Dylan Raiola addresses Matt Rhule, Penn State rumors: 'He ain't going nowhere'

Dylan Raiola spoke out about the rumors linking Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule with the Penn State head coaching vacancy. Simply put, Raiola doesn’t think his coach is leaving Lincoln anytime soon.

“He ain’t going nowhere,” Raiola said. Rhule is a Penn State alum and good friends with AD Pat Kraft, so the link is natural.

Raiola said Rhule has done a great job blocking out the noise. It’s simply about getting ready for the next game.

“It doesn’t faze him at all,” Raiola said. “It’s just some people stirring things up … He’s as locked in as ever on this football game. I just had to make sure everybody knew that that’s our head ball coach … and he’s staying right here.”

Rhule previously spoke about his commitment to Nebraska despite his links to Penn State and potentially being a top candidate for the job. The Nittany Lions fired James Franklin this weekend following a 3-3 start to the 2025 campaign.

“I’m not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come,” Rhule said. “I’m not going to talk about my contract here… I absolutely love it here. I want to continue to take the steps needed to turn this place into a beast.”

Rhule has longstanding ties to Penn State. He walked on for the Nittany Lions under head coach Joe Paterno. Rhule played linebacker for the Nittany Lions from 1994-97 before serving as a volunteer assistant for the program his first year after graduating.

Despite Rhule’s ties to Penn State, he’s never coached in a significant role for the school. In 2023, he took over at Nebraska. In his first two seasons at the helm of the program, he led Nebraska to a combined 12-13 record.

Now, Nebraska is off to its best start yet under Rhule this season, sitting at 5-1. Most recently, the Cornhuskers defeated Maryland 34-31 on Saturday.

Rhule understands both sides of the ball. He began his career coaching on defense, but eventually became known for his offensive mind. Rhule’s latest project is Raiola, who was one of the best freshman quarterbacks in the country last season.

Nebraska is averaging 450 yards per game this season, ranking No. 27 in college football. It’s an enticing statistic for Penn State, which ranks No. 79 in the same category.