Matt Rhule Contract, net worth and salary: taking a closer look at the financials of the Nebraska HC

Last November, the Nebraska Cornhuskers unveiled Matt Rhule as their new head coach. This came after a somewhat disappointing run of form, concluding the 2022 season with a 4-8 record. The Cornhuskers have struggled for a while, starting in 2017 under coach Mike Riley and extending through Scott Frost’s tenure.

Rhule arrived at Nebraska after a stint at the NFL, where he coached the Carolina Panthers. His contract with the Panthers in 2020 was valued at $62 million guaranteed across a seven-year duration. When he parted ways with the team in October, about $40 million was left on the contract. Here, we look at the details of his new contract with the Cornhuskers.

Matt Rhule’s Contract with Nebraska

According to the details made available by the institution, Matt Rhule signed an 8-year contract worth $74 million to become the head coach of the Cornhuskers. According to On3, the deal will see Rhule earn a base salary of $5.5 million in his first season, with a steady increase to $12.5 million in 2030 if he remains with the team.

In addition, he will be eligible for bonuses tied to his team’s performance. The bonus can be as high as $1 million for winning the national championship with a minimum of $100,000 for emerging winners of the Big 10 West Division Title or tying for the title without getting invited for the championship game of the Big 10.

Other provisions of the contract include a base salary pool of $7 million for Matt Rhule to pay his assistants and a $1 million retention bonus if he remains as the team’s head coach on March 1, 2025, March 1, 2027, March 1, 2029, and December 31, 2030.

There is a buyout of $7 million on the contract should Rhule have any cause to leave before the terms of the contract are done. He is also due to receive 90% of the contract’s worth if Nebraska were to terminate him with no just cause.

Why is Nebraska spending so much to bring Matt Rhule

Rhule’s contract is easily one of the most lucrative offered to any head coach in college football history. Why is Nebraska willing to put so much on the table to have his services? The answer lies in his past record as head coach at Temple and Baylor, where he overturned the bad run of form at each team, earning himself a big move to the NFL in the process.

Nebraska, with one of the richest histories in college football, has been experiencing a downturn of fortunes in its performance for several seasons. Rhule’s appointment on such a big contract is a big statement and a step towards a return to their glory days.