ESPN College GameDay crew reacts to Nebraska's reported hire of Matt Rhule

Matt Rhule is the next head coach at Nebraska, and the ESPN College GameDay staff raved about the Cornhuskers’ reported new hire.

Nebraska has been in search of a full-time head coach since firing Scott Frost Sept. 11. Mickey Joseph has served as the interim coach since then, and it appears AD Trev Alberts and the Cornhuskers are locked in on their next headman. Earlier Friday, ESPN reported has “zeroed in” on Rhule as its top target. The news became official on Saturday morning.

“I think it’s a great hire,” GameDay host David Pollack said. “Matt Rhule is a program builder. Nebraska is not a team that’s gonna compete with Ohio State and Michigan for elite level athletes. So what are they’re gonna have to do? They’re gonna have to develop guys and Matt Rhule showed you at Baylor he could do it amongst the worst circumstances ever.

“Don’t look at him in the NFL by the way, and say, ‘he failed, so he’s not gonna be able to coach in college football.’ I think he’s tailor made for kids and in developing kids in college. I think Matt Rhule is an excellent hire.”

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Kirk Herbstreit agreed with Pollack’s sentiment, calling it “as good of a hire as you can make,” pointing out the fact that Rhule developed Temple, who turned a 2-win Owls team in 2013 when he took over, to two consecutive 10-win seasons in 2015 and 2016. He did the same at Baylor, going 1-11 in his first year before winning 11 games and making the Sugar Bowl just two seasons later.

Pat McAfee brought up the fact that when GameDay went to Appalachian State, which is in Boone, NC, the Mountaineers fans cheered the prospect of Rhule potentially getting fired from his previous post as Carolina Panthers headman.

“The App State fans cheered for him to get fired and get sent out of the NFL,” McAfee said. “I think this is great for Matt Rhule, too. I love Matt Rhule. I love the type of coach he is. I love the success he’s had. Getting back into college finding his way yet again, I’m pumped for him, I’m pumped for Nebraska especially in this NIL world.”

Rece Davis said that Rhule is expected to join College GameDay during Saturday’s broadcast, where further detail surrounding his expected will be discussed.