It appears Matt Rhule will be at Temple for the long haul.
After a week of speculation about his potential departure from Temple Football to pursue a coaching vacancy at another school, Rhule said in a interview with 94WIP Radio this morning:
“I absolutely plan on being here. My family loves Temple, and we love Philadelphia. I plan on being here for a long time, because I am honored and privileged to coach these kids. My team knows how I feel about them and that I want to be their coach not just this week, but next year as well.”
The statement comes just two days after NBC Sports reported that Rhule had turned down an offer from Missouri and ended talks with the program.
After the Temple Owls beat UConn 27-3 to advance to the AAC Title game, Matt Rhule took the podium at Lincoln Financial Field to address the media after the historic win.
One question came out of left field. A report had broken just hours earlier that Rhule was meeting with officials from the University of Missouri about their head coaching vacancy.
Towards the end of the press conference, the attention shifted from the win to whether Rhule was staying on North Broad. Rhule responded by saying, “this program is about these kids. Anybody that throws my name in things, it’s a credit to the players and the administration.”
In just his third year at the helm, Rhule has transformed Temple Football from a 2-10 team struggling to find an identity to a 10-2 squad that is playing for a conference championship and a coveted New Years Day bowl game. The remarkable turnaround, coupled with the noticeable shift in the culture and dedication in Temple Football caught the eyes of a national audience.
Rhule also denied today that talks are continuing elsewhere, asserting “Am I talking to anybody about any jobs right now? Absolutely not.”
With almost a dozen FBS head coaching vacancies across the country, including in powerhouse programs such as Georgia and South Carolina, Rhule could be fielding more offers in the coming weeks. But for now, he seems set on staying at Temple.
Please stay! My son graduated in 2009 and we watched the Owls win their first game (homecoming game) at the Vet in I believe 26 games. Our son is about to join the NYPD after majoring in criminal justice at TU. No words for how much I respect TU and what you do. Matt…I’m counting on you be there for a while! Keep at it. Forever fans from Connecticut!
Jody and Rob Allen