Late last month, Athlon Sports college football editor Steven Lassan released his rankings for head coaches in the AAC. While creating his list, Lassan utilized simple criteria, such as wins and the ability to develop a strong game plan. However, he also took into account factors fans often overlook like the strength of a head coach’s staff and his recruiting prowess.
Lassan listed Temple’s Matt Rhule as the No. 5-best head coach in the AAC, behind Houston’s Tom Herman, Navy’s Ken Niumatalolo, Tulane’s Willie Fritz and South Florida’s Willie Taggart, in that order.
While I personally agree with his assessment that Herman deserves the top spot given how the Cougars finished their 2015 campaign and that Niumatalolo belongs right behind because of his strong track record at the helm of the Midshipen, that is where the line must be drawn.
Rhule deserves to be elevated to the No. 3 spot on the list.
Not to take anything away from Fritz or Taggart, but Rhule guided the Owls to a 10-4 record last season on their way to the inaugural AAC Championship Game (which they lost to Herman’s Houston squad respectably, 24-13).
USF, meanwhile, finished with an 8-5 mark and Tulane ended its season at 3-9 under Curtis Johnson’s final year.
Under Rhule, Temple has improved with each passing season. In 2015, the imposing defense he crafted was one of the top-ranked units in the entire nation, and the Owls outscored their opponents 278-165.
The team also defeated its in-state rival Penn State University for the first time in over 70 years, 27-10.
https://youtu.be/f2PG8UvIJfs
This was not simply a matter of the law of averages finally catching up to these two programs.
Rhule brings a fiery intensity to the sidelines every week and has his players believing in themselves and their abilities. Confidence is infectious, and Rhule is often able to use that to his advantage and get the most out of his players.
In addition, Rhule served for one season on an NFL coaching staff, so he knows the hard work and determination required to succeed in the game of football, both mentally and physically, and what is needed to take the step to the next level.
His coaching experience, coupled with his love for his university and players, makes Rhule one of the best recruiters of talent in the entire AAC – if not one of the best in the nation. This was evidenced just this past offseason when Temple landed 4-star defensive line recruit Karamo Dioubate, who chose the Owls over schools like PSU, South Carolina and Alabama.
Sure, Fritz has an excellent track record of success during his previous coaching stops and Taggart has USF playing better since taking over prior to the 2013 season. But the game of football – not only at the NFL level, but collegiately as well – is a “what have you done for me lately” sport.
And lately, Rhule has outperformed and outcoached both Fritz and Taggart.
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