Panthers HC Matt Rhule mentioned as possibility to fill USC vacancy

Would Matt Rhule really bail on the Panthers already?

Wait, Matt Rhule is going to leave the Carolina Panthers already? But, but he just got here . . .

Although that prospect may be unlikely at this point, the prospect of bouncing back to the college game, especially to one of the country’s most celebrated programs, may be too much to pass up for Rhule. And ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, as he mentioned today on College Gameday, thinks that could be a possibility for the 46-year-old head coach.

Following an early-season loss to the Stanford Cardinal, the University of Southern California fired its head coach Clay Helton. Helton had been with the Trojans since 2010, and led them on the headsets since 2015.

So with his departure, a wave of interesting suggestions to replace him has come crashing in this past week. Rhule is now just the latest NFL name to get some run, as Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy have already been brought up.

Now, is Rhule leaving to USC something that’s totally out of the realm? Of course not.

Even though he’s knee-deep in a rebuild with Carolina, you can still smell the rah-rah collegiate motivator in him. We’re not saying he’s not built for the pros, but he’s just naturally a college guy. That’s where his past and his style are rooted.

Again though, we’re not even through season No. 2 of this Panthers rebuild. While a potential offer would probably be quite enticing, Rhule is also a man of principles. Seeing him bail so quickly on this journey would be pretty shocking.

But, hey, you never know.

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