Baylor head coach Matt Rhule has been mentioned as a hot name around the NFL for head coach openings.
The Panthers and Giants have been mentioned as possible suitors for his services in recent days.
However, the Cleveland Browns will find themselves out of the mix for Rhule.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rhule has refused the request for an interview
Baylor HC Matt Rhule declined the chance to interview for the Cleveland Browns head coaching job, per league sources. Rhule is expected to be a leading candidate for the Giants’ and Panthers’ HC jobs.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 31, 2019
Rhule has been considered a rising star in the eyes of many executives for his impressive work at Baylor and at Temple before that.
The Dallas Morning News reported on Sunday that Rhule held a meeting with his team to address the NFL speculation and his future.
Rumors of Rhule making the jump to the NFL were around last offseason when it was rumored he almost became the head coach of the New York Jets.
The Browns have scheduled interviews to fill their head coaching position with former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
The Browns have also requested to interview New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
The Browns fired Freddie Kitchens Sunday night and general manager John Dorsey on Tuesday.
After being the most talked about team in the NFL last offseason, the Browns failed to live up to the hype and expectations.
The team finished the season 6-10 and missed the playoffs for the 17th consecutive year.
The Browns have finished under .500 for each of the last 12 seasons.
Eh it’s okay, we have a slew of other coaching options yet to check into. I don’t think Matt Rhule would have been a good fit for us anyway. Plus, it sounds like he’s waiting for other offers.