Ruhle’s new deal, which will run through the 2032 season, does not add to his base pay but will add salary escalators for College Football Playoff appearances.
The extension comes on the heels of Rhule being connected to the Penn State opening following the school’s firing of James Franklin. Rhule graduated from Penn State and is close friends with athletic director Pat Kraft, whom he worked with at Temple.
The new agreement raises his buyout to $15 million from $5 million, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
‘We love it here,’ Rhule said on the ‘Pat McAfee Show’ shortly after the extension was announced. ‘There’s lots of great jobs, but very rarely in this business you find a home. And we felt like Nebraska’s our home, this program’s our home.’
“Coach Rhule has shown he is the right leader at the right time for Nebraska Football,’ Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said a statement announcing the hire. ‘We look forward to him and his family being in Lincoln for a long time. Our program has seen significant progress under Matt’s leadership, and at this stage in the evolution of the program continuity and stability are critical.’
Rhule has led Nebraska to a 6-2 record in his third season with the program. The Cornhuskers went to their first bowl game since 2016 last season and won their first postseason game since 2015.
Rhule has a track record of program building. He went 2-10 in his first season at Temple in 2013 before leading the Owls to back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2015 and 2016. He then went 1-11 in his first season at Baylor in 2017, before going 11-3 in 2019.
He coached the NFL’s Carolina Panthers for three seasons, and took the Nebraska job after being fired in 2022.
Matt Rhule contract
The annual salary makes him the 15th highest-paid coach in college football this season. His new contract now extends through the 2032 season but doesn’t include a salary increase, as his average annual salary is already set to increase in future seasons.
The new contract also increases escalators for College Football Playoff appearances, although the exact bonus details aren’t included.