The Nebraska football program is entering its second season with Matt Rhule as the head coach. With Dylan Raiola at quarterback, there are big expectations for the Cornhuskers going into the 2024 season.
Rhule's time in the NFL didn't pan out as he had hoped, so coming back to the college ranks made sense. While speaking with Joel Klatt, Rhule mentioned that the days in the NFL have prepared him well for a job such as Nebraska's.
“I learned a lot of things. I would not be able to be the head coach at Nebraska had I not gone through that. Every decision you make is magnified at Nebraska 10 times over…I have such a different relationship with our players now…I've been National Coach of the Year…I've been laughed at on SportsCenter…I've also had 50,000, 70,000 people in the Panthers stadium screaming to fire me. What I learned through all of that is I just want to make it about my players.”
Rhule began his head coaching career at Temple before going to Baylor and then taking the job with the Carolina Panthers. Before going to the NFL, Rhule compiled a 47-43 record which included four Bowl Game appearances.
But, his time in the Panthers did not go well. He went just 11-27 before being fired midway through the 2022 season. But, coming to Nebraska has been a bit easier thanks to his experience in the NFL. With Nebraska being a powerhouse in college football for quite some time, expectations are lofty each year, even more after they gave Rhule an eight-year deal worth $74 million.
Matt Rhule opens up on what he learned from the NFL
It was a difficult tenure for Matt Rhule in Carolina, and the patience of fans and the front office ran out quickly. But, Rhule expressed what he learned most and what he hopes to do in Lincoln as the head coach.
“I came back to college football because I knew young people needed coaches that cared about them…I come back to college now and it's all about human connection….There's so many things I learned in my time at Carolina. But if anything, it's to have connections with the players. Lead them through good times and bad. Don't worry about what people say about you…Those experiences, I'm so grateful for them.”
Now, Rhule has the opportunity to flip the switch and make a better name for himself after a disastrous run with the Panthers.
He came to Nebraska after the Cornhuskers fired Scott Frost, and Rhule went just 5-7 in his first season. But, 2024 looks much better as they have added pieces to the roster, the most notable being five-star QB transfer Dylan Raioloa, who came over from Georgia.
Nebraska begins the 2024 season with three straight home games against UTEP, Colorado, and Northern Iowa before diving into Big Ten Conference play where they face teams such as Ohio State, Wisconsin, UCLA, USC, and Iowa. After winning just five games in his first season, Matt Rhule knows he has to do better this time.
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