On Monday morning, the Carolina Panthers canned head coach Matt Rhule following a 1-4 start to the season. Rhule was hired to take over the Panthers in 2020 and compiled a record of 11-27 in just over two seasons. Now unemployed, Rhule is on the market and I imagine a handful of college teams are salivating. In his time at the collegiate level, Rhule showed much success. As a head coach at Baylor and Temple, he went 47-43 and flipped both teams from one or two win teams to ten plus win teams. He’s the perfect fit for many job openings.
Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech is ripe for a rebuild. The ACC Coastal is weak and with the right person at the helm, the Yellow Jackets could compete for a conference title in the next two or three years. His aggressive play calling doesn’t fit the play of the NFL, but it’d put ACC teams in a blender. The way Rhule uses H-backs in his offensive scheme to execute zone reads will be a big hitter in the ACC when playing against good defensive lines and solid linebacking cores. This would be a smart and satisfying hire.
Colorado
The last time Colorado was relevant was in the late 90s and early 2000s. They’re in need of a consistent and steady head coach that will put pressure on good teams like Utah, Oregon, USC, and Washington. Rhule is that guy. With aggressive play calling in an offensive heavy conference, he’ll find ways to succeed. A lot of the PAC-12 teams like to air it out, but the way Rhule likes to run the ball could hurt teams by controlling the clock and grinding out first downs. The PAC-12 could be a nice landing spot for Rhule. I think that only caveat is that Rhule won’t be Colorados top option. They’ll more than likely pursue and alum like Eric Bieniemy or Ryan Walters.
Nebraska
Of all the jobs out there, Nebraska has to be the most enticing. While a rebuild in Lincoln would be tough, Rhule has rebuilt programs in the past and if he could bring Husker football back to prominence, he’d be treated like a god in Nebraska. In his first season at Temple in 2013, he went 2-10. In his final season in 2016 with the Owls, Rhule went 10-3. When Rhule was hired by Baylor in 2017, his first season saw a 1-11 finish. By the time he was set to leave for the NFL, Baylor was 11-3. If Nebraska wants to see success in the future, they should hire Rhule. If Rhule wants to solidify himself as a legend in the midwest, he should take the job at Nebraska.
Alabama (OC)
Maybe you’re shocked to see Bama on here, but you shouldn’t be. I think Rhule is a great fit to be a head coach, but he’s also a great offensive mind. Bill O’Brien is one of the top head coaching options for many schools and if he gets hired elsewhere, then Alabama has a void at offensive coordinator. Many coaches who are looking to land on their feet again land with Alabama: Steve Sarkisian, Butch Jones, Lane Kiffin, the list goes on. At Temple, Rhule’s offense averaged 371.9 yards per game from 2013-2016. When he got hired by Baylor, his offense averaged 428.5 yards a game from 2017-2019. I’m sure Rhule wants to run the show at the college level again, but being under Saban for a few years isn’t the worst option.
Auburn
As of right now, this job isn’t open. Once Auburn drops four in a row against Ole Miss, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M, Bryan Harsin will get gassed. Harsin is coaching on borrowed time right now, and his next loss at Auburn could be his last. The SEC could be a tall task for Rhule as he’s never held a job in the nation’s top conference. Playing against Alabama, Kentucky, Florida, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M week after week is difficult and I’m not too sure if this is a task that Rhule would want to take to try and rebuild his coaching image.
Wisconsin
There are big shoes to fill in Wisconsin. The Badgers have a long history of successful head coaches in Barry Alvarez, Bret Bielema, and Paul Cryst. Could Rhule be the next Badger head coach with a winning percentage? If hired, I think he could be. His unique play calling and way in which he recruits would help the Badgers compete right away for a BIG Ten title. When you look at the Badgers roster, it’s not a dumpster fire. There are good players that just need the right coach. The only issue with Wisconsin is that the Badgers might already have their guy. Promoting Jim Leonhard is the smart move and one that will probably be executed.