculation in the algorithm. But here’s the things which have leaning the way I am.
The way he walked into today – this was a guy still sky high over the Maryland victory. And for the second straight week, his team had put boots to asses in the 4th quarter – three straight if you want to count them putting up the final 10 points on Michigan in a 10-3 4th. That’s 41-9 over the trifecta if you’re keeping score at home.
He said earlier this year he loves this team as much as any he’s coached. And they’re a young team. I also think of his thoughts on Scott Frost in Vegas regarding Frost’s quotes about leaving jobs where you didn’t realize how good you already had it until you’re gone.
But what cinches it for me was what he told me about wondering if his daughter found a volleyball club. Him saying he’s not a 20-something. I know the question miffed him a little, but those two things spoke volumes. His son attends Nebraska. His wife and daughters are extremely active in the community. His parents moved to Omaha. He has said previously that the family chose Lincoln and Nebraska together. This is their home and they want it to remain so.
I’ll admit I’m being a little starry-eyed and avoiding the reality of certain truths like the fact this place will turn on him if it all falls apart on the football field. It would. But currently not only is it not, it’s going 180 degrees the other way as the Huskers have become a team who embraces the 4th quarter these days. Yes, his two previous college football stops had 3-year expiration dates.
But he and his family bet big on Nebraska. And beyond that? I simply don’t think he’s interested in leaving when when the best parts are appearing much closer.
