Temple Head Coach Search: Latest News, Rumors, Speculation on Position

Temple is setting its sights high in its search for a new head football coach, reportedly contacting former Texas coach Charlie Strong for its vacancy.

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Latest on Temple HC Search

Thursday, Dec. 8

Marc Narducci of Philly.com cited a source close to the situation who said it's unclear what level of interest Strong has in the American Athletic Conference champions.

"They had a conversation with Strong; that is a fact," the source said.

Strong, 56, was fired in November after posting a 16-21 record in three seasons at Texas. The Longhorns made a bowl game in 2014 but had a losing record in each of his three seasons. He was replaced by former Houston head coach Tom Herman, an offensive guru who went 22-4 in a two-year stint with the Cougars.

Temple is searching for a replacement for Matt Rhule, who was named the head coach at Baylor on Tuesday. Rhule, 41, went 28-23 in four seasons at Temple. He won consecutive division championships and took home the Owls' first American Athletic Conference title in 2016 with an upset win over Navy on Saturday.

Temple has become something of a stepping-stone job for rising coaches. Al Golden, Steve Addazio and Rhule have each parlayed successful stints in Philadelphia into Power Five-conference jobs. In that sense, Strong may be overqualified—unless Temple is ready to make an unprecedented financial offer.

Strong is due an $11.2 million buyout from Texas, which will carry into 2019. That allows him to be picky with what interviews he takes, especially given that Texas' financial obligation to him would be somewhat offset by what he earns at another job.

It's unclear whether Strong has any interest in a non-Power Five job. He spent four seasons at Louisville before going to Texas, splitting time between the Big East and AAC. Louisville, which has since moved to the ACC, was essentially run with the financial backing of a Power Five school when Strong was in charge.

Having spent nearly his entire assistant coaching career at college football's highest levels, save for a short stint at Southern Illinois, it seems unlikely that Strong would pounce on a job offer from a Temple program that's outside the national zeitgeist.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.