Matt Rhule, Nebraska agree on new contract extension
Matt Rhule is staying with the Nebraska football program for the foreseeable future.
And, for now, any Huskers fans worried about his departure – amid the reports, rumors and speculation that he was one of the lead candidates to replace the recently fired James Franklin at Penn State – can put those concerns to bed.
Ahead of his team’s highly anticipated showdown with No. 23 USC in Lincoln this weekend, the Nebraska head coach has agreed to a new contract.
The restructured deal does not change Rhule’s base salary but does include salary escalators for College Football Playoff appearances. If the Huskers reach the Playoff, Rhule’s contract includes a clause in which his base salary would increase by $1 million each time the Huskers qualify for the CFP.
Before agreeing to a new contract with the school, Rhule was earning $7.5 million this season, without bonuses included. According to the terms of his original contract, Rhule was set to make $8.5 million in 2026, $10 million in 2027, $11.5 million in 2028 and $12 million in 2029.
Those annual numbers all remain the same under the terms of Rhule’s new contract. Under the terms of the new deal, Rhule is set to make $12.5 million each year in 2030, 2031 and 2032.
The extension will keep Rhule signed with the Huskers through the 2032 season and will include a $15 million buyout this year. That $15 million buyout is effective from now through June 30, 2026.
Then, the buyout decreases to $10 million from June 30, 2026 (according to Rhule’s new official contract) through December 31, 2026. After that, the buyout decreases to $8 million for all of 2027, $6 million in 2028, $4 million in 2029, $2 million in both 2030 and 2031, and there is no buyout figure for 2032.
“Coach Rhule has shown he is the right leader at the right time for Nebraska Football. We look forward to him and his family being in Lincoln for a long time,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said. “Our program has seen significant progress under Matt’s leadership, and at this stage in the evolution of the program continuity and stability are critical. I welcome the opportunity to continue to partner with Matt and his staff to build a program that will make everyone associated with Nebraska Football proud. Go Big Red!”
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Rhule was asked about the circulating Penn State reports during his Oct. 13 press conference.
“I came here for two reasons: I love the community and I wanted to live here, and I love it here. And I wanted to rebuild Nebraska football,” Rhule said. “Troy (Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen) and I understand the steps that you need to take to make us Big Ten champions and national champions. This place is elite. I want to be a great father and a great college football coach.”
Specifically addressing the opening, Rhule didn’t shy away from his affection for his alma mater.
“I love Penn State, met my wife there, my alma mater,” Rhule said. “Fan since I was born, I think probably had a Penn State shirt when I was born. I love Pat Kraft, and really sad to see Coach Franklin go.”
He added: “Troy and I are in an unbelievable relationship too, and Troy and I are in constant, constant communication about this program and where we’re headed.”
Evidently, Rhule has held true to that sentiment – and the one he shared a few days later when he doubled down on his future at Nebraska during his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
“This is not a jumping-off job, this is a Destination Job,” Rhule said. “This is one of the greatest places in the world. It’s a town of 300,000 people. This isn’t some small (town). Everyone says, ‘Lincoln,’ (but) there’s 300,000 people here in Lincoln. I can do whatever I want here. I have a great, young team – the youngest team in the Big Ten. Think about how good we’ll be next year. Now, I’m not thinking about next year. But with where we are right now, we’re learning, learning, learning. Think about where we’re gonna go with Dylan (Raiola) and all these guys. So, I refuse to be distracted.
“At the same time, when it’s your alma mater, you have to show it love and respect. I love Pat Kraft, but they’ll find the right coach for them – whoever that is. But this is a destination job that should be a national bully, that should be a beast. And I think we’re on our way to doing that.”
Rhule added: “It’s fun to be around (this culture). … It’s funny, the three places I’ve been – not (the Carolina Panthers) but the two colleges (Temple and Baylor) and now here – we’ve spent a couple years to build the culture up and get the football right, and then I’ve left afterwards. So that’s why, for me, I’m going all in on this place. We can make this whatever we want.”
Nebraska’s history during Matt Rhule Era
Rhule is currently in the middle of his fourth season as the Nebraska head coach. He owns an overall record of 18-15 as the leader of the Huskers.
In his debut campaign at the helm of the Huskers in 2023, they began the year 0-2 before rattling off wins in five of their next six games to reach the 5-3 mark. On the verge of qualifying for their first bowl game since 2016, however, the team collapsed down the stretch and lost four straight to end the season under .500 for the seventh consecutive year.
In 2024, Rhule’s second with the program, Nebraska came out hot with a 3-0 start that pushed it to the No. 22 ranking in the national AP Top 25 – an early-season run highlighted by a Week 2 victory in the Huskers’ showdown with Colorado. They re-earned their way into the Top 25 with a 5-1 mark, but they lost their next four games – a blowout at Top-20 Indiana, a heartbreaker at Top-5 Ohio State, arguably the most disappointing loss of the Rhule Era at home vs. UCLA and then another road loss at USC.
Rhule guided the Huskers back to the postseason, though, as they rebounded in a big way to blow past Wisconsin and end the nation’s longest Power 4 bowl drought. Nebraska lost yet another heartbreaker on the road at Iowa but bounced back with a win over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl to finish 7-6 – the program’s first winning season since that 2016 campaign.
In 2025, the Huskers once again started hot. They rattled off three consecutive wins over Cincinnati, Akron and Houston Christian to begin the season 3-0 in back-to-back years for the first time since the 2010 and 2011 seasons (when they started 5-0 and 4-0, respectively).
Nebraska gave a disappointing performance, though, in a three-point loss to Top-25 Michigan the following week. After that, the Huskers rebounded with consecutive wins over Michigan State at home and a seemingly galvanizing road win at Maryland, which featured a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback.
Nebraska’s 5-1 start earned itself back into the national polls with a No. 25 ranking. That’s the first time either of those two things (a 5-1 start and/or a Top-25 ranking) have happened in back-to-back years at Nebraska in a decade (the 2013 and 2014 seasons). The Huskers are currently 6-2 entering their showdown with USC on Saturday.