Where could Matt Rhule land next after firing by Panthers?

The writing has been on the wall for Matt Rhule's time in Carolina since the end of last season, so speculation about a return to the collegiate level didn't just start after his firing on Monday morning. 

With Rhule's NFL stint over, those rumors could quickly turn into reality. Which programs should make a run at the former Baylor coach?

Nebraska is the most obvious landing spot for Rhule, and for good reason. The Cornhuskers badly need a program-builder who can work from the ground up. That's exactly what Rhule did at Temple and Baylor, though Nebraska might need to dig itself out of an even bigger hole. The program hasn't won more than five games since 2016 and is playing in a premier conference that is set to add USC and UCLA in the coming years. 

As much success as Rhule has had in college, Kansas' Lance Leipold could be an even more attractive option given his local connection and success in turning a long-suffering Jayhawks program into a top-25 team. 

Wisconsin is another Midwest program that has the money to land Rhule. Though it didn't work out in the NFL, Rhule put together some solid offenses at Baylor and could help turn the Badgers' longstanding offensive struggles around. Given the pressure of the Big Ten, a big name such as Rhule might be what Wisconsin needs to adapt. 

Does Rhule have what it takes to win in the SEC? Auburn might pursue him once they move on from Bryan Harsin, and they find themselves in a similar situation as Wisconsin. After years of offensive struggles, the Tigers need to quickly gain some recruiting momentum in a loaded conference. Rhule has proven he can quickly acquire talent, but without local connections, can he effectively recruit in SEC territory? 

Rhule doesn't have any local connections to Arizona State or Georgia Tech, either, but the bar is set much lower at those schools than at Auburn. A big name with a proven track record could instantly add some credibility to each program, and both would give Rhule much more time to find his footing in unfamiliar territory than Auburn or Wisconsin would. 

Rhule went 19-20 at Baylor, but he took the Bears from 1-11 in 2017 to 11-3 in 2019.