Despite an extension in the wake of rumors that Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule might jump to Penn State, one analyst believes Rhule's seat could be hotter than people realize. In fact, it's possible that the Huskers' head man is on the hottest seat in the Big Ten.
Pete Fiutak recently wrote his 26 Key Questions for the Big Ten Football Season article for College Football News earlier this week. Rhule's name came up a couple of times, including in complaints that the Huskers aren't showing much progress as a program.
Nebraska has Matt Rhule on a hotter seat than expected
Fiutak's most glaring indictment of the Nebraska football head coach was when the writer got to his fourth most important question. The question he posed and then answered was "Which Big Ten coach is on the hottest seat?" Matt Rhule was the answer to the question, and Fiutak laid out why:
"The popular answer is Luke Fickell at Wisconsin, but the situation is so obvious that there might be less pressure now - if that makes any sense whatsoever. Greg Schiano at Rutgers, USC's Lincoln Riley, and Maryland's Mike Locksley all need great seasons - at different expectation levels - but Nebraska needs to look like it's moving forward in Rhule's fourth season."
"So far, he's only 19-19. He'll be fine with a third-straight seven-win season, or better, but if it's a losing campaign, uh oh."
Matt Rhule knows his stint in Nebraska is under scrutiny
Matt Rhule knows that his seat is hot. He's seen a Nebraska fanbase spend the entire offseason so far complaining. He saw the poor turnout for the spring game. He's read the social media comments calling him a used car salesman.
Rhule also knows 2026 is a make-or-break season. He retooled his defensive staff one offseason after he retooled his offensive staff. The Husker coach also knows the schedule this fall is tougher than any schedule he's had since coming to Lincoln, because he's not stupid.
Matt Rhule and Nebraska have a lot to prove. Progress may not look like what some fans want. But Fiutak is right. If the Huskers make another bowl game and win seven games, the head coach should be safe. If NU posts another losing record, all bets are off.
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