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Florida assistant will interview for Temple job

Steve Addazio, who this year served as the offensive coordinator at Florida under Urban Meyer, will interview for the head coaching position at Temple.

The Owls are working to fill the void left by Al Golden. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)
The Owls are working to fill the void left by Al Golden. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)Read more

Steve Addazio, who this year served as the offensive coordinator at Florida under Urban Meyer, will interview for the head coaching position at Temple.

The 51-year-old Addazio, who also coached the offensive line and tight ends during his six seasons with the Gators, has a wealth of experience after previously spending time on the staffs at Syracuse (1995-98), Notre Dame (1999-2001), and Indiana (2002-04).

With Meyer having announced his retirement, Addazio's future at Florida is uncertain as new coach Will Muschamp said he will evaluate the coaching staff before making any hires.

Also believed to be in the picture are Bill Cubit of Western Michigan and Sean McDonnell of New Hampshire.

Although reports in Michigan have said he is not interested in the Temple job, Cubit, a Delaware grad and a native of Sharon Hill, remains a potential candidate.

The only other candidate believed to have interviewed for the Temple job is Matt Rhule, who was the Owls' offensive coordinator for three seasons under Al Golden. Golden was named head coach at Miami on Sunday.

Addazio, a native of Farmington, Conn., has been part of 10 bowl teams during his career. He was on the Florida sideline when the Gators won national championships in 2006 and 2008.

At George Washington High in Philadelphia, coach Ron Cohen is hoping that Temple hires a coach soon.

He has two players - 6-foot-1, 228-pound linebacker Brandon Chudnoff and 5-10, 161-pound defensive back/wide receiver Daquan Cooper - who orally committed to Temple in June after attending the Al Golden Football Camp. But with Golden gone and no other coach in place, Cohen said his seniors may need to consider other schools.

"The sharks are out now," said Cohen, who's been the school's head coach for 26 years. "They've been offered other scholarships. It's a business, and the coach moves and makes more money, and the players have to do what's best for them. They have to protect themselves. They're 17 and 18 years old, and it can be overwhelming.

"It's possible that Brandon and Daquan will honor their commitment, but they're waiting to see who the new coach is. You don't know what kind of offense, or what kind of defense, he'll play, or where you fit into that offense or defense."

Cooper, who played on G.W. teams that won three straight Public League championships, had mixed feelings when he learned that Golden and defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio were headed to Miami.

"At first, I was kind of shaken," said Cooper, a top-flight defender who scored eight touchdowns on offense last season. "When I went to the camp, I got a different vibe from him and the other coaches than at the other camps I went to. I was upset, but we knew the opportunity may come for Coach Golden. He's an up-and-coming coach. I'm fine with it. I know some of the players real well now, and they've been talking to me since Coach Golden left. They just tell me everything will be cool."

In recent days, Cooper has heard from Rob Spence, who was Temple's wide receivers coach last season. Spence is part of a transition team - made up of former Golden assistants - that is charged with maintaining a recruiting presence for the Owls as the search for a new coach continues.

The fall recruiting period ends Saturday. Coaches cannot make off-campus contact with prospects again until Jan. 4, which means candidates for Temple head coach will likely be more available over the next two weeks, though some may be involved in bowl games.

Cooper said he will wait until the new year before he begins to consider whether he should sign with a different school.

National signing day is Feb. 2.