Matt Rhule is endearing himself at Nebraska before even winning a game

Matt Rhule should have a long leash at Nebraska. What he was able to do at Baylor -- notably going 11-3 in 2019 -- coupled with his experience coaching in the NFL will make it easy for fans to exercise patience.

There is plenty of work ahead for Rhule to bring the Cornhuskers back to national contention, but it is worth noting that he is at the very least embracing Nebraska's strong football history. That means forgetting Scott Frost's 16-31 dud-of-a-stint in Lincoln and instead cozying up to a legend like Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne, who brought three national championships to the program during the 1990's (1994, 1995 and 1997). Rhule also helped the program get back on good terms with former coach Frank Solich (58-19 record from 1998 to 2003).

Solich will be honored at this Saturday's spring game, but prior to that big moment, he has been mostly persona non grata in Lincoln since his firing.

"I was impressed with their program and what they were all about, so when he got the job at Nebraska, I felt like that was a good hire," Solich said, per ESPN. I know he contacted coach Osborne when he got here right away."

Also, he has been around the state visiting with tons of coaches while trying to drive a strong interest in Nebraska football and get himself and his staff known to the people of Nebraska. I think he's making all the right moves and doing all the right things."

Former player Rob Zatechka has been impressed with the early returns on Rhule, especially considering that he had no previous ties to Nebraska before accepting the lead gig.

"I hate calling a guy an outsider, but for a guy who doesn't really have any ties to the place, he's done an amazing job of figuring out what the culture is and integrating himself into that right away," Zatechka, a member of the 1994 championship team, said.

Throw all that culture-building on top of a 2023 recruiting class that finished Top-25, according to the 247Sports team rankings, and there seems to be something to get excited about in Lincoln for the first time in quite some time.