Nebraska announces hiring of Matt Rhule

Nebraska has hired Matt Rhule as its next head coach. The school made the announcement Saturday morning, one day after concluding its season with a 24-17 win over rival Iowa.

Rhule joins the program after a failed stint leading the Carolina Panthers, but two highly successful runs as the head coach at Temple and Baylor. 

At Temple, the Owls went 2-10 in his 2013 debut, then posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2015-16. His 2016 Owls squad won the American Athletic Conference and finished the season ranked No. 23 in the AP poll.

Rhule parlayed that success into the Baylor job. Despite having no ties to Texas and inheriting a program at its absolute low point following the Art Briles dismissal, Rhule instituted a similar turnaround. The Bears went 1-11 in 2017, 7-6 in 2018, and 11-3 with a Big 12 Championship appearance and a Sugar Bowl berth in 2019. 

With financial details are still forthcoming, Nebraska confirmed Rhule will work on an 8-year contract.

“When you think of great, tradition-rich programs in college football Nebraska is right at the top of the list," Rhule said in a statement. "The fan base is second to none and I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to coach in Memorial Stadium on Tom Osborne Field."

The Cornhuskers won national titles in 1994, '95 and '97 and played for another in 2001, but have since fallen from the elite and even the good major college football programs. A program that won at least nine games annually from 1969 to 2001 will open 2023 on a string of six consecutive losing seasons. 

As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.