Sources: Huskers targeting Rhule as new coach

Nebraska has zeroed successful connected Matt Rhule arsenic the Cornhuskers' adjacent caput manager and the 2 sides are moving connected finalizing a woody successful the coming days, sources told ESPN connected Friday.

Rhule, who was fired by the NFL's Carolina Panthers successful October, antecedently had palmy stints successful assemblage astatine Baylor and Temple.

If hired by Nebraska, Rhule would regenerate Scott Frost, who was fired from his alma mater earlier this season.

The Cornhuskers (3-8), who are not vessel eligible this season, are finishing their play against Iowa connected Friday and an authoritative announcement connected the prosecute could travel successful the adjacent fewer days, sources told ESPN,

Rhule, 47, was little than 3 seasons into his seven-year, $62 cardinal deal with the Panthers erstwhile helium was fired aft a 1-4 commencement to this season. Overall, helium was 11-27 with Carolina, and the squad went 1-27 erstwhile allowing 17 oregon much points.

He was inactive owed much than $40 cardinal erstwhile helium was fired by the Panthers.

Rhule had a estimation for turning programs around. In his 3rd play astatine Temple, the Owls went 10-2 during the regular season. A twelvemonth later, helium led the programme to its archetypal league title since 1967.

At Baylor, conscionable 2 years aft going 1-11 successful Rhule's archetypal play for the Big 12 program, the Bears went 11-3 successful 2020.

The Cornhuskers fired Frost connected Sept. 11 aft a 1-2 commencement to the play and promoted Mickey Joseph to interim caput coach.

Frost was hired by his alma mater successful 2018 but was ne'er capable to get the Huskers going, compiling a 16-31 people during his tenure. The Huskers ne'er finished higher than 5th successful the Big Ten West oregon going to a vessel nether Frost.

Rhule would go the sixth Nebraska manager since College Football Hall of Famer Tom Osborne retired aft the 1997 season. The Huskers haven't won a league title since 1999 nether Frank Solich oregon played successful a vessel since 2016 nether Mike Riley.

Rhule is nary alien to the Big Ten. He moved from New York City to State College, Pennsylvania, arsenic a teenager. He played linebacker astatine Penn State from 1994-97 and began his coaching determination arsenic a unpaid assistant.

Nebraska diversion manager Trev Alberts has lamented the Huskers' deficiency of subordinate improvement and physicality, peculiarly connected the lines. Those areas would look to beryllium successful Rhule's wheelhouse. He was a antiaircraft enactment manager astatine Temple successful 2006 earlier moving to the violative broadside arsenic quarterbacks manager and coordinator. He near Temple for a twelvemonth to beryllium the New York Giants' adjunct violative enactment manager successful 2012.

Rhule returned to Temple arsenic caput manager erstwhile Steve Adazzio near for Boston College, and the Owls went 2-10 and 6-6 earlier helium enactment unneurotic back-to-back 10-win seasons and won the 2016 American Athletic Conference championship.

He was named Baylor's manager connected Dec. 6, 2016, successful the aftermath of an probe that recovered the backstage Baptist assemblage had not responded adequately to allegations of intersexual battle by players, resulting successful the firing of Art Briles.

Rhule's trajectory was akin astatine Baylor, wherever helium went from 1-11 successful 2017 to 7-6 with a vessel crippled the adjacent season. In his 3rd and last season, Baylor was ranked successful the apical 10, played successful the Big 12 title crippled and finished 11-3 aft a Sugar Bowl nonaccomplishment to Georgia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.