Matt Rhule reflects on NFL experience with Carolina Panthers ahead of Year 1 with Nebraska

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule returned to college after a rough stint in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. But the Huskers leader learned a lot from his short time in the pros.

The success didn’t come as it did with rebuilding jobs like Temple and Baylor earlier in this career. But he said he was blessed to have his try at the challenge and learned a great deal being around top tier players.

Rhule joined The Herd and reflected on his time with the Panthers.

“Yeah, I really appreciated my time,” Rhule said of his NFL stint. “You know, I hate it for my family that they had to move and move again a couple years later, but you know, Colin, I feel like I’m a much better coach now after having been through that. I mean, just to have a chance to coach Christian McCaffrey or Stephon Gilmore or you know, Jaycee Horn, Brian Burns, to be around guys like that, to see excellence at the highest level, I loved all the people I worked with.” 

Rhule saw toughness with the Panthers right away, as in, it’s tough to win games consistently. He went 5-11 and 5-12 in his first two seasons.

By Year 3, it was all over after a 1-4 start. He would become the Nebraska head coach last winter once the school elected to move on from Scott Frost and interim coach Mickey Joseph.

“And you know for me, it was the first time I really had a lot of adversity it also to be able to deal with adversity to be in the pro game,” Rhule said. “I had a chance to go be on the same practice film with Bill Belichick and I watched him work and you know, I’m a different coach. Now in practice, I basically just stole what I saw him doing, and I knew it.

“So obviously it wasn’t a success. But I’m proud of what we did there. That’s unique to people maybe, but like I felt like we were heading in the right direction and it didn’t work out. I’m a way better coach now after having been through all of it.”

Rhule is 47-43 in his coaching career at the college level with Temple and Baylor. Despite Rhule’s lack of success with the Panthers, the college game bodes well for the head coach.

Now, Nebraska is counting on him to bring the school back to the promised land.