Analyst says Matt Rhule has 'total rebuild' ahead of him at Nebraska

It's been a tough stretch for Nebraska football. Once one of the powerhouses of college football, the Huskers haven't had a winning season since 2016 and they just fired program legend, Scott Frost, on the heels of a 16-31 record.

No, things haven't been great for Nebraska. And that's exactly what new head coach Matt Rhule — known for turning college programs around — walked into this past season.

Just how bad have things been in Lincoln?

“We all know what had gone on, but I don’t think that we really understand the depth at which that program had fallen," FOX college football analyst Joel Klatt recently said (h/t On3). “This is a monumental task for Matt Rhule. We think about the job that Coach Prime has to do at Colorado, it’s a huge job … But boy, the job in front of Matt Rhule at Nebraska is so huge. And yet, in the back of my mind, I’m thinking to myself, is there anyone better for this job."

Klatt is right in saying that Rhule is the right person for the job. His first head coaching job saw him put Temple into the national spotlight after a 10-4 season in 2015 followed by a 10-3 season in 2016. 

He was then hired by Baylor to clean up the mess of the Art Briles scandal. Baylor's program was essentially torn down when Rhule showed up in Waco. In 2019, he led the Bears to an 11-3 season and a berth in the Sugar Bowl.

If anyone can bring Nebraska back up, it would be Rule. Just how much work does he have ahead of him, though?

"Nebraska hasn’t finished in the top 25 in a decade, a decade. Like this is a total rebuild for Matt Rhule," Klatt said.