Matt Rhule | Building the Brand

Matt Rhule (pronounced RULE) was introduced as the 27th head coach to lead the Bears program. Rhule, a 20-year coaching veteran, arrived in Waco fresh off leading Temple to the 2016 American Athletic Conference championship. He guided the Owls to the school's first-ever back-to-back 10-win seasons and bowl berths in 2015 and 2016, and a two-year 14-2 record in AAC play. He spent four seasons as head coach at Temple and 10 total seasons at the school.

Rhule returned to Temple after coaching with the New York Giants under head coach Tom Coughlin in 2012. Prior to his stint in the NFL, Rhule spent six seasons as a top assistant under Al Golden in his first tenure at Temple, the final four seasons directing the offense in coordinator capacities.​

From 2002 to 2005, Rhule was an assistant at Western Carolina under head coach Kent Briggs, serving as assistant head coach during his last three seasons. In 2005, he was offensive line coach and run game coordinator after directing the linebackers his first three years. Rhule arrived at Western Carolina after serving as assistant defensive line coach at UCLA in 2001. 

Rhule began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Penn State in the spring of 1998 before working at Albright College in Reading, Pa., for the 1998 season. Rhule played four seasons at linebacker with the Nittany Lions under Joe Paterno. A three-time Penn State Scholar-Athlete, he earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 1997. He received his undergraduate degree in political science from PSU in 1997 before earning his master's degree in educational psychology from Buffalo in 2003.

Born Jan. 31, 1975, Rhule spent his childhood in New York City before moving to State College, Pa., as a teenager. He is married to the former Julie Nibert. The couple has a son, Bryant (12), and two daughters, Vivienne (3) and Leona (1).