Matt Rhule reveals his message to Nebraska players amid Penn State opening

Matt Rhule might be in his third season at Nebraska but his name is being linked to an open job within the conference. Rhule is reportedly a candidate for Penn State, the place he spent his college football playing days. This comes after the Nittany Lions fired James Franklin, bringing all kinds of questions in Lincoln.

One revolved around the message to his team amid the rumors about him possibly leaving for Penn State. Rhule was pretty up front, saying he would be honest with everyone inside the locker room.

“I’m their coach and I love them and we’re rolling,” Rhule said. “That’s it. With them, I’m going to be as honest as possible with everything. I’m their coach, let’s rock.”

Nebraska is certainly rocking at the moment. Six games have resulted in five wins, two of which were against Big Ten foes. Expectations continue to rise, even receiving a midseason prediction to make the College Football Playoff from Josh Pate. Still, a long way to go, beginning with Minnesota in the Twin Cities.

With all the success, some coaches might grow frustrated due to the coaching rumors. It’s the kind of outside noise they desperately work to keep from penetrating inside. Rhule appears to have a different approach, though. After experiencing the other end of the spectrum with the Carolina Panthers, he is embracing the idea of another school wanting him due to Nebraska’s winning ways.

“It’s way better than when I was in Carolina and I was on the hot seat,” Rhule said. “Nothing has happened. A job is open, in fairness. This is about our players, this is because our players are so good. You guys think when we were 5-4 in my first year, any school called me then? We were 5-1 last year, think anyone called then? This is part of the deal. I’m the Huskers coach, this is part of the deal.”

Funnily enough, Rhule heads to Happy Valley during the penultimate game of the regular season. In what was circled on a lot of calendars just a few weeks ago, changes around Penn State mean a lot of sting has been taken out. Still, there is a massive storyline waiting to be discussed.

Rhule is hoping positive results keep coming in until then. Nebraska wants to reach heights they have not in a long time — not just this season but with Rhule moving forward.