Matt Rhule Inks Massive Contract Extension With Nebraska Cornhuskers
When you are Nebraska Athletic Director Troy Dannen and you’ve got a coach who’s finally got the Cornhuskers looking like an actual football team again, you don’t just sit around waiting for someone to poach him. You lock him down.
That is exactly what happened when Matt Rhule agreed to a two-year contract extension that keeps him in Lincoln through 2032. Will he be able to live up to it?
Breaking Down Rhule’s New Deal
The extension bumps Rhule’s buyout for this season from a measly $5 million to a hefty $15 million. Unless someone’s willing to back up a Brink’s truck and then some, Rhule’s staying put. Penn State fans hoping their former linebacker might come home can officially stop refreshing their Twitter feeds.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Rhule’s average annual value sits at $11.7 million over the life of the contract, putting him among college football’s highest-paid coaches. The two additional years? Each worth $12.5 million. Not too shabby for a guy who was unemployed after getting canned by the Carolina Panthers just three years ago.
But the real kicker is the innovative playoff incentive clause. Every time Nebraska makes the College Football Playoff, Rhule’s base salary increases by $1 million for each remaining year on his deal. It’s like a video game achievement system, except the rewards are measured in millions of dollars.
Why Rhule Chose To Stay
Money talks, sure. But according to sources close to the situation, Rhule and his family are genuinely happy in Nebraska. Revolutionary concept, right? A coach actually liking where he lives and wanting to finish what he started. “I came here for two reasons,” Rhule said earlier this month. “I love the community here – I wanted to live here, I love it here – and I wanted to rebuild Nebraska football.”
And rebuild he has. The Cornhuskers are 6-2 heading into November, their best start since 2016. They’ve made back-to-back bowl games for the first time since that same year. Baby steps? Maybe. But for a program that went through five consecutive losing seasons under Scott Frost, this feels like sprinting.
The Penn State Connection That Almost Was
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Rhule’s name got thrown around for the Penn State job more than a football at practice. The connection made sense: Penn State alum, close relationship with PSU Athletic Director Pat Kraft, proven track record as a program builder.
But Rhule shut that speculation down faster than a Nebraska defense blitzing on third down. When asked about the opening after James Franklin’s firing, he didn’t mince words about his commitment to the Cornhuskers.
“I love Penn State,” Rhule said. “Met my wife there. My alma mater. A fan since I was born.” But then came the reality check: “I absolutely love it here. I want us to continue to take the steps needed for us to turn this place into a beast.” That $15 million buyout? Yeah, that’s Nebraska’s way of making sure those words mean something.
What This Means For Nebraska Football
Rhule’s track record speaks for itself. He won an AAC title at Temple in 2016. He completely rebuilt Baylor, taking them from scandal-ridden disaster to a Sugar Bowl appearance after the 2019 season. The man knows how to build programs from the ground up.
At Nebraska, he’s assembled a roster that includes top quarterback recruit Dylan Raiola, whom he flipped from Georgia in 2023. That is the kind of recruiting pull Nebraska hasn’t seen in years. The Cornhuskers are starting to look like a team that belongs in Big Ten conversations again.
Sure, they haven’t beaten a ranked opponent yet under Rhule’s watch. That’s the next hurdle. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are college football powerhouses in the NIL era.
The Big Picture
This extension sends a clear message: Nebraska is serious about football again. They are willing to invest in a coach who’s proven he can build winners. They’re creating incentives that reward playoff appearances, not just regular-season mediocrity.
For Rhule, it’s validation that his rebuild is working. For Nebraska fans who’ve suffered through nearly a decade of disappointing football, there’s hope that the glory days might actually return.
The Cornhuskers host No. 23 USC this Saturday night in a primetime NBC matchup. It’s the kind of game that used to be routine for Nebraska. Now? It’s an opportunity to prove they belong back in the national conversation.
