Nebraska's Rhule signs extension through 2032

Nebraska has signed manager Matt Rhule to a two-year declaration hold that volition instrumentality him done the 2032 season, the schoolhouse announced Thursday.

The hold includes an summation successful Rhule's buyout this play to $15 cardinal from $5 million, which would efficaciously destruct him from taking different occupation successful this cycle.

Rhule and his family's happiness astatine Nebraska, wherever he's successful his 3rd twelvemonth arsenic caput coach, was the superior operator down him agreeing to a caller deal, per ESPN sources. Nebraska is 6-2 this season, and Rhule led the programme to its archetypal vessel crippled since 2016 past year. He has spoken often astir the imaginable of the Nebraska program.

"The University of Nebraska, the metropolis of Lincoln and the authorities of Nebraska are special. It is simply a spot our household is arrogant to telephone home," Rhule said successful a statement. "We person outstanding enactment from [Nebraska president] Dr. [Jeffrey P.] Gold and [athletic director] Troy Dannen, and I admit the enactment and assurance they person shown successful our staff. Our absorption remains connected gathering Nebraska Football into a perennial title contender."

Rhule had been often been linked to the unfastened occupation astatine his alma mater, Penn State. And this hold fundamentally takes different salient sanction retired of contention for the 8 powerfulness league jobs that person opened truthful acold this year.

The caller woody does not see immoderate alteration successful basal compensation. It does connection the further inducement for basal wage if Nebraska reaches the College Football Playoff. There's an innovative caller clause successful the woody that states each clip Nebraska qualifies for the CFP, Rhule's basal wage for each twelvemonth connected the woody increases by $1 million.

Rhule's wage passim the people of the woody has an AAV of much than $11.7 cardinal (including retention bonuses). That fig puts him successful the highest echelon of assemblage coaches implicit the people of the deal.

Rhule's 2 further years are astatine $12.5 million, the aforesaid arsenic the last twelvemonth of his existent woody successful 2030. The woody remains 90% guaranteed.

This season, Rhule is presently successful the apical 15 successful wage astatine $8.5 million. Prior to the extension, the woody included important escalators successful the contract, arsenic successful 2027, he'll marque $11 cardinal (with retention bonus).

The caller woody comes astatine a clip erstwhile Nebraska is trending toward the program's champion play successful astir a decade, arsenic Nebraska hasn't reached back-to-back bowls since 2016. That 9-4 play nether Mike Riley is besides the past twelvemonth the Cornhuskers won much than 8 games successful a year.

"Coach Rhule has shown helium is the close person astatine the close clip for Nebraska Football. We look guardant to him and his household being successful Lincoln for a agelong time," Dannen said successful a statement. "Our programme has seen important advancement nether Matt's leadership, and astatine this signifier successful the improvement of the programme continuity and stableness are critical. I invited the accidental to proceed to spouse with Matt and his unit to physique a programme that volition marque everyone associated with Nebraska Football proud. Go Big Red!"

Nebraska hired Rhule successful November 2022 aft 5 consecutive losing seasons nether Scott Frost. Rhule had been fired earlier successful the twelvemonth by the Carolina Panthers, but helium brought a beardown way grounds arsenic a assemblage manager and programme builder astatine some Temple and Baylor.

While Trev Alberts hired Rhule to regenerate Scott Frost pursuing the 2022 season, Rhule agreed to the hold nether second-year diversion manager Troy Dannen.

Rhule's way grounds includes an American Athletic Conference rubric astatine Temple successful 2016 and a wholesale rebuild astatine Baylor that included a Sugar Bowl quality aft the 2019 season.