Best Landing Spots for Matt Rhule in Potential Return to College Football
Matt Rhule, in all likelihood, is coming back to college football.
Fired as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, he will probably not be in contention for any other NFL job that might open. Put simply, Rhule was not successful in the pros.
However, he's a proven college coach who twice showed he can build a contender. Rhule notched a pair of 10-win seasons and an AAC crown at Temple and elevated Baylor after it was revealed the university had mishandled multiple sexual assault allegations against student-athletes. He capped that tenure with an 11-3 record and a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game, laying the foundation for the Bears' league title in 2021.
Now, yes, broadcaster Greg McElroy reported Rhule would take "very few" jobs in college football and that none of those are expected to become available anyway.
That, my friends, sounds like a leverage play.
It's entirely plausible that few big-name programs will need a new coach—the buyouts owed to coaches at Michigan State, Penn State and Texas A&M are worth $64-plus million, for example. But we've identified a handful of spots that are vacant or have the possibility of following suit.
Hey, maybe that report is accurate. At least Rhule can spend a year cashing buyout checks as the next of Nick Saban's hilariously overqualified analysts at Alabama.
5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
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Before we cannonball into Rhule's potential, we must acknowledge what interim Georgia Tech coach Brent Key has accomplished. Since the school fired Geoff Collins, the Yellow Jackets have upset No. 24 Pitt on the road and edged Duke.
Key isn't a lock for a promotion at his alma mater, but he's made a heck of a two-game case.
Strictly from a long-term perspective, Rhule would be a terrific match at Georgia Tech. As long as the program makes progress, there will be patience. Such development simply didn't happen under Collins, who went 10-28 and routinely lost to Top 25 competition by 30-plus points.
The largest obstacle—as it would be for Colorado—is the cost. The Yellow Jackets haven't showed a great desire to join the college football arms race. Rhule himself would be expensive, yet he'd also be looking for immense institutional support. That's not a shot at Georgia Tech, which has reason to avoid spending obscene amounts of money. But it, nevertheless, is reality.
While recruiting would be difficult—have fun competing with Georgia in the Peach State alone—the availability of talent is far greater for Tech than, for comparison, Arizona State or Colorado, which also have vacancies.
4. Penn State Nittany Lions
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I cannot emphasize enough that Penn State is unlikely to move on from James Franklin. That will not satisfy many fans, but let's begin with that understanding.
This is entirely a what-if scenario.
After all, the Nittany Lions are 5-0. Knock off No. 5 Michigan on the road, and the mere thought of a coaching change would be nonsensical. However, what if Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State defeat Penn State—or U-M and OSU do so in blowout fashion? What if the Lions fall to Indiana in Bloomington, a venue that has pestered Penn State for two decades?
That kind of nightmarish stretch has happened before. Penn State was 5-0 last season but ended 7-6. The previous year, the Nittany Lions started 0-5. Despite a buyout of $64 million or more, could Franklin withstand yet another long losing streak?
Rhule, meanwhile, is a Penn State alum who began his coaching career with the program and spent 10 more years in Pennsylvania over two stints at Temple. The connection is obvious.
"Expensive" hardly describes what this would be for Penn State. But between its regular support and the new Big Ten media contract, it can find the money—if desired.
3. Auburn Tigers
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Much like Rhule's was with the Panthers, Bryan Harsin's situation at Auburn feels more inevitable than anything.
There was plenty of dysfunction before the season began, and the Tigers aren't playing well. After knocking off Mercer and edging San Jose State, they lost by 29 at home to Penn State, miraculously survived Missouri in overtime and lost to LSU and Georgia.
How will Harsin possibly survive this? Short of a few upset wins, he probably will not.
The challenge is that Rhule's preferred way to build—recruiting high-level athletes to develop over several years but caring less about wins and losses at first—would not be a great fit relative to the patience level of those who support the program.
On the other hand, there certainly isn't a lack of financial support from boosters. Meddling is a problem, but there are many, many, many millions of dollars poured into AU.
Want to attract a coach who signed an NFL contract worth nearly $9 million annually? Auburn has that kind of money.
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2. Wisconsin Badgers
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Strictly from an on-paper perspective, Wisconsin is an ideal destination for Rhule to implement his style.
He doesn't attract a stream of top-25 recruiting classes. He needs time to develop players for his system. His offenses are physical and efficient but are not overwhelmingly explosive. That basically describes what Badgers fans are accustomed to, right?
The main barrier is UW may already have its successor to Paul Chryst.
Interim coach Jim Leonhard is a former All-American safety who returned to the sideline as an assistant in 2016. He has turned down NFL overtures for several years and is seemingly the first choice.
Should the Badgers have a modestly successful end to the season, Leonhard will probably be their hire. If not, though, Wisconsin has the resources to make a splash—even though someone such as Kansas coach Lance Leipold feels more likely to head to Madison than Rhule.
But, again, Rhule's fit is fantastic.
1. Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Money is a question at Georgia Tech. Appeal is an unknown at Auburn. Availability is a complication at Penn State and Wisconsin.
Nebraska, however, strikes a balance with all three issues.
Resources will not be a problem. Practically the entire state is devoted to the Huskers, and the school is committed to having a competitive football team.
Next, the Big Ten West offers the greatest chance to win immediately at the highest level. Auburn shares the SEC West with Alabama and others, while Penn State resides opposite Wisconsin and Nebraska in a tough East. Plus, the Big Ten is more prestigious than the ACC or Pac-12.
And, lastly, Nebraska has no front-runner as Wisconsin does with Jim Leonhard. There are options—Lance Leipold and Iowa State coach Matt Campbell among them—but it's an open race.
Rhule may find his next paycheck in a different spot. As things stand, though, Nebraska should be extremely high on his list.
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