Matt Rhule to stay at Nebraska

[FremontFred]

That sounds like a good extension.

Agreed. Is a realistic concession to the leverage that Rhule has with PSU open, but isn’t really changing the goal posts or paying more for results that haven’t (yet) materialized, and gives us stability in a very unstable landscape.

 

[presidentjlh]

I don't get what you guys are seeing here. He hasn't done anything, we just increased the buyout for basically no reason.

 

[runningblind]

There was no winning foundation. You can be unhappy with the guy while still recognizing what he has done and why he was hired.

October 2016, the scandal at Baylor is fully reported.... football programs falls apart at exactly the same time. Do you remember how bad that was... sanctions, all recruits bailing, players leaving. It doesn't get much worse.
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Not sure what you are talking about regarding Temple. They were 4-7 the year before Matt took over. It was an ugly season where they lost 4 of their last 5. On top of taking over a bad football team, Rhule had to help navigate the change in conference to the AAC.

The two rebuilds are impressive on all accounts.

Agree to disagree.

Good for him to sign this extension now though, before what appears to be setting up as a rough November. Hope I am wrong and can find some more rose colored glasses like you and @BigRedBuster always seem to have on. If I am wrong about November, feel free to call me out on it, I'd enjoy that scenario.

Have a good weekend.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I don't get what you guys are seeing here. He hasn't done anything, we just increased the buyout for basically no reason.

That's obvious.

 

[FremontFred]

I don't get what you guys are seeing here. He hasn't done anything, we just increased the buyout for basically no reason.

We increased it because he has leverage with PSU open. And we don’t want to be on the carousel this cycle. Easy as that.

 

[Decked]

I don't get what you guys are seeing here. He hasn't done anything, we just increased the buyout for basically no reason.

I wouldn't say this is true at all. There was legit interest from PSU.

Was this leveraged by his agent? Sure.

 

[presidentjlh]

That's obvious.

I'm serious! What has he done that says "Yep, this man has proven he is the guy to take Nebraska back to national relevancy." A 7-6 season? Yeah we're 6-2 right now, you think with how our O-line has been that first number is going to go up a good deal over the next month?

If they finish 9-3 or 10-2, fine, I'll happily eat crow. But he has not done anything that suggests "Oh man, we gotta lock this guy in long term."

 

[presidentjlh]

We increased it because he has leverage with PSU open. And we don’t want to be on the carousel this cycle. Easy as that.

I get that reasoning pre NIL era, but stability is really not that meaningful now.

 

[FremontFred]

I get that reasoning pre NIL era, but stability is really not that meaningful now.

We are still dealing with 18 and 19 year old kids. Sure, you can throw whatever money around, but relationships still matter. Go play fantasy football if you really think that’s how it works.

 

[Undone]

Haven’t read all the way through this thread. Is it accurate to say that deal increases his buyout from $5M to $15M or did I see that wrong?

 

[Red Five]

 

[Undone]

And it looks like the contract is still at 90% guaranteed money.

These guys are basically richer than movie stars/rock stars. It really is insane when you think about it.

 

[twofittyonred]

 

[Enhance]

I get that reasoning pre NIL era, but stability is really not that meaningful now.

Your theory of stability not being meaningful misunderstands the current college football ecosystem IMO.

My post from earlier in the thread:

Coaching contracts are about optics and stability as much as they are about results. That's just how the modern college football ecosystem works.

Recruiting and staff retention all hinge on long term stability and buy-in from fans/boosters. If you don't extend a coach during critical times like these, you're sending the opposite message that you might not see him as the long term answer. And then what happens next? Opposing coaches use that against them on the recruiting trail every day.

Rhule's value isn't just about a record but what people think he's building and the culture he's established, plus his past evidence of turning programs around. Locking him in isn't a panic move IMO but a strategic signal that they're all in on the guy. And honestly, the fact they're doing this before the "difficult stretch" of the schedule just kind of reinforces that point - they're not scoreboard watching in the moment but trying to signal confidence in the direction and not just the destination.

I totally get why the record doesn't necessarily make it feel like the sexiest move but hyper-focusing on that element of it sort of misunderstands what's actually happening and why.

 

[Crusader Husker]

This fan base complains that he might leave, they complain that he doesn't make a statement saying he is staying, then they complain that he got an extension, then they complain.....

It is like dealing with a bunch of middle schoolers!