Alright, let’s talk about that whole Matt Rhule to Texas A&M thing that was floating around for a bit. I remember seeing that pop up, maybe late last year when things were getting shaky with Jimbo Fisher, or right after he was let go. You know how the coaching carousel gets – names just start flying everywhere.
So, when I first heard “Rhule to A&M”, my first step was just kinda processing it. Like, okay, let’s think this through. What was I actually looking at here? I didn’t go crazy deep, didn’t make calls or anything, just used what I already knew and maybe checked a few familiar sports sites I browse daily.
Thinking it Over
Here’s what went through my head:
- The Rebuilder Rep: Rhule’s known for fixing broken programs, right? Temple, Baylor… he turned those places around from the ground up. That’s his brand.
- A&M Situation: But was A&M really that broken in the same way? They had talent, tons of it apparently from those big recruiting classes. It felt less like a total rebuild and more like needing someone to get control, install discipline, maybe a different scheme? Seemed like a different job description than what Rhule usually walks into.
- The NFL Factor: Let’s be honest, his time with the Carolina Panthers was rough. Like, really rough. Does that wash off easy when you’re talking about a high-pressure SEC job like A&M? Maybe, maybe not. Some guys are just college coaches, not NFL guys.
- Nebraska: And the biggest thing – he was already at Nebraska! Just finished his first year. It seemed super quick for him to jump ship, especially back to Texas where he coached Baylor. Would Nebraska even let that happen easily? Felt messy.
My Gut Feeling
Honestly? It never really felt right to me. I spent some time just mulling it over while doing other stuff, you know, thinking about the personalities involved, the pressure cooker at A&M. Rhule seems like a culture-builder, needing time and patience. A&M, especially after paying that huge buyout for Jimbo, felt like they wanted wins, like, yesterday. Patience didn’t seem like it was gonna be high on their list.
It felt more like agent talk or just media speculation, throwing a known name out there because he has Texas ties. Happens all the time. You see a big job open, you hear the same handful of names get recycled.
What Actually Happened
And then, boom. They went and hired Mike Elko. Totally different kind of hire, right? An internal guy, defensive mind, someone who already knew the program from his time there as defensive coordinator. That felt… more logical, actually. Less splashy than maybe grabbing a big name like Rhule, but maybe more practical for what they seemed to need – stability and someone to maximize the talent already in the building.
So yeah, that Rhule-to-A&M talk just kinda faded out, like these things often do. It was an interesting idea to kick around for a day or two, see if it made sense. For me, it was mostly a head-scratcher from the start. Just another wild turn on the coaching carousel circuit. You watch this stuff long enough, you start to see the patterns, the same names, the same rumors. Sometimes they stick, most times they don’t. This one didn’t. On to the next bit of speculation, I guess.
