Matt Rhule reaffirms commitment to Nebraska in wake of Penn State opening, addresses James Franklin firing

Matt Rhule's name became immediately linked to the Penn State vacancy after Sunday's firing of James Franklin -- and for good reason. A Penn State alum and former walk-on linebacker under Joe Paterno, Rhule's ties to the program run deep. On Monday, the Nebraska coach addressed the connection, acknowledging his love for his alma mater while making clear that his focus remains on the Huskers.

The first five questions of Rhule's weekly press conference centered on the opening at Penn State. He praised Franklin's impact on the program, reflected on his own personal ties to State College and Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft, and spoke passionately about the humanity of coaches who face public scrutiny.

Here's what Rhule said Monday when asked an open-ended question about his connection to Penn State and the coaching vacancy:

"I love Penn State – met my wife there. It's my alma mater. Fan since I was born. I think I probably had a Penn State shirt when I was born. I love Pat Kraft. I'm really sad to see coach Franklin go. When you think about what he did for my alma mater, that program was in peril. People remember the historic sanctions, Bill O'Brien comes in and stabilizes it for two years. James takes over a program in disarray and gives stability, excellence, and to see videos of people yelling at his kids. I don't understand why in our country now coaches are villains. You know how hard I worked in Carolina and the things that were said to me? Or how hard I work here and some of the things that are said to our coaches – how hard [Marcus Satterfield] worked last year. So I'm just really sad about that part. People say, 'Well, you make a lot of money.' Making a lot of money doesn't make your kids feel good when they're hearing that. Making a lot of money – it's nice to make a lot of money, don't get me wrong – but we're still people. So I really respect James Franklin.

"Troy (Dannen) and I are in an unbelievable relationship, too. And Troy and I are in constant, constant, constant communication about his program and where we're headed. I came here for two reasons: I love the community here and wanted to live here, and I love it here. And I wanted to rebuild Nebraska football. 

"Troy and I understand the steps that you need to take to make us Big Ten champions and national champions. This place is elite. And I want to be a great father and I want to be a great football coach. And so I'm not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come. Maybe it's been a while here, but this is what happens when you win. I've dealt with it. We won at Temple and I dealt with it all the time. I dealt with it at Baylor. 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. 

"But I absolutely love it here. I just want us to continue to take the steps needed for us to turn this thing into a beast. Players all across the country want to come here. We have the best facilities. We have elite fans. I'm just looking at the future.

"Again, I love that place. I love Pat, I love James Franklin. Sad that that came to an end. I wish him the absolute best, but I'm really happy here and excited to get going this week on Minnesota."

Rhule called the Penn State speculation a natural byproduct of success. Having gone through similar cycles at Temple and Baylor, he said he understands how winning seasons invite attention from elsewhere. Rhule also emphasized the investment Nebraska made in taking the necessary steps to rebuild a blue-blood program back to national relevance -- something he remains committed to seeing through, at least publicly.

Still, he didn't completely shut the door on the chatter.

"Like I said, I'm not going to talk about it very often," Rhule said. "I'm certainly not going to talk about it with anyone but my wife. But Julie decides where we live. Her business, she loves it. It's been an unbelievable time in our lives, and I just think we can be a perennial top of the country, one of the best teams in the country."

Now in his third season at Nebraska, Rhule has the Huskers off to a 5-1 start and back in the AP Top 25. And while his comments Monday sounded like those of a coach intent on finishing the job in Lincoln, his deep Penn State roots ensure his name will stay in the conversation -- at least for now.