Matt Rhule reveals ‘the truth’ about Giants’ 2020 pursuit

Matt Rhule laughed for astir 10 seconds arsenic helium tried to take the close words.

What would person happened successful January 2020 if Giants ownership — not Panthers ownership — were the ones waiting successful his driveway erstwhile the household returned location from a abrogation successful Cancun and NFL coaching searches started heating up? Would helium inactive beryllium starring the Panthers against the Giants connected Sunday, oregon could roles person been reversed?

“That full situation, I had a accidental to person a speech with [the Giants] and I was unbelievably flattered,” Rhule said aft the laughter connected some ends of a telephone Thursday died down. “The information is it ne'er truly got to that constituent [where I was choosing betwixt the two.] I got offered the occupation successful Carolina and took it. It conscionable seemed similar the close happening for america astatine the time.”

Rhule’s archetypal NFL caput manager interrogation was with the Colts successful January 2018. A twelvemonth later, helium powerfully considered leaving his station arsenic Baylor’s caput manager to instrumentality implicit the Jets. A twelvemonth aft that, Rhule’s occurrence and desirability enactment him successful presumption to bid a woody reportedly worthy $60 cardinal implicit 7 years from the Panthers.

But Rhule, 46, is simply a New York City autochthonal who loved his 1 twelvemonth arsenic an adjunct manager nether Tom Coughlin earlier becoming Temple’s caput coach.

Panthers caput manager Matt RhuleGetty Images

“I grew up dreaming of being Bill Parcells,” Rhule said. “Phil McConkey and Mark Bavaro and Phil Simms, those were my heroes. Having a accidental to enactment determination was awesome. It was a truly peculiar place.”

Rhule was scheduled to interrogation with the Giants — “It wasn’t similar I was offered the job,” helium reminded — but the Panthers’ connection was a jaw-dropper. Agent Trace Armstrong reportedly called the Giants with a accidental to lucifer the connection earlier adjacent gathering with Rhule, truthful the Giants rapidly pivoted to prosecute Joe Judge, who had conscionable impressed successful his interrogation 1 time earlier.

“My cause does a bully job,” Rhule said. “He’s ever trying to support maine and each those things. It’s conscionable 1 of those deals wherever it ne'er got to that point. He astir apt had conversations with them, but it conscionable wasn’t there. So, we took this one.”