FRESH MEAT

Baylor’s Matt Rhule to Be Panthers Coach in 7-Year, $60-Million Deal: Report

Rhule was brought in to turn things around after a bombshell external investigation into Baylor’s sexual assault scandal in 2016 lead to an overhaul of the athletic department.

Baylor University football coach Matt Rhule on Tuesday agreed to a seven-year contract to become the Carolina Panthers’ next coach, ESPN and Yahoo Sports reported. The $60 million deal would be a big step up from Rhule’s $4.1 million contract with the Baptist university in Waco, Texas. The coach has a reputation for taking on troubled teams, having been brought in to clean up the notoriously twisted culture at Baylor that spilled into public view in 2016. An external investigation that year found a “fundamental failure” by the school to obey federal laws to protect female students and an alleged belief that its winning football program was “above the rules.” Rhule was brought in after football coach Art Briles was fired, former athletic director Ian McCaw was sanctioned, and University President Kenneth Starr—the independent counsel behind Bill Clinton’s impeachment—was ousted as president. In March 2018, two Baylor football players were suspended from the team over sexual-assault accusations involving female members of the school’s equestrian team. At the time, Rhule said: “We hope our players do things right, but when they don’t—or if they don’t—we have to make sure we handle things the right way.” Rhule is replacing Ron Rivera, who was fired from the Panthers before being hired by the Washington Redskins last week.