Source: Coach Joey McGuire Plans to Stay At Baylor to Pursue Job Left Open By Rhule's Move to NFL

A Source Tells CowboysSI.com That Assistant Coach Joey McGuire Plans to Stay At Baylor to Pursue The Job Left Open By Matt Rhule's Move to the NFL's Carolina Panthers

In the wake of Matt Rhule's decision to leave Baylor University for a head coaching job with the NFL's Carolina Panthers, Bears top assistant Joey McGuire has begun his pursuit of the Bears vacancy, a source tells CowboysSI.com.

Baylor officials say they will launch a nationwide search for a head coach, amd the program is in position to do just that after Rhule and staff led a three-year turnaround of program in Waco that was in turmoil.

“Baylor University extends its deepest appreciation to coach Rhule for his exceptional leadership of our football program over the past three seasons,” President Linda Livingstone said in a statement. “We are especially appreciative of the efforts he has made in positively shaping the lives of our football student-athletes, who have excelled on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Coach Rhule certainly leaves the program in a better place than when he arrived, and we have a bright future ahead for Baylor football.''

That turnaround, of course, also was guided by McGuire, formerly the long-time head coach at Cedar Hill High School, one of the most successful programs in the history of the state of Texas.

McGuire, who last year earned the title of "assistant head coach'' under Rhule,will apparently not at this time be one of the Bears assistants who will join Rhule in Carolina. Rather, he has reportedly already been elevated to "interim head coach'' the recruiting-related respect held for him in the high-school coaching ranks being shared by the many players in the locker room who have publicly voiced their support of his candidacy for the job.