Penn State coaching search: Weighing the pros and cons of early favorite Matt Rhule

Penn State is embarking one of the most fascinating coaching searches of the past few years after paying coach James Franklin more than $50 million in buyout money for the right to fire him. However, there's some belief around college football that the Nittany Lions already have their target: Matt Rhule. 

Rhule attended State College Area High School, then walked on to Penn State as linebacker under legendary coach Joe Paterno and has never been shy about his love for the program. His first coaching job was as a volunteer assistant with the Nittany Lions in 1998, and he often cites lessons that he learned while part of the program. 

Of course, Rhule is at Nebraska now -- a similarly historic program. After leading the program to a 5-1 start and national AP Top 25 program, he could easily decide to keep building in Lincoln, where he makes over $8 million annually. Rhlue would owe Nebraska $5 million if he left any time before Dec. 31, according to his contract. 

As far as Penn State's decision-making is concerned, would Rhule be enough of an upgrade to make the exorbitant expenditure worth it if -- after already paying the second-biggest buyout in college football history? 

CBS Sports writers Shehan Jeyarajah and Cody Nagel work through the pros and cons of Penn State targeting Rhule for the new top opening on the market. 

Pro: Rhule is a program builder

Rhule has a career 64-57 record as a head coach, but don't let the top line distract you. He's taken over some of the toughest situations in college football. Rhule started his head coaching career at Temple, and led the program to only the second conference title in program history. Then, he entered the smoldering crater left at Baylor by the Art Briles scandal and took them from 1-11 to 11-3 in only three years. 

Nebraska has been a unique build after taking over for Scott Frost. But after reaching a bowl game last season, the Cornhuskers are within striking distance of their first eight-win season since 2016. There are few shortcuts taken in a Rhule rebuild, but the program emerges structurally stronger and more competitive. 

An underrated part of the equation? Two former Rhule assistants have become head coaches -- Fran Brown (Syracuse) and Joey McGuire (Texas Tech). Both are upfront about how much they learned from Rhule. The success of his process has been stress-tested across the country. --Jeyarajah

Con: Penn State doesn't need a rebuild

The Nittany Lions should be approaching this hiring process in search of a candidate who can win now -- someone who can take over a program that isn't broken but just needs the right push to get over the hump. Rhule doesn't necessarily fit that profile.

Penn State doesn't need a savior; it needs a finisher. Let's not forget this program was minutes away from playing for a national championship last season. It isn't the kind of rebuild Rhule has walked into before. If he arrives and starts reshaping things to fit his long-term blueprint, as he's done everywhere else, what happens if it doesn't immediately click? Does Penn State really have the patience for a step backward just as the door to the College Football Playoff is finally open?

Rhule's process is proven to work over time, but time is the one thing Penn State doesn't have. Someone like Indiana's Curt Cignetti -- a 'win-now' type -- feels far more aligned with the program's moment. -- Nagel

Pro: Few understand Penn State better

In the past several years, Rhule has moved all around the country for coaching jobs, from Texas to North Carolina to Nebraska. But in his heart, Rhule is a Northeasterner. He grew up in New York City and spent many of his most formative moments in State College, Philadelphia and the Meadowlands. 

Penn State coaching candidates: Matt Rhule, Curt Cignetti among options on hot board to replace James Franklin

Carter Bahns

If he stepped into Penn State, he would quickly be able to win over the most important people and figures in the base. Athletic director Pat Kraft, amazingly, was the AD who hired him at Temple. Rhule also excels at rallying the troops, which will be an important job for the next coach after the Franklin era ended with a thud. It will also be critical for squeezing every dollar out of Central Pennsylvania to use towards winning at the highest level. 

Additionally, Rhule's newfound national background could actually present a huge benefit. Penn State needs to nationalize its recruiting infrastructure to contend with the Ohio States of the world. Rhule is wildly popular in Texas, and has spent enough time recruiting out West and South that he can go almost anywhere. --Jeyarajah

Con: Penn State might not be the best fit for Rhule

Sure, Nebraska has expectations -- a fanbase desperate to return to national relevance and decades of nostalgia for the Tom Osborne era -- but the pressure at Penn State is an entirely different animal. If Rhule thinks the noise on the farmlands of Nebraska can get loud, wait until he loses a few games in the echoing chambers of Happy Valley. 

Rhule's proven he can rebuild struggling programs, but Penn State isn't looking for that -- it's looking for championships. The standard isn't 'get us back,' it's 'get us past Michigan, Ohio State and also Oregon.' That's a different kind of heat than Rhule has ever faced. At Nebraska, patience has long been the mantra; at Penn State, patience lasts about one bad Saturday. -- Nagel

Pro: Elite resources could unlock another gear

In 2024, Nebraska decided to laser in on five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola. The son of legendary 'Huskers offensive lineman Dominic Raiola, the staff refused to let Dylan get away without a fight. Rhule put the full-court press on the star quarterback and managed to flip him from Georgia, giving Nebraska its biggest recruiting win of the modern era. 

Rhule is a relentless and organized recruiter who has correctly identified several NFL prospects out of the rough. Now imagine if he had the budget to land five-stars, too. 

Nebraska has been fighting to up its figures over the past few years and the recruiting has increased as a result. Rhule has consistently signed classes bordering on the top 20. However, Penn State is well into the blue-chip ratio. It's always hard to be sure how well a coach will translate into a different context, but it would be fascinating to see Rhule compete with top 10 resources instead of top 25. --Jeyarajah

Con: Rhule isn't known to punch up

Let's be serious -- if Penn State's goal in moving on from James Franklin is to finally punch through against college football's elite, Rhule's résumé doesn't inspire much confidence. Franklin's critics are fair: he was 15-31 against AP Top 25 opponents, 4-21 versus the AP Top 10 and 4-17 against Michigan and Ohio State. But Rhule's numbers are even more concerning. 

Across Temple, Baylor and Nebraska, he's just 2-23 against ranked opponents and 0-11 versus the Top 10. That's not a coach who's proven he can win when the lights are brightest. Penn State's problem has been getting over the hump, not rebuilding from scratch, and Rhule hasn't shown he can deliver those breakthrough wins that define national contenders.

To be fair, Rhule's teams have almost always been underdogs in those situations -- he's been favored just twice in 18 games against AP Top 25 opponents at Baylor and Nebraska, but he's covered the spread in just eight of those games. -- Nagel

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