Matt Rhule responds to rumors of potential college return

Ask your Magic 8 Ball if Matt Rhule is returning to the college game, and the answer you will probably get is “don’t count on it.”

The Carolina Panthers coach spoke with reporters on Friday and addressed the recent rumors linking him to a potential college return.

“I have one of the greatest jobs you can have,” said Rhule, per Panthers writer Joe Person. “I left an unbelievable job at Baylor. … You don’t get to say that you like to build and then be upset at what you inherited.”

Rhule, who is in his second year coaching the Panthers, was the subject this week of claims that he was not all the way invested in the NFL. Carolina has lost their last four straight games to drop Rhule’s career record with them to 8-15 (.348). It probably will not get too much easier in the coming weeks either with Atlanta, New England, and Arizona next on the schedule.

Attractive coaching opportunities beckon at LSU, USC, and also potentially Rhule’s alma mater of Penn State. But it sounds like Rhule is not shying away from the ups and downs of the team-building process in Carolina.

Photo: Feb 25, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports