The process begins again as Temple looks for a football coach

Now that Manny Diaz has lasted less than three weeks, the search goes on for yet another Temple football coach.

On Sunday, Diaz accepted the head coaching job at Miami on the same day that Mark Richt resigned after three seasons.

Diaz, the Miami defensive coordinator the previous three years, was appointed Temple’s head coach on Dec. 12 and introduced at a press conference the following day. He had replaced Geoff Collins, who left after two seasons.

On Monday, Diaz told the Associated Press that the Miami position was his dream job. Collins had said the same thing about Georgia Tech.

The key for Temple is to hire a coach who feels similarly about the Owls job.

A source said late Monday afternoon that it could take some time for Temple to find a new coach.

Last time, the school named a new coach in less than a week, coming to an agreement on Dec. 12 and introducing Diaz the next day. Temple didn’t want to waste time because the early signing period began Dec. 19.

The news of another coaching change certainly surprised the players. Starting junior cornerback Linwood Crump said he was stunned.

“It’s crazy,” Crump said in a telephone interview. “Like everybody says, it is a coaching carousel and it’s a business.”

A popular candidate among the players is Fran Brown, who according to the source is in the running, but it’s not clear if he is a major candidate.

Brown, a former Camden High quarterback, began his coaching career at Temple, serving as an assistant to Matt Rhule for four seasons. He has been an assistant head coach/cornerbacks for Rhule at Baylor the last two seasons.

Brown interviewed for the head coaching job before Diaz was hired. One of Diaz’s first acts was hiring Brown as assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator shortly after he took over the job.

Several sources say that Temple really wants the 35-year-old Brown to stay even if he isn’t hired as head coach because of his reputation as a topflight recruiter.

There might be hesitation on Temple’s part to make him the head coach because of his age and relative lack of experience, but few people have publicly professed their desire to be at Temple more than Brown.

He has received plenty of support from Temple players via social media, including encouraging comments from senior safety Delvon Randall, a two-time first-team all-conference player.

One source added that Miami is reportedly interested in Brown as well and the source says that there could be at least one other Power Five school looking at him.

Several sources say that the Bears' linebackers coach, Mike Siravo, has expressed his interest to Temple about the job. Siravo spent two assistant coaching stints at Temple, totaling five years.

Don Brown, the Michigan defensive coordinator who interviewed before Diaz got the job, would also be interested, a source said, but there was no word as to whether Temple has contacted him.

Temple also previously interviewed Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and there has been some speculation as to whether the search committee will revisit talks with either.

In addition to Brown, Diaz had retained strength coach David Feeley when he took over at Temple. St. Joseph’s Prep had earlier announced that its head coach Gabe Infante was going to coach with Diaz at Temple. However, Temple has yet to make its own announcement.

A source said that anyone who agreed to a job with Diaz would still have a job, although the job title could differ under the new coach.

Temple is flush with cash with buyouts from Miami and Georgia Tech. It has been reported that the Owls are owed $4 million in a buyout by Miami for Diaz and $2.5 million from Georgia Tech for Collins, figures that have been confirmed by one of the sources.

In other news, as earlier reported, Andrew Thacker, who was Temple’s defensive coordinator and Dave Patenaude, who was the offensive coordinator, were introduced Monday in the same positions at Georgia Tech.