"I don't mess around": Matt Rhule drops final verdict on Penn State coaching rumors after James Franklin part ways

It is Matt Rhule's third season at Nebraska and already the veteran coach happens to be receiving interest from multiple programs in the country. The recent one being Penn State after they fired longtimehead coach James Franklin following a terrible loss to Northwestern in Week 7.

This marked the end of a 12-year association that started in 2014 when the team was undergoing a major rebuild. Franklin oversaw a major overhaul and developed a formidable roster with top talents across the country.

While Penn State looks for a new coach to lead the remaining part of the season, Matt Rhule's name constantly comes up.

The veteran coach trashed these reports and affirmed that he is committed to Nebraska. He claimed that Nebraska has always been his dream destination and Penn State might sound tempting but he has a lot of things to accomplish. He gave a shoutout to his QB Dylan Raiola and added that he has no plans to leave.

“With my team, it’s just unbridled honestly. You tell them the truth and don’t B.S. ‘em, because they’ll know. And secondly, just with what’s out there, this is it, this is part of (being a coach).

"It’s better than when I was in Carolina and they were chanting to fire me, it’s better than being on a hot seat list. So having other schools maybe be interested in you is pretty cool,” Rhule said on the Pat McAfee show on Thursday.

NCAA Football: Northwestern at Penn State - Source: Imagn

“But I don’t do that during the season; I don’t mess around with that, I don’t play that. And, at the same time, (Nebraska) is not a jumping-off job. This is a destination job. This is one of the greatest places in the world,” he added.

Matt Rhule has a tough schedule to navigate in 2025

Rhule and his team had a stellar start to the season, where they dominated in both the offense and defense.

Quarterback Raiola's ability to run the offense and showcase his dual-threat skills helped the team diversify its strategy and take down big teams. Currently they are ranked as a top 5 team in the Big Ten with a 5-1 record.

This coming weekend, they’ll face Minnesota on the road followed by Northwestern, USC, UCLA and Penn State in consecutive weeks.

With a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Nebraska will eventually wrap up its 2025 season. If they succeed in maintaining the winning streak, Raiola and the team would make the playoff as the second team from the Big Ten after Ohio State.