Matt Rhule was fired by the Carolina Panthers in October after a 1-4 start to the 2022 season; “What was a four-year plan became a two- and five-year sports plan very quickly”; The former Temple and Baylor coach is back in college football, getting an eight-year contract to coach Nebraska
Last Updated: 02/12/22 4:06pm
Matt Rhule was fired as head coach of the Carolina Panthers in early October after going 11-27 in his two and a half seasons.
Former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule reflected on his two and a half years in charge of the NFL franchise with the words “I don’t know if I was right there.”
Rhule was fired five games into the 2022 season, with the team 1-4 and his overall record 11-27. But, speaking further Weather by Peter Schrager podcast, Rhule expressed his frustration with the project he signed up for and what it turned out to be.
Rhule was hired by the Panthers in January 2020 after being lured away from college football and Baylor, signing a seven-year, $62m contract.
“At the end of the day, we talked about: ‘Hey, we’re going to have a four-year plan, a five-year plan,'” Rhule said.
“If you say to me: ‘Hey, we have a two-year plan,’ then I’m going to go sign the free agency and do it. [differently].
“What was a four-year plan became a two- and five-year game plan very quickly.”
“I’m not mad about it at the end of the day. I understand, but if it’s fast, then we’ll sign some free agents, we’ll make a blockbuster trade,”. we will do those things.”
Knowing how things turned out, Rhule added: “I think maybe I should have just taken another job.
“A great place with wonderful people, but I don’t know if I was the right fit.”
After Rhule’s departure in early October, Panthers owner David Tepper said: “It’s a strange thing, a thing called patience. If you ask a lot of fans out there, they’d think I was ridiculously patient.
“I think you have to show proper patience as well [look at] the progress that is being made. Are we winning more? Are we progressing in different ways? In all the situations we discussed, this was not the case. “
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Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers highlights from Week 12 of the NFL season.
Since Rhule’s departure, the Panthers have gone 3-4 under longtime head coach Steve Wilks, with the team still in the playoff race at 4-8 in the poor NFC South division.
Rhule’s frustration at his sacking stems from the belief that the team is on course to compete next season with little change in the game.
“I think the path we were on was the right one,” he said. “It was about having a team that could make big sales next year.
Week 13: BYE WEEK; Week 14: @ Seattle Seahawks (6-5); Week 15: vs Pittsburgh Steelers (4-7); Week 16: vs Detroit Lions (4-8); Week 17: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6); Week 18: @ New Orleans Saints (4-8)
“I think you’re seeing signs of it right now, when they play well on offense they win. There’s a good defense there. I give Steve credit, I give credit to the coaches, but I’m part of this. building process.”
He added: “The only thing I didn’t want to do was leave those guys early because I believe the team will have a chance if this starts to hit… at the top, I think the Panthers can win the NFC South for years to come.” “
After two months away from the game, Rhule is back in college, having been hired by Nebraska last week to lead the Cornhuskers, who endured six losing seasons and made the playoffs in 2016.
Rhule’s head coaching record in college is a combined 47-43, successfully reviving programs at Temple (from two wins in 2013 to 10 in just two years) and Baylor (one win in 2017 to 10 in 2019) before jumping to the NFL.
“Everything happens for a reason,” said Rhule. “I’m here [at Nebraska] and, you know, I have to be here.”
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