College Football

Matt Rhule is making all the right moves at Baylor

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:25 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Matt Workman/FanSided via Saturday Blitz

The Matt Rhule hire is a change of direction for the Baylor football program

Matt Rhule accepted the Baylor job without having ever coached in the state of Texas. Many questioned the hiring. Not so much why Matt Rhule but more of why Baylor. Matt Rhule had made it clear that he thought of it more of a calling than just a job offer.  He wants to lead young men and be part of re-building of a program that has had a tumultuous 2016.

In May, Baylor dismissed Head Coach Art Briles amid a sexual assault scandal that has rocked the University. Athletic Director Ian McCaw and University President Ken Starr were also out of jobs. Baylor brought in Jim Grobe as Head Coach to try to lead the program in the right direction.

Baylor started the season 6-0 before a mid-season public feud between Baylor University Board of Regents and Briles’ remaining coaching staff culminating in every assistant coach tweeting out same message in support of Briles simultaneously. Following these events Baylor finished the season 0-6 and by Jim Grobes own admission the wheels fell off for the Bears.

With the hiring of Rhule Athletic Director Mack Rhoades is trying to take Baylor in a new direction. Rhule has no Texas ties and has never coached in the state. The vast majority of his career has been in the northeast.

Matt Rhule addressing his lack of Texas ties

Rhule seems to be making all the right moves in who he is bringing in on his staff to address the Texas ties.  His first hire was David Wetzel, a Baylor grad, who was President of Texas High School Football Coaches Association and Head Coach at San Antonio Reagan High School.  Then he hired respected coach Joey McGuire from Cedar Hill High School in Dallas area. Finally He brought in former Baylor quarterback Shawn Bell who recently was head coach in the Austin area.  In addition to these Texas coaches Rhule is bringing with him his entire defensive staff from Temple.

Matt Rhule has answered a lot of the questions asked when he was hired and if you’re a Baylor fan you should be very optimistic about the future.

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