Baylor’s Rhule joins Carolina Panthers
Baylor’s Matt Rhule agreed to become the new head coach of the Carolina Panthers this morning. The deal is for 7 years and worth between $60 and $70 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Rhule’s first head coaching job was with Temple from 2013-2016. He built the team up from 2-10 his first season to back-to-back 10 win seasons in years 3 and 4. The Owls won 2 AAC East division titles but went 0-2 in bowl games.
Rhule did not coach the Owls’ second bowl game because he had been hired by Baylor in 2016. His first season in Waco led to a dismal 1-11 record. Now, only 2 years later, he’s led them to an 11 win season and a number 8 national ranking.
This was a bit of shocking hire at the time it was announced because Rhule was widely considered the favorite for the New York Giants head coaching position. Rhule spent time on the Giants’ coaching staff prior to becoming the coach at Temple. As we would soon find out, the Giants had already decided to go another direction, even though Rhule had yet to interview with them.
This means that 4 of the 5 head coach openings in the NFL have been filled. The Cleveland Browns are the only open job remaining. They have already interviewed several candidates and have several more interviews already scheduled. They can take their time since the other positions have been filled, but it has been reported they will likely make a decision by Saturday.