Matt Rhule was supposed to be a winning hire for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football program.
But as weeks and years go by in which Nebraska doesn’t return to its glory days, it’s hard to know whether Rule will really get a chance to see out the end of his head coaching contract.
College coaching contracts aren’t always the cheapest things for schools to get out of. Buyout costs can be quite pricy.
Questions were raised almost immediately during the 2026 college football season, though. Nebraska was hosting Ohio University out of the MAC in Week 1, and it wasn’t exactly a runaway win for the Cornhuskers.
They lost quarterback Dylan Raiola in the transfer portal when he left for the Oregon Ducks, and that isn’t helping the cause for the 2026 campaign, either.
Fans might just start asking what it would cost to get out of Rhule’s deal.
Matt Rhule Contract Details
Rhule signed a two-year extension with Nebraska in Oct. 2025 that takes his contract through the 2023 season.
They signed that deal near the end of his third season on the job, and Rhule had clearly done some good things in his time with the Cornhuskers.
Part of the reason he got that extension is likely that his alma mater, Penn State, could’ve been a landing spot for Rhule after the Nittany Lions and James Franklin parted ways.
Rhule makes an average annual salary of $11.7 million through the end of his deal.
The deal is 90% guaranteed, per ESPN.
Matt Rhule Buyout Details
Rhule’s specific buyout cost rose with the two-year extension. Because his contract is 90% guaranteed, it means those two additional years added a lot more money that would have to be bought out if Rhule is let go.
According to USA Today, Rhule has a buyout of $63 million entering the 2026 season.
That number goes down over time, but that’s only because Nebraska will be paying Rhule some of his salary, so there will be less to get bought out.
It wouldn’t be the biggest buyout ever, but $63 million would be a ton of money for Nebraska to eat if it decided Rhule wasn’t the answer moving forward.
Matt Rhule Coaching Record
Rhule entered the 2026 season with a career coaching record of 66-62.
He was 28-23 with the Temple Owls.
After that, he went 19-20 in three seasons at Baylor.
And in his first three years at Nebraska, Rhule had a 19-19 mark.
He has reached two bowl games with Nebraska — winning the Pinstripe Bowl after the 2024 season, then losing the Las Vegas Bowl after last season.
He also split two bowl games at Baylor and lost both bowl games he was part of with Temple.
Matt Rhule Buyout Details: What It Would Cost Nebraska To Leave Coach Contract