Penn State’s coaching carousel just lost another horse again. Just days into the James Franklin fallout, two Big Ten coaches’ names were linked to Happy Valley rumors. But one of those schools has officially slammed the brakes on the speculation with a shiny new contract to show for it. And now, the other school is following in their footsteps to shut down coaching speculations. 

Nebraska fans can exhale. Matt Rhule isn’t packing for Happy Valley anytime soon. The Huskers closed the door on the James Franklin–replacement chatter by locking in their $8.5M HC with an extension. On October 29, 247Huskers dropped a breaking piece of news on X announcing that “Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule has signed an extension with the Huskers keeping him beyond 2030. An announcement is expected on Thursday.” Details aren’t out yet, but the math screams big money. 

Matt Rhule’s current deal pays him $7.5 million this season and would’ve climbed to $8.5 next season and $12.5 million by 2030. Expect those numbers to get juicier. But honestly, Nebraska had no choice but to offer this extension. The Penn State rumors were too loud to ignore. Rhule, a proud Nittany Lion alum and former walk-on linebacker, was seen as the obvious successor the second James Franklin got the axe on October 12. Add in his close bond with Penn State AD Pat Kraft whom he once called “one of my best friends” and this saga had all the makings of a messy offseason. 

Had Nebraska not acted fast, they might’ve lost more than just a head coach. Dylan Raiola, their prized sophomore QB, might’ve looked elsewhere if Matt Rhule bolted. In this portal-crazy era, loyalty is fragile and the HC staying put just stabilized the entire Cornhusker future. Sometimes, timing is everything. And for the Huskers, this move was survival. The Huskers front office read the room perfectly and made the kind of aggressive move that keeps fanbases calm and futures intact. Just like Indiana…

Indiana locks down Curt Cignetti with an extension 

When Indiana’s Curt Cignetti popped up as one of the rumored front-runners for Penn State’s vacancy, per The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, the Hoosiers didn’t hesitate. On October 16, they inked their HC to an eight-year extension worth an average of $11.6 million annually, keeping him in Bloomington through 2033. After all, not every HC breaks records like he’s doing now. 

IU AD Scott Dolson said of the extension, “We are committed to investing in IU Football in such a way that we can compete at a championship level. And the No. 1 priority in doing that is ensuring that Coach Cignetti is the leader of our program.” Curt Cignetti earned every penny. In his debut 2024 season, he led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record, a surprise College Football Playoff berth, and was crowned Big Ten Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year by multiple outlets. Now at 8–0 and ranked No. 2 in the country, he has turned Indiana into a legitimate Big Ten juggernaut.

So here we are. Two extensions, two power moves, and Penn State is still searching for its next chapter. Can we expect more contract extensions on the horizon?