After Temple went 3-9 in each of Stan Drayton’s first two seasons as the team’s head coach, the Owls were hoping to see some progress going into 2024.
But Temple is 3-7 after its first 10 games this season, and they’re just 2-4 in AAC play. And Temple announced Sunday Drayton is out as the Owls’ head coach. Defensive coordinator Everett Withers will be the interim head coach for the rest of the season.
“I would like to extend my appreciation to Coach Drayton for his commitment to Temple University, our student-athletes and the football program over the past three years,” Temple athletic director Arthur Johnson said in a press release. “Under his direction, our student-athletes have excelled in the classroom, been outstanding members of the community and Coach Drayton has represented the University with a tremendous amount of integrity and class. I wish him and his family well in their future endeavors.”
“With the changing landscape of college football and the playoff format, the opportunity for Temple football has never been greater. Our expectation is to compete for American Athletic Conference titles, appear in bowl games consistently, and build a program that our fans, alumni, and students can be proud of in the classroom and on the field. I am confident that our fans will rally around our student-athletes and support them as they always have.”
Now that Temple is looking for a new head coach in 2025, here are some names the program could consider hiring.
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Syracuse Offensive Coordinator Jeff Nixon
Nixon has a plethora of experience coaching for NFL and college teams and has even coached at Temple.
Nixon is in his first season as the Orange’s OC, and they were 24th in the country in total offense (442.8 yards per game) and are tied for 38th in scoring offense (31.7 points per game) going into Week 12 of this season. Before coaching at Syracuse, Nixon was a running backs coach with the New York Giants and worked with Saquon Barkley. He also was a coach for the Carolina Panthers before that and was briefly their interim OC while also coaching running backs.
Before that, Nixon called plays as a co-offensive coordinator for Baylor, which ranked 17th in the FBS with 35.2 points per game in 2019. He was in the NFL before that, coaching tight ends for the San Francisco 49ers (2016), running backs for the Miami Dolphins (2011-15), and offense and special teams for the Philadelphia Eagles (2007-10). He also coached running backs at Temple (2006), Chattanooga (2003-05), Shippensburg (1999-02), and Princeton (1998). The former West Virginia and Penn State running back began his coaching career as a student assistant at Penn State in 1997.
Nixon’s offensive knowledge and resume would make him a good choice.
Duke Assistant Head Coach Gabe Infante
Infante is currently a Power Four assistant and has worked at Temple recently.
Infante is in his first year at Duke. He’s also the program’s special teams coordinator and a defensive tackles coach. Before this, he was a defensive analyst and analytics coordinator at Penn State from 2022-23. The Nittany Lions were ranked in the top 25 in the FBS in several statistical categories on defense during that time.
He was a running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 2019-21 at Temple. He knows the Philadelphia region well and would likely be able to recruit there effectively. Previously, he was the head coach for St. Joseph’s Prep in Pennsylvania and Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey. He won four Pennsylvania state championships.
Infante should be a strong candidate for Temple.
UNLV Offensive Coordinator Brennan Marion
Marion is in just his second season as UNLV’s offensive coordinator. He’s done well with the Rebels and has coaching experience in the eastern part of the country.
In 2023, UNLV was 44th in the FBS with 412.7 yards per game and 22nd with 34.4 points per game. The Rebels have continued to be successful on offense this season, even after quarterback Matthew Sluka decided to sit out the rest of the year.
Before this, Marion was a passing game coordinator at Texas in 2022, a wide receivers coach at Pitt in 2021, a wide receivers coach at Hawaii in 2020, an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at William & Mary in 2019, an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Howard in 2017 and 2018, and a running backs coach at Oklahoma Baptist in 2016.
Marion has been a name tied to a few head coaching vacancies the past couple years. The expertise he brings could benefit Temple.
Jacksonville Jaguars Running Backs Coach Jerry Mack
Mack has experience as a head coach and a coordinator. He would be a good fit here.
Before going to the Jaguars, Mack was Tennessee’s running backs coach from 2021-23. Last year, the Volunteers were 10th in the country with 204.8 rushing yards per game. Leading rusher Jaylen Wright was among the 45 running backs in the country to rush for at least 1,000 yards.
Previously, he was an associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach at Rice. He’s also been a head coach at North Carolina Central, a wide receivers coach at South Alabama and Memphis, an OC and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Central Arkansas, and a wide receivers/tight ends coach at Jackson State.
With a resume like his, Mack would deserve to be a head coaching candidate for the Owls.
Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock
Denbrock would make a ton of sense for Temple if he were interested.
Denbrock has worked with offensive linemen, tight ends, and wide receivers over the years at Notre Dame, but he’s also coached at a variety of other schools as well. He was LSU’s OC and tight ends coach before this from 2022-23, and was an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati from 2017-21.
Denbrock hasn’t been a head coach at the collegiate level, but he has been an associate head coach, including at Notre Dame from 2015-16 and at Indiana State in 2009.
Denbrock’s name has come up plenty of times when it comes to college football hot seats and potential head coaching hires this season. If he were open to taking a G5 head coaching job, Temple would be a good fit.
Indiana Defensive Coordinator Bryant Haines
Haines followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana, and he has been stellar as the Hoosiers’ DC thus far.
Going into Week 12, Indiana was in the top 10 in the FBS in terms of scoring defense (13.8 points allowed per game) and total defense (255.5 yards per game allowed).
Before his current job, he was instrumental in JMU’s transition to the Sun Belt. He was promoted to DC and linebackers coach after three years as a co-defensive coordinator.
In just their first season as an FBS program, the Dukes allowed the eighth-fewest yards per game in the country with 290.2 while allowing just 20.9 points per game. They were also top 10 in rushing defense, tackles for loss per game, first downs allowed, sacks per game, third-down defense, and fumble recoveries.
In 2023, JMU was in the top 20 in the FBS with 19.5 points per game allowed and the top 30 in the country with 333.8 yards per game allowed.
Before JMU, Haines worked with linebackers under Cignetti at Elon and was a linebackers coach at UC Davis before that in 2016.
Birmingham Stallions Defensive Assistant Anthony Blevins
Blevins has coached in the NFL in the area and has a good coaching resume.
A former XFL player, Blevins played at UAB and was a cornerbacks coach there in 2012. Since then, he was an assistant in several roles for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants focusing on special teams and defensive secondaries. He coached players like Pro Bowlers Justin Bethel, Budda Baker, and Michael Thomas.
In 2023, he took an offer to be the head coach of the XFL’s Vegas Vipers, but he never led the team during a season due to the UFL’s merger.
Blevins would be a good potential candidate.
