Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has been heavily discussed as a potential head coaching candidate for the Penn State Nittany Lions after Penn State fired James Franklin after losing to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern in three consecutive games.
Rhule has a good track record as a college head coach, but would his skills translate to the Nittany Lions’ program, where he’ll have higher expectations than he did Temple, Baylor and Nebraska? The Big Ten Football Roundtable gave their thoughts on Rhule’s fit with Penn State.
We asked this question: Is Matt Rhule to Penn State a disaster waiting to happen?
Matt Zemek, Editor
Absolutely. Rhule did an amazing job at Baylor, but that was before the current portal and NIL era. The sport has changed, and coaches have to show they can get elite players. Rhule hasn’t done that. I don’t see any appreciable upgrade over James Franklin here, and that would be a bad outcome for Penn State.
Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire
I am not sure that it would be a disaster, but I do not think that it would live up to the expectations that Penn State has.
Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire
Not a disaster, more so just sad. Matt Rhule isn’t a bad college coach, he just doesn’t inspire hope the way that the Nittany Lions should be seeking a candidate to. Penn State fans are dreaming of Nick Saban and getting Rhule after the James Franklin burnout wouldn’t help reinvigorate donors and the fanbase.
Micah Huff, Trojans Wire
It would not be a step in the right direction like Penn State would hope it would be. Penn State would only be hiring someone who will be working their dream job. Matt Rhule is no different than James Franklin. He will not make that team any more successful than James Franklin did.
Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire
Definitely would be a disaster. Rhule has had some success as a head coach, but going from James Franklin would be an enormous step backwards for the Nittany Lions. Rhule wouldn’t be a needle mover and if he’s hired, then I’m sure the fanbase would have a riot.
Ethan Inman, Trojans Wire
No, it wouldn’t be a disaster. It would just be meh. Rhule is a good football coach and he is slowly but surely restoring pride to a Nebraska program that desperately needs it. With more resources at Penn State he would be good, but not immediately great. I don’t think he’d be an upgrade over James Franklin. That’s the disaster side of the equation: who can Penn State even get that will perform better than Franklin? I think they have to throw everything and the kitchen sink at Nick Saban or they’re facing a very likely bust.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Big Ten Roundtable–Would Matt Rhule becoming Penn State head coach be a total disaster?
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, Ryan Lorenz and Matt Zemek, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
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