Matt Rhule Stays At Nebraska: Penn State Must Look Elsewhere After Firing James Franklin

The Nebraska head coach agreed to a contract extension

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After agreeing to a contract extension with the school on Thursday, Matt Rhule is staying at Nebraska. This move now takes him out of the running for the Penn State job, which is currently looking for a new head coach after firing James Franklin. 

Ever since the news that Penn State would be looking for a new coach, Matt Rhule's name was discussed at length, given that he played for the Nitttany Lions and has a great relationship with athletics director Pat Kraft. 

The former Baylor and Carolina Panthers head coach is currently 18-15 over three seasons at Nebraska, as the Cornhuskers host USC this weekend. 

James Franklin Fired By Penn State In Monster College Football Shakeup

The conversations around the Penn State opening and potentially bringing in Matt Rhule were a hot-button topic in the opening week of the vacancy, though there were plenty of fans in Happy Valley that thought the school could do better. 

"I love Penn state. Met my wife there. My lama mater. A fan since I was born. I think I probably had a Penn State shirt when I was born. I love Pat Kraft. Really said to see Coach Franklin go," Matt Rhule said following the dismissal of James Franklin about the job.

But, he continued to say he was not going to entertain other schools at the time, with a focus on making sure Nebraska finished the season in contention for the Big Ten, and possibly a playoff spot. 

Rhule is not receiving a base-pay increase to stay at Nebraska, though there are incentives if he makes an appearance in the CFP. There is also a $15 million buyout if he were to leave for another school. 

Penn State Still Looking, And Will Be For A Bit

Now, Penn State has already been preparing for this scenario, with a number of different names being discussed for the job. This includes Louisville coach Jeff Brohm, though it would be hard to pry him away from the Cardinals.

The news of Nebraska locking down Matt Rhule just proves that the coaching carousel is a fantastic way to get a contract extension. 

Good for the Cornhuskers, but now eyes turn back towards Penn State. 

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Trey Wallace is the host of The Trey Wallace Podcast that focuses on a mixture of sports, culture, entertainment along with his perspective on everything from College Football to the College World Series. Wallace has been covering college sports for 15 years, starting off while attending the University of South Alabama. He’s broken some of the biggest college stories including the Florida football "Credit Card Scandal" along with the firing of Jim McElwin and Kevin Sumlin. Wallace also broke one of the biggest stories in college football in 2020 around the NCAA investigation into recruiting violations against Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt. Wallace also appears on radio across seven different states breaking down that latest news in college sports.