Coaching S aff Coaching Staff Since Al Golden’s arrival . Al GOLDEN On the Field Head Coach • 2009 EagleBank Bowl participant Fifth Season at Temple • Penn State ‘91 • 2009 MAC East co-Champion Al Golden, who has 13 postseason bowl Award, presented by the Philadelphia Sports Con- • Longest single-season winning streak games on his résumé, enters his fifth season as gress, and the Athletic Department’s inaugural head football coach at Temple University in 2010. T.E.A.M. [Temple's Exceptional Acts for Mankind] (9 wins in 2009) The Colts Neck, N.J., native was named the Owls’ Award for community service. 24th head football coach on December 6, 2005, after Off the field, Golden has mentored the Owls • Second-most wins in school history (9) spending the prior five seasons as defensive coor- through the greatest academic turnaround in the dinator at the University of Virginia. The 41-year old NCAA APR Reform Era. • Third bowl appearance in school history Golden is the sixth-youngest head coach in college In his third season in 2008, Golden guided the football’s bowl subdivision. Owls to a 5-7 mark, the team’s most wins since • First bowl appearance in 30 years Completing his fourth season, Golden guided 1990, and a second-place finish in the MAC East. the Owls to new heights in 2009. Temple recorded Facing five opponents that went on to postseason • Temple set the school and Mid-American its first winning season since 1990 and made its first play, the Owls persevered to new heights, despite Conference records for the largest home bowl appearance in 30 years. The Owls’ bowl game losing three games on the very last play of the game. crowd (69,029). was just the third in 111 years of Temple football. In 2008, Golden saw five Owls earn All-MAC hon- Temple finished the season at 9-4 overall, tying ors, including senior DT Terrance Knighton, Temple’s • Temple had the most wins in 18 years in for first place in the Mid-American Conference East inaugural first-team selection. Temple showed sig- Division with a 7-1 mark. The MAC East champi- nificant improvement on special teams, leading the 2008. onship was the Owls’ best conference finish since nation in kickoff returns. The Owls out-scored their joining the league in 2003. TU won a single-season opponents for the season for the first time since • Temple’s school record attendance record nine consecutive games. 1990. in 2007 finished No. 1 in the MAC Named the 2009 MAC Coach of the Year and During his second season in 2007, Golden once the Maxwell Club’s Tri-State Coach of the Year, again played the nation’s most true freshmen (20) • Temple has had the No. 1 ranked Golden also saw an unprecedented 15 Owls earn All- and started the nation’s most true freshmen (12). He recruiting class in the MAC for three MAC honors, including a school record eight first- led the Owls to a 4-8 overall record and a 4-4 mark consecutive years (CollegeFootballNews. team All-MAC honorees. All-American Bernard during their inaugural season in the Mid-American com ‘06; Scout.com ‘07, ‘08). Pierce was named the MAC Freshman of the Year, Conference. Along the way, TU won three consecu- while sophomore Adrian Robinson garnered MAC tive games. The fourth win tied Temple’s mark for • Temple has fielded the nation’s youngest Defensive Player of the Year accolades. the most conference wins since 1967. Led by All- team two consecutive seasons (‘06, ‘07). The Owls also received recognition for their MAC players DT Andre Neblett and DB Dominique community service efforts. In 2009, the Temple team Harris, the Cherry & White defense led the MAC in was awarded the Robert P. Levy Community Service total defense, red zone defense, and pass defense. • Temple recorded the greatest one-year de- fensive turnaround in NCAA Bowl Subdivision (from #117 in 2006 Joseph V. Labolito to #44 in 2007). • Temple recorded its longest win streak (nine games) in 17 years. • Temple had the most conference wins in 40 years (seven). • Temple earned Tostitos National Team of the Week honors by CollegeSportsReport.com (Oct. 22, 2007). • Temple set a school record for largest attendance at the Cherry & White spring game. 124 2010 Temple Football Media Guide Coaching Staff The Owls’ red zone defense ranked first nationally. All-Americans by The Sporting News. It signaled the In his first campaign in Owl Country, Golden largest number of rookies to receive national recog- played 22 true freshmen, the most in the nation, nition in program history. against the third most difficult schedule in the coun- Golden was named the youngest defensive co- In the Classroom try. Only national champion Florida (10) and Stanford ordinator in Division I-A by Virginia head coach Al (9) played more bowl participants during the regular Groh in January 2001 after spending the previous season than the Owls, who competed against eight season at his alma mater, serving as linebackers • Temple initiated the START FAST program. teams that earned postseason berths. Thirty-eight coach and recruiting coordinator under Joe Paterno. players saw their first major college football action From 2001 to 2004, the Cavaliers’ defense improved • Temple renovated the team lounge with 13 under Golden in 2006, including 27 freshmen. under his tutelage, ranking 108th in total defense in desktop computers and eight laptops. Golden captured his first victory at the helm his first year to ranking 18th in total defense in 2004. when the Owls defeated Bowling Green, 28- 14, at In the same time period, Virginia’s scoring defense Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 28, 2006. The win went from 74th in the nation (27.6 ppg) to 17th (17.7 • Temple has recorded the largest was the largest accomplishment for the Owls on the ppg) utilizing Golden’s 3-4 scheme. academic turnaround in the APR field, but a multitude of goals were achieved off the In addition to his responsibilities as defensive reform era. field during Golden’s initial campaign. Temple un- coordinator, Golden directed the inside linebackers veiled the most comprehensive academic support from 2001-04 before shifting to the secondary in team in the Mid-American Conference. The program 2005. In 2004, he oversaw a defense that featured • Temple established the Chodoff was also successful in assembling a regional, non- the nation’s best group of linebackers, according to Academic Achievement and Dr. Athole conference schedule for years to come. Athlon, The Sporting News, and ESPN The Magazine. Jacobi Owl Outreach Awards . Recruiting has also been a Under his guidance, Ahmad Brooks blossomed into a tremendous success under finalist for the Butkus Award. In 2003, Brooks and • Temple Football has the most student-ath- Golden’s leadership. His initial Kai Parham earned Freshman All- America honors. signing class in 2006 was Golden was responsible for recruiting Brooks, the letes accepted or applying to the rated best in the MAC by USA Today National Defensive Player of the Year— University’s Honors Program in the CollegeFootballNews.com, the highest ranked recruit to ever attend UVa. Golden program’s history (five). while the 2007 and 2008 signed the Virginia High School Player of the Year in classes earned top hon- both 2002 (Brooks) and 2004 (Olu Hall). ors in the league from During his first two seasons at Virginia, Golden Scout.com. helped develop two-time All-ACC linebacker With a Angelo Crowell, who currently plays with the In the Community commitment Buffalo Bills, and 2003 Hula Bowl participant to community Merrill Robertson. Following the 2001 sea- • Temple Football won the Athletic Dept.’s service and son, Golden was an assistant coach for the T.E.A.M. [Temple’s Exceptional Acts for academics at Gray team in the 64th Annual Blue-Gray All- the core of Star Football Classic. Mankind] Award twice (2009, 2010) Golden’s Golden began his coaching career in 1993 program, a as offensive coordinator at Red Bank • Temple Football won the Robert P. Levy multitude of (N.J.) Catholic High School. He then Award for Outstanding Community individual served as a graduate assistant under Service (July 2009), presented by the honors were be- George Welsh at Virginia from 1994 to stowed upon the 1996, where he worked primarily Philadelphia Sports Congress. Owls in 2006. Seven with the linebackers and the kickoff student-athletes and punting teams. He helped de- • Temple intiated the best walk-on were named to the velop All-ACC linebackers James Far- program in Commonwealth 2006 Philadelphia rior and Jamie Sharper, both of whom of Pennsylvania (Local 215). Inquirer Academic were chosen in the 1997 NFL draft. Farrior All-Area Football was a first-round pick (#8) by the New York team, providing Jets, while Sharper was a second-round • Temple football was honored as the “76ers Temple the most selection (#34) by the Baltimore Ravens. Hometown Heroes” for the team’s commu- honorees of the 10 Golden then coached the linebackers at nity service. Delaware Valley Boston College from 1997 to 1999 under institutions Tom O’Brien. While at BC, Golden that spon- coached All-Big East and NFL lineback- • Temple hosted the nations’ largest Bone sor football. ers Frank Chamberlin (Tennessee Ti- Marrow Donor Drive (signed up 630 Three players tans) and Erik Storz (Jacksonville potential donors). were named to the Jaguars). The Eagles finished the 1999 2006 Eastern College regular season with an 8-3 record and • Temple football holds an annual Athletic Conference Divi- a top-25 national ranking, while mak- sion I-A Football All Star ing their first postseason bowl ap- Thanksgiving Food Drive, helping area Team, marking the most for pearance since 1994.