Since the beginning of the transfer portal era, tampering has been a staple. Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule has talked before about different players he thinks have been tampered with. However, Rhule is also realistic about the situation. While he may not like it, he knows it's the reality. And he knows players aren't the only ones who are "tampered" with.
During his most recent press conference, Rhule was asked whether part of his job is keeping track of who is being tampered with. If he has to keep up with which players are contacted by other schools. His response said a lot about his approach to this era of college sports.
What Matt Rhule admitted about tampering might surprise even Nebraska football fans
"They're all getting called," the Nebraska football head coach said, "If you're a good player, you're getting called. It's just the way football is now. They call the high school, the whatever coach. It is what it is. My coaches get upset about it. I'm like, what do you think you guys do to me?"
In other words, Rhule knows that his assistants get raises because they're contacted by other programs. Then they come to him and ask for more money to stick around. And he also admitted it's a tactic head coaches use all over the country.
"I just signed a contract extension, right? Because maybe someone else showed something. It's just what it is, right?" Some else, in this regard, Penn State reports that he was the Nittany Lions' top target.
In the end, Rhule believes that if people are coming after him, his players and coaches, it means they're all doing something right. They all offer something other teams want.
"You know, I want my assistant coaches, that people be calling my assistant coaches saying, hey, why don't you come here? You know what I mean? It just means you have good people, right? It's a good problem to have. I hope next year you guys are asking me about, hey, we heard your name for this job. It means I did a good job. So it's just part of it. But this is an amazing place, and people should want to be here like we want to be here."
This approach is why the Nebraska football head coach will never be caught complaining the way other coaches do. And it's why his players and assistants will always respect him more than others around the sport.