Nebraska and former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule are ironing out a deal that will make him the Cornhuskers’ next coach, ESPN reported Friday.
Rhule, who previously coached at Temple and Baylor, was fired in October by the Panthers after a 1-4 start. He had an 11-27 record in two-plus seasons with the team.
In an interview with NFL Network earlier on Tuesday, he said he wanted to coach again.
“It didn’t end the way I wanted it to. But I’m proud I never lost the locker room,” Rhule said. “I’m proud those guys fought and stood up for me til the very end. I hope I get another chance to coach. I’d do some things better football-wise.”
Rhule, 47, was 47-43 in the college ranks with Temple (2013-16) and Baylor (2017-19). At the latter, he was credited with turning around a program that had been decimated by scandal under former coach Art Briles.
In Rhule’s final season there, the Bears were 11-3 and played in the Sugar Bowl.
Nebraska is in another once-proud program in desperate need of a turnaround after firing coach Scott Frost as the Huskers started the season at 1-2. Nebraska has won five national championships but none since 1997, when Frost was the quarterback.
Frost was 16-31 in four-plus seasons.
The Cornhuskers haven’t won a bowl game since 2015 and last won 10 games in 2012. They were 3-8 (2-6 Big Ten) entering Friday’s season finale against Iowa.
–Field Level Media