Temple Owls Football: Moving Forward Without Rhule

In news that shocked the Philadelphia college football following, Matt Rhule has left Temple to take on the controversial Baylor job.

After clinching the American Athletic Conference title on Saturday, Temple were flying extremely high. The school had just gathered their first conference championship since 1967, when they won the MAC. Rhule had just lead Temple to their second consecutive 10-win season, and the Temple football brand was beginning to become household around the NCAA. Given how high they were flying, Matt Rhule’s departure will sting that much more.

Rhule defines hard work in the business of college football. Being a linebacker at Penn State from 1994-1997, that mindset was certainly instilled in him early in his football career. After various stints at Buffalo University, UCLA, and Western Carolina, Rhule found himself at Temple.

In 2006, he started as the Defensive Line coach, and found himself on the other side of the ball the following year as the QB coach in 2007. Rhule then spent 2008-2010 as the Offensive Coordinator, and served as the assistant Offensive Coordinator/TE coach in 2011.

Then a peculiar move happened. Rhule decided to leave Temple in pursuit of an NFL position with the New York Giants, where he was the assistant OL coach. Rhule was able to coach NFL all-pro’s such as Chris Snee and David Diehl. However, the door was not going to be closed for Rhule and Temple football.

When then head coach Steve Addazio left for the Boston College job, Rhule was approached for the vacant HC position. Then Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw (now with LaSalle) had this to say about Rhule at the time of the hire:

“Matt is the perfect person to take the Temple football program to the next level. He is an outstanding recruiter and in his six years at Temple was responsible for bringing many of the players that helped the program win its first bowl in 32 years. He is one of the top young minds in the profession, and has a total understanding of the game. And clearly he is someone who loves Temple, and is already ingrained into the Temple community.”

This was extremely high praise at the time for Rhule, who had yet to secure a head coaching position in college football until that point. Their was one problem however, and that was the team that Rhule adopted. It was going to be their first season in the AAC, and that was always going to be an adjustment.

After a 2-10 season in 2013 to start Rhule’s reign, Temple were in complete repair mode. After inheriting a team that had an 82nd and 84th ranked recruiting class in 2012 and 2013 respectively (Rivals.com), no one expected Temple to be competitive immediately.

Rhule was not going to have anymore mediocracy in Philadelphia. His first recruiting class was ranked 59th in the nation, up 25 spots from the previous year. He was able to not only pitch the city of Philadelphia as a whole to recruits, but also the prospect of finally playing in a conference where they could truly compete.

The Big East was not a conference Temple was typically competitive in, and the AAC was their best route to future success. After the first full year in the AAC, things got interesting.

In Rhule’s second season, 2014, Temple improved 4 wins to a 6-6 record. Most would agree they were snubbed a bowl invitation, but Rhule was determined to make things right. The 2015 season is where Temple football became a national force.

With home games against Penn State and Notre Dame lined up, excitement around the city was unmatched for college football. In a nationally broadcast game at the Linc to open up the 2015 season against Penn State, Temple dominated the game in a 27-10 win. This sparked the team to a 7-0 start, easily the best taste of success the program had in decades.

Ranked 21st in the country by that point, the #9 ranked Fighting Irish were coming into town. ESPN not only brought College GameDay to Independence Hall, but flexed the game into their 8 P.M. primetime slot on ABC. In one of the most exciting games of the season, the Owls lost a heartbreaker, 24-20.

While the loss stung, Temple football showed they were a true national force. After finishing 10-4 with a loss in the AAC title game against Houston and a bad loss against Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl, the season was still wildly successful. To think Temple could attract College Gameday and 10,000 fans at Independence Hall was unfathomable just three years prior.

Rhule continued success in the 2016 season, leading the Owls to a 10-3 record to this point, with a current #23 ranking. After seven straight wins and a conference title to close the season, Rhule was a hot commodity for big programs with vacant spots. When Baylor approached him, Rhule could not turn down the prospect of Big 12 football. Signing a 7-year deal with Baylor today, Rhule’s tenure at Temple is effectively over.

Baylor’s AD, Mack Rhoades, had this to say about Rhule:

“We could not be more excited,” When we set out on our search for a new leader of our football program, we wanted a coach who shared our values, who had demonstrated success, who showed a true commitment to the overall student-athlete and who we believed could lead Baylor to a national championship”.

Now that Rhule has parted ways with Temple, it’s time to consider his three most likely candidates for replacement.

1) Greg Schiano, Defensive Coordinator, Ohio State

As someone who’s a local to the area, the hire makes potential sense for both parties. It’s no secret Schiano would like to return to a head coaching role. After his successful stint with Rutgers and unsuccessful stint in the NFL with Tampa Bay, Schiano joined OSU this season after a 2-year coaching hiatus. The 2006 Walter Camp NCAA Coach of the Year, Temple would be hard pressed to not gauge Schiano’s interest.

2) Ed Foley, Assistant HC/TE coach/ST coordinator, Temple

After Rhule’s departure was announced, Temple named Foley as the interim for the Military Bowl against Wake Forest. Given how things typically work out, Foley will have a legitimate opportunity to stake his claim for the vacant spot. With a dominant bowl performance, Foley will give Temple AD Patrick Kraft no choice but to give him an interview. A Cherry Hill, NJ native, Foley has been with the Owls since 2008. His familiarity with the program coupled with his opportunity in the bowl game will certainly give him a good chance.

3) John Donovan, Offensive Quality Control Coach, Jacksonville Jaguars

A darkhorse for the job, Donovan has the credentials to be a front-runner. With an impressive college coaching resume that includes assistant gigs with Villanova, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Vanderbilt, and Penn State, Donovan knows the CFB ropes well. Fired as the Penn State Offensive Coordinator in 2015, Donovan will be skeptical to some. He came under criticism for questionable play-calling in his final year at Happy Valley, although some experts attribute that to the fan base’s unrealistic expectations at the time for the offense.

Next: Temple Owls Football: Matt Rhule to Leave for Baylor

While certainly not ideal for Temple, this was going to be inevitable at some point. When you lead a team from 2 wins to back-to-back 10 win seasons in two years, big programs will be interested. Rhule will be commended for his work at Temple, and Baylor will certainly hope he can turn their program around much like he did with the Owls. All the best luck to Matt, one of the most consummate professionals you’ll find in the business.