Matt Rhule explains what he misses most about coaching, what that means for his future

Almost immediately after news broke of his firing from the Carolina Panthers, Matt Rhule’s name came up in college coaching searches. At the time, Nebraska was looking to replace Scott Frost and it felt inevitable Auburn would move on from Bryan Harsin, and Rhule’s name popped up.

In that time, speculation has run rampant about whether or not Rhule would want to return to the sidelines at all this year. The Panthers paid him a $40 million buyout, and insiders have said that could be a reason why he’d sit out next season.

Rhule didn’t sound like someone who wanted to sit out too long during an appearance on The 33rd Team podcast.

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“When coaches call me and they’re maybe going through a rough time … I tell them, ‘Don’t worry about the pressure.’ I would give anything right now to be on a sideline today,” Rhule told Vic Carucci. “I would give anything to be out there on a practice field today. Lean into it, man. Enjoy it. Enjoy coaching today because like me, you never know when it could be taken away.

“I look back at Carolina fondly and very gratefully because I had a chance to coach. I look ahead excitedly. In this moment right now, I miss taking that whistle and going out to practice and coaching the guys. If anything, it reinvigorates my love of the game and my love of coaching. I can’t wait to see what I do next.”

It makes sense why Rhule’s name is coming up so much. After all, he had impressive tenures at Temple and Baylor before heading to the NFL with the Panthers. But even though there are questions about whether he’d sit out next season, he sounds like someone itching to get back to the grind.

Matt Rhule: ‘I miss being at practice’

Now that he’s been away from the game for a few weeks, Rhule said there’s one thing he misses the most: practice.

When he was younger, Rhule read about John Wooden and how he approached practice. That came full circle when he became the defensive line coach at UCLA in 2001 and got to meet Wooden. It also added to his passion for teaching during practice, and that’s a big reason why he said he feels drawn back to the sidelines at some point.

“It’s been six weeks since I blew a whistle,” Rhule said. “It’s been six weeks since I had that whistle, and you only have that whistle in practice. You obviously don’t have a whistle during the games. As I sit here now, I miss that whistle. I miss being at practice, I miss being with the guys. I miss seeing something done wrong. ‘Hey, hold on, let’s stop it and do it again.’

“I miss teaching. John Wooden had an impact on me at an early age. I just read him and then I was at UCLA and had a chance to meet him. He always referred to coaching as teaching. And I miss teaching the game. I miss being around the guys, I miss being in the locker room.”

But practice isn’t the only aspect of coaching Rhule misses. He said he also wants to get back to building bonds with his players.

“I have this great picture that’s in my office. It’s me and Cam Erving hugging after we beat the Saints this year. I miss that,” Rhule said. “I miss those relationships. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to be away from football because I miss that. … I love my family. They’re my team right now. They’ll always be my team. But I also miss having that whistle, I also miss being on the practice field.

“I miss coaching. I hope and pray that the time comes where I have a chance to do that again.”