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Fired Carolina Panthers Head Coach Matt Rhule Reveals He’s Back Coaching, But Not Football

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Matt Rhule’s 2.5-year tenure as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers didn’t exactly go according to plan. Rhule came to the NFL after successful college stops at Temple at Baylor.

At the time, he was considered one of the hottest coaching prospects in all of college football. But things just didn’t work out for him in the pros. Rhule’s Panthers won just five games in each of his first two seasons. He began the third season on the hot seat and things never quite got better. Carolina began the season just 1-4 and Rhule’s offense had some hilariously glaring issues. Though he refused to admit that the unit had any issues.

Ultimately, that proved to be his undoing. The Panthers parted ways with Rhule on Oct. 10, much to the delight of many Carolina fans. The team named former Arizona Cardinals coach Steve Wilks as its interim head coach. Though Wilks has had just as many problems, going 2-4 in his six games in charge.

Now Rhule is getting back at it, though not in the way that many would think.

Former Panthers Coach Matt Rhule Reveals How He’s Spending His Time After Being Fired

Rhule about on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Tuesday and spoke about how he’s been spending his time since being fired. He says it hasn’t been easy, but that he’s filling the free time coaching…but not football.

“It’s been hard. I’m not gonna lie to you,” he said. “I’ve been coaching for a long, long time. And so that part of it’s hard. But I have a chance now. I’m working on my youngest daughter’s jump shot. That’s my coaching right now. She’s getting pretty legit.”

Rhule said he’s also spent time going back and watching film, so he hasn’t completely kicked football to the curb. But he seems to be enjoying the extra time with family and the ability to slow down and enjoy life.

When asked what he learned after being fired, Rhule said that he wished he could go back to his first two years in Carolina and build better relationships with his players.

Odds are Rhule won’t have to wait too long to get back into coaching if he doesn’t want to.