Sources: Nebraska coaching search again honing in on Matt Rhule

Nebraska’s months-long search for its next head football coach could be coming to its conclusion.

Multiple sources on Thursday and Friday have told FootballScoop that former Temple, Baylor and Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule has again emerged as the top target for Trev Alberts and the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska is seeking a replacement for Scott Frost, who was fired inside the season’s first month.

The search had quickly zeroed in on Rhule, whom sources told FootballScoop had been in direct meetings with Nebraska officials within the past two weeks.

That process, per sources, hit a snag within the past week, and Nebraska, with the former All-American Alberts now in charge of the school’s athletics department, continued to explore a variety of candidates to replace Frost.

Among those candidates who were vetted by and/or spoke to the Cornhuskers were North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren, former BYU and Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall and current Kansas State coach Chris Klieman among others.

But earlier this week and significantly within the past 48 hours, the Nebraska search returned to Rhule, who guided the Temple Owls to unprecedented success before he took over a scandal-ridden Baylor program and promptly led the Bears to the Big 12 championship and a Sugar Bowl berth.

As previously reported by FootballScoop, multiple sources continue to indicate Nebraska leadership has been very pleased with Alberts's handling of this search and the entire process; it's expected that Alberts will receive his own contract extension after the Cornhuskers secure their next coach and move forward. 

Nebraska is scheduled to conclude its regular season this afternoon at Iowa. 

ESPN's Chris Low also reported Friday afternoon that Rhule has emerged as the Cornhuskers' top choice. 

Saturday Update: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweets that Rhule "will be (Nebraska's) new coach."