Matt Rhule: NFL stint made him a better coach despite firing

It didn’t workout for Matt Rhule in the NFL, but Nebraska believes he’s the one that can steer their program in the right direction.

During his introductory press conference, Rhule spoke about how his time with the Carolina Panthers made him a better coach in the end.

“A thousand times, a thousand percent I should say,” answered Rhule, asked if he felt his time in the NFL made him a better coach. “It made me a better man, it made me a better person. You know, when you’re in the NFL, and very grateful to the Carolina Panthers, and there’s so many wonderful people in that organization. But when you’re in the NFL, you’re depending on a lot of different things.

“You know, there’s so many parts that have to come together, and so recognizing that and seeing that, being a part of that was great for me. Learning how to deal with challenges, and adversity and all those things was really good for me, as well. Dealing with the professional athlete was probably the best. Having a conversation with Ameer Abdullah, and then having a conversation with Christian McCaffrey. Two guys, same position, completely different people.”

According to Rhule, former New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin tried to teach him some valuable lessons while he was an assistant on his staff earlier in his career, but it took until he actually put on the headset for him to understand.

“As I said to the team today, it really taught me, and Coach [Tom] Coughlin tried to teach this to me, but I had to learn this because I’m a little hard-headed at times,” elaborated Rhule. “It’s not coaches-players, it’s just people-people. We’re just people, right? And we’re all in different roles. I’m the coach, but we’re just people.

“So I think that interaction with the players really, really taught me, and especially this year. I was on the hot seat from the end of last year to the middle of this year, and when you’re a coach that’s on the hot seat, do those players really have to listen to you? Do they really have to buy into you? And if I’m proud of anything, it’s the relationships and the guys, it’s the guys on that team that went out and won yesterday. The guys on that team that had my back throughout that process. The guys that called me since I got that job. I think that shows me that I can come back to college, continue to push guys, have the same relationships.”

Moreover, Rhule has gained a reputation as a program builder, and that’s what Nebraska is hoping for in his hire. According to the former Panthers coach, his time in Carolina helped him improve that part of his coaching abilities.

“The final piece is, you know we’ve always been known as a player development group. I know it so much better now,” added Rhule. “Anybody can get you to the National Football League. I want to take guys to the National Football League and stay there. Have a second contract. The way that you take notes, the way that you prepare.

“I thought I knew that, and I always preached that, but I know it better now.”

Finally, the rigors of being fired from an NFL post can be tough on a person, but Rhule believes he’s better for it.

“I’m just so much mentally tougher,” elaborated the freshly-minted Nebraska leader. “I mean, what I went through was hard, and it was hard on my family, but you know what? When things are hard in life, you either break or you just let it be a purifying fire that takes away the impurities and the ego and anxiety and all those things. So my family and I, we looked towards each other, and we looked towards our faith. We looked towards the future and focused on the players. So I come here now not hardened by that, but steeled by it.

“I feel really, really strong, and I’m excited. Excited to get started with these players and get to the spring. Excited to build a team.”

It’ll be fascinating to watch the Matt Rhule era unfold, but Nebraska faithful can get fired up readying for him to begin.