As they move into the Frank Reich era, the Panthers have not fully transitioned from their Matt Rhule contract. Rhule hit the Panthers with a lawsuit recently, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports.
The two-plus-season Panthers HC filed an arbitration suit last week, seeking severance money he alleges the team is refusing to pay. Rhule is seeking offset money from the Panthers, with Jones adding $5MM is believed to be in dispute here.
Now the coach at Nebraska, Rhule landed on his feet quickly. His deal with the Big Ten program is believed to offset much of the remaining money the Panthers owed him as part of their seven-year, $62MM contract agreed to in 2020. Roughly $34MM remained on Rhule’s Panthers contract at the time he was fired. Rhule signed an eight-year, $74MM deal with Nebraska in November.
Rhule’s Cornhuskers accord spikes in pay, going from $5.5MM in Year 1 up to $12.5MM down the road. His Panthers deal paid $8.5MM in each season, per Jones, who adds the Panthers are expected to argue Rhule’s Nebraska contract violates the NFL’s anti-tampering policy by including increases — between the base salary and other benefits — of more than 20%.
The policy stipulates such an increase would affect the Panthers’ offset payment. The NFL’s policy does not address college jobs, but the Panthers may be set to use this clause in an effort to avoid paying Rhule the approximately $5MM he seeks. It is not clear how much money the Panthers have paid Rhule to date, but Jones adds this matter is expected to be resolved in a few weeks’ time.
Panthers owner David Tepper, who is currently under investigation by the York County (South Carolina) Sherriff’s Office regarding the scrapped Panthers practice facility project, said this week he made a mistake hiring Rhule.
“I made this mistake,” Tepper said. “I think it’s a mistake to have a CEO-type head coach. OK? That’s a mistake, just in general. That’s what I kind of believe. So I think you want to get somebody who’s really good on offense or really good on defense.”
It’s hard to argue the numbers just because of the massive amounts here, but if you owe the man, pay the man. Owner David Tepper is just a plain idiot! His comments are idiotic as well. Head coaches must be seriously organized and top notch managers for real success. If I was an owner, I’d want these traits (not that the coach actually had/has them) in my leader. Then I’d want him to hire the best coordinators out there. Be a leader, manage your managers!
Even if Tepper feels he made a mistake by hiring Rhule, it would be a bigger mistake to stiff him for a measly 5MM. What kind of message does that send to other coaches, executives or FA players?
What kind of money do you make that you think that $5 million is measly? If it is so measly why don’t you send me that amount?
Tepper paid over 2.2 billion for the Panthers so 5MM is chump change to him.
Rhule made a career off looking out only for #1 and his wallet. This doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.
I’m not sure I agree with that, he revived a Baylor program that was devastated with violations and saved Temple’s program from being dropped because of his success there. While he did go to the NFL, it seemed like he always had his sights set there. He did leave each job for a bigger and better job, but I would ask this…what in what sport do coaches not do that? Certainly in college athletics that is the standard procedure for coaches, keep moving up.
Sorry doubled up “what” there in my last comment.
Baylor had pretty much paid their dues already from the Briles era, and they slid further down in Rhule’s first season (1-11 when they were 7-6 with Grobe after Briles). Certainly willing to give Rhule credit for turning things around overall, but he leveraged Baylor not only once, but twice, into a contract renegotiation within his 3 years there … the latter with the ink barely dry on the paper and talking to the community about he was staying for the long haul, bolted for Carolina. He has always been looking for the next step up. The irony of the situation is that now, even though he has a fat wallet, he is in charge of a college football program that has some of the most outdated facilities in the country and has not been relevant for 25 years. If he happens to put in a .500 season at Nebraska, he’s again going to be looking for a payout and the next best thing on his punch list.
I guess I’m not sure how getting a new contract after a great season is different from anyone else in college athletics. You see it all the time, coach either gets a new deal or takes a job considered to be an upgrade. Nebraska not what it was, but I would say it’s still a top 20-25 job. I would assume Nebraska will be the school writing the check.
Wow an actual legally sound coaches grievance against a team. Take notes Flores you hack
But its not, so thanks for playing.
So the white guy’s grievance is legally sound and the black guy’s grievance isn’t. that’s some weird logic.
Legally sound argument is legally sound
Flores’ grievance is based on pure hearsay. Rhule’s grievance is based on contractual language.
Yep. Anyone that deals in contracts knows that the details are everything. And both sides legally are expected to uphold their end of the contract.
Look if Tepper owes Rhule the money, then he should pay him. But for some reason this makes me think of an old Jerky Boys sketch (dating myself here): “So, I was wondering im then if I could sue you people… for punitive damages”.
Sue everybody
Al Davis was notorious for not paying coaches what he owed them after firing them. He would often cite gross misconduct as the reason for their firing, I assume to trigger language in their contracts that would void their remaining balances. Some of his press conferences as he explained their firing were hilarious – complete with props etc.
The good ol’ film projector!
Hopefully coaches are now smart enough to not sign dumb contracts.
Matt Rhule is so dumb he tried to sue himself.
Not that dumb did you get a 8 year 74M deal?