Paul Finebaum drops bombshell on Matt Rhule’s Penn State interest: “He did everything but beg Kraft to hire him”

James Franklin's firing from Penn State on Sunday immediately brought Nebraska coach Matt Rhule in the discussion as the potential next head coach of the Nittany Lions. Rhule tried to defuse the speculation by saying he’s happy in Lincoln, but ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum isn’t convinced.

“He did everything but beg (Pat) Kraft to hire him,” Finebaum said on “SportsCenter” on Monday. “Usually coaches say, ‘I’m happy with my job. I don’t want any part of it.’

“But the very first thing he said (was), ‘I love Penn State. I met my wife there. I wore a Penn State Jersey in the crib.’ And then later on, he mentioned how much he likes, love-like where he is. I have never heard anybody wanting a job more than Matt Rhule.”

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Rhule is a Penn State alum and former walk-on linebacker under Joe Paterno. He also calls PSU assistant director Pat Kraft one of his best friends.

Penn State would reportedly need to pay around $5 million to buy Rhule out of his Nebraska contract, but Finebaum thinks it would be worth it.

“By the way, he’s a very good choice,” Finebaum said. “I mean, in addition to the relationship with the AD, he is a Penn State man. You’ve been there enough time that really matters in Happy Valley.”

Rhule signed an eight-year, $74 million deal with Nebraska in 2022, making him one of the 15 highest-paid coaches in college football, according to USA TODAY’s 2025 salary rankings.

What did Matt Rhule say about leaving Nebraska for Penn State?

Matt Rhule is 17-14 in his three seasons with Nebraska. During his Monday press conference, he explained that he chose to join the Cornhuskers because he loves the community and wanted to “rebuild Nebraska football.”

With Nebraska sitting at 5-1 this season, Rhule appears to be fulfilling that goal. He addressed rumors linking him to the Penn State job with honesty.

“I'm not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come,” Rhule said. “Maybe it's been a while here, but this is what happens when you win. I've dealt with it. I'm not going to talk about my contract here; I'm going to talk about the team.

"But I absolutely love it here. I just want us to continue to take the steps needed for us to turn this thing into a beast. Players all across the country want to come here. We have the best facilities. We have elite fans. I'm just looking at the future.”

However, Rhule didn’t entirely dismiss the speculation of joining Penn State, saying that the only person he would discuss it with is his wife, Julie.