Nebraska Head Coach and Penn State Football Alum Matt Rhule Praises PSU

Once a Nittany Lion always a Nittany Lion, at least that’s how it feels after former Penn State football alum and current Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule spoke to the press during Big Ten Media Days. Rhule who graduated from the State College Area High School and was a walk-on linebacker at Penn State, played for Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions from 1994-1997. He was recognized as a 1997 Academic All-Big Ten honoree during his time at State College. After his playing days, he began his coaching career where he brought Temple and Baylor into national relevance. Now, he is tasked with helping rebuild the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the 2023 season and had great things to say about James Franklin and Penn State.

Nebraska HC and Penn State Football Alum Matt Rhule Praises PSU

Unlike Penn State head coach James Franklin who spoke with the media on Wednesday during Big Ten Media Days, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule waited until Thursday for his turn. But it was worth the wait to hear what he had to say about Penn State.

When asked about his thoughts on Penn State, Rhule said “I love James Franklin. Grateful for what he’s done for my university, my alma mater. Came in at a hard time and brought them back to excellence. Pat Kraft is one of my best friends… Love the Paterno family.”

There’s a lot to unpack in this quote but starting with the nugget about Penn State AD Pat Kraft, of course, he and Matt Rhule are friends. They share a similar philosophy and passion when speaking about their respective schools. It’s clear that Rhule will always have deep ties to the State College area and will keep an eye on the status of the university as his career goes on.

James Franklin has brought Penn State back

To think about the journey of Penn State head coach James Franklin and what his journey has been like since taking over at Penn State. He mentioned during Big Ten Media Days “I think we only had five scholarship offensive linemen in the program” when speaking about how far the offensive line room has come. Franklin has won the 2016 Big Ten Championship, the 2017 Fiesta Bowl, the 2019 Cotton Bowl, and the 2022 Rose Bowl during his Penn State tenure. He is hopeful for a college football playoff berth in the near future.

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