Now that Matt Rhule’s tenure in the NFL is over, many are expecting the former Baylor and Temple head coach to jump right back into the college ranks.
Not so fast, says ESPN’s Greg McElroy. This afternoon, McElroy tweeted Rhule will be in “no hurry” to jump on any opportunity and predicted he will actually be doing television work come next fall.
“I’ve been told there are ‘very few’ CFB jobs that Matt Rhule would take. None of which are open currently and are unlikely to come open this year,” McElroy said. “Money changes everything, but with the offset in his Panthers’ contract, he’ll be in no hurry. My bet is he’s on TV in ‘23.”
The Carolina Panthers fired Rhule earlier today after two-plus seasons, but still owe him more than $40 million from his seven-year, $62 million contract.
Currently, the biggest openings in college football are at Wisconsin and Nebraska, where Rhule would seemingly be a solid fit. However, Wisconsin may ultimately wind up promoting interim head coach Jim Leonhard, a former Badgers’ star and longtime assistant, into the full-time role if all goes well.
As for what jobs Rhule covets at the collegiate level, it makes sense that Penn State would be one of them, given the fact he played there. The Nittany Lions are undefeated and ranked in the top 10 though, and as long as they finish the season strong, James Franklin’s seat won’t be hot in Happy Valley this year.