Penn State coaching search update: Matt Rhule inks contract extension at Nebraska

Penn State letterman Matt Rhule is no longer in the mix for the Lions’ head coaching job after signing a new deal at Nebraska. On3’s national news team and multiple media outlets (ESPN’s Pete Thamel was first) report that the contract extension is for 2 years and ties him to the school through 2032. Thamel says the agreement increases Rhule’s buyout to leave Lincoln after this season to $15 million. That, beyond the extension itself, assuredly takes him off the market in this coaching carousel cycle.

BWI’s Nate Bauer reported on The Lions Den message board Tuesday that the sides were working on a new agreement. HuskerMax reported Wednesday that it was done.

Rhule is making $8.5 million to lead the Cornhuskers this season. He became a popular name to know in the earliest stages of the Lions’ coaching search, both because of where he went to school and also his relationship with current Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft. The two worked together at Temple. However, Rhule said all the right things in the days after James Franklin was fired. He suggested that he was ready to continue leading the Cornhuskers this year and beyond. And now, it’s guaranteed that he will.

More: Penn State not backing off confidence as carousel spins

“[Nebraska] is not a jumping off job,” Rhule said on The Pat McAfee Show earlier this month. “This is a destination job; this is one of the greatest places in the world. This is a town of 300,000 people. Everyone says, Lincoln? 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 where we are right now, we’re learning, learning, learning. Think about where we’re going to 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. And 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 making our way to doing that.”

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