Ex-NFL coach Matt Rhule reflects on his tenure with the Panthers, vows to rebuild Nebraska football

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There was plenty of optimism when the Carolina Panthers announced the hiring of Matt Rhule as the team's head coach in early 2020. 

He was coming off a successful run as a college football coach when he signed a seven-year contract with the Panthers with hopes of turning the franchise around. 

But his tenure in Charlotte lasted just over three years. He was relieved of his duties after the Panthers managed one win in their first five games in 2022.

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Head coach Matt Rhule of the Nebraska Cornhuskers answers questions at a press conference following a game at Memorial Stadium April 22, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

Rhule decided to return to the collegiate ranks and accepted a job with the Nebraska Cornhuskers in November. Rhule said he learned from his unsuccessful stint in Carolina and wants things to be different in Lincoln.

"Going through the fire in Carolina was a purifying fire that melts away all the impurities, all the hubris, all the worrying about stuff that doesn't matter," Rhule told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

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"I learned very much to worry about what matters. I have a focus and a desire in me. I watched what my kids had to go through in Carolina, and we're not going to let 'em go through that here."

Rhule finished his stint in Charlotte with an 11-27 record. The Panthers won five games in 2020 and 2021.

Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule directs practice at the team's Fan Fest in Charlotte, N.C., Aug. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Rhule was