Nebraska coach Matt Rhule has perhaps been the most-linked name to Penn State’s head coaching vacancy since the Nittany Lions parted ways with James Franklin on Sunday.
Rhule has several connections to Penn State. He played linebacker for the Nittany Lions from 1994-97. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Penn State in 1998, but otherwise has never been a coach at his alma mater.
Rhule also has a relationship with Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft, which the Nebraska coach acknowledged in his comments on Monday. Kraft hired Rhule to be the head coach at Temple way back in 2013. He stayed with the Owls for 4 seasons before leaving for the Baylor job.
Rhule said he won’t comment publicly on the Penn State vacancy or any other job opening. He also reaffirmed his commitment to Nebraska and said he loves living in Lincoln.
“I’m not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come,” Rhule said. “This is what happens when you win … I’m not going to talk about those things ever. I’m not going to talk about my contract here. I’m going to talk about the team. I absolutely love it here. I want us to continue to take the steps needed to take [Nebraska] into a beast.
“I love [Penn State], I love Pat. I love James Franklin and I’m sad that came to an end. I wish him the absolute best but I’m really happy here and I’m excited to get going this week against Minnesota.”
Here’s a longer clip that shows Rhule’s full comments on the matter:
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
