Personnel interactions remind me a lot of Bobby Bowden. Very at ease when talking to the media, open and honest, but at the same time is able to say that he won't discuss something and it doesn't come off defensive. Quick to compliment, players, opponents, fans etc. A favorite to interview by a lot of national media and is open to doing it. I would not be surprised if Rhule has had more national interviews already than Frost had in totality.
Attention to detail, initially I wanted to say Osborne, but I don't think that's quite accurate. Rhule will never be called an offensive or defensive genius. He isn't busy perfecting one particular thing. Rhule is busy supervising everything at the same time. I don't think anything happens that he isn't aware of and approves, but at the same time he gives the assistants a fair amount of leeway. The assistants and coordinators know exactly what he wants done, I don't think there is a lot of ambiguity there, but at the same time there is latitude to get it done. So he's a "CEO" HC like Mack Brown in that he hires the "geniuses" instead of being one and lets his assistants do their thing. but at the same time I think he knows every part of the game plan and roster every detail that needs to be done, which reminds me of Nick Saban when he drew the defense on a white board for one particular play in a game. Knows everything that is going on but yet his assistant do it. It's a tricky balance but wildly successful way to do things.
Belief. Preaches family and brotherhood and gets that belief and buy in from the team and staff. People don't want to leave him, and players and coaches keep returning to him when given the opportunity. Reminds me of Belichick in how players and coaches kept coming back, even for less money. They want to be a part of his team. I also see Belichick in Rhule in the way players will willingly play different spots or share playing time to make the team greater. Players and coaches believe in Rhule and will take a smaller part to be a part of the team.
Adaptability. I was going to say Osborne again, as TO had vastly different offenses and defenses from when he started to when he ended and he made changes every year. But Rhule's adaptability is more, Rhule will change his schemes in a heartbeat as long as it doesn't violate his core. He wants a physical football team that can not only win, but control the game. The offense and defensive scheme don't matter and will change based on opponents, players and assistants. His offense and defensive schemes have changed a lot from Temple, Baylor and Nebraska, it's tailored for who he has, where and who his opponents are and the coaches that he has, but it's always going to be a physical and controlling style. He wants to do more than win, he wants to dominate, not by outsmarting the opposition but by being better at what we do. I'm going to say this is similar to Marty Shottenheimer. Shottenheimer used a variety of offenses and defenses in Cleveland, Kansas City and San Diego, which changed as his personnel and assistants changed, but they were always a physical team.
Team Construction, once again I thought of Osborne, but also once again I don't think that is quite right. Rhule is about development, about making every player, every person in the program better, better in ways beyond football. Now he knows he has to start with the right ingredients, both tangible and intangible, in both players, coaches and support people. At the same time he isn't afraid to take the raw ingredients from any source, he has taken coaches from HS, NFL and college jobs, taken players from HS, JUCO, or transfers. If the traits are there to be great, then Rhule will work on developing it. Once again it's about the core principles and not about the exact plan, as plans change but your principles shouldn't. It's not about prioritizing Texas HS, or the 500 mile radius, that's a recruiting tactic, the principle is find people that have the ability to be great, bring them in and develop them into great people. I'm going with Bill Snyder, or at least Bill Snyder in his first run at Kansas State. Snyder took players from whatever was available developed them into good players and developed good coaches at the same time.
