Addazio 'taking care of Temple'

TAMPA, Fla. - Since he was introduced a week ago as Temple's head football coach, Steve Addazio figured that juggling the new job and his duties as Florida's offensive coordinator over the ensuing nine days would be like getting caught in a whirlwind.

And was he ever right.

"Since I left Philadelphia, I worked all day Christmas Eve and Christmas Day," Addazio said Wednesday after the Gators' practice for the Outback Bowl.

"We've been organizing recruiting, talking to coaches to process an entire staff, talking to Temple players. It's also getting ready for this bowl game and scripting [the offense]. Pretty much every day is a loaded day, from 7 a.m. until 11 to 12 o'clock at night. There's no free time. But it's great - it's perfect."

The 51-year-old Addazio, known as a high-energy guy, appears able to handle his loaded schedule. He said the Gators' bowl matchup with Penn State "means everything," but he's also planning for what comes after Saturday.

"I know there's a tremendous amount of work to be done," he said. "Every day I get up, make sure I take care of what I have to take care of for us to play well on Saturday and win. I'm also working every day trying to make sure I'm taking care of Temple. It's a full day, but my focus right now is locked into winning this game.

"It's a dead [recruiting] period right now, so there's plenty of time to get up there and hit the ground running. I've got to be organized and keep on task every day. Of course, when the game's over, I'll go back to Gainesville and I'll be packing and flying up. So that whirlwind will keep going. But it's a great whirlwind."

The Outback Bowl actually features two finalists for the Temple job. Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley had an interview with the Owls' athletic administration on Dec. 17, the day before the Nittany Lions left for Clearwater and early practices.

Bradley said Wednesday he was flattered when he was contacted by Owls athletic director Bill Bradshaw.

"Just the fact that someone like Bill Bradshaw calls you, that's a great group of guys down there - Bill, [senior associate athletic director] Herm Frazier," he said. "Any time they give you a call, you're flattered and I think you listen because they're a quality group of people."

However, Bradley declined to discuss how the interview went, and also said he did not ask for any assistance from head coach Joe Paterno.

Addazio said he has talked with former Temple coach Al Golden, and plans to continue a dialogue with him.

"I have a lot of respect for Al," he said. "I can see what a great job he's done. He was able to provide some insight. I'm sure I'll talk to him many more times. I'm going to utilize Al, because Al knows everything that's going on at Temple. He loves Temple. He made that very, very clear."

Addazio said he received "a great deal of respect and love" from his players when they heard the news of his hiring. That, however, makes his efforts to keep his emotions under control a challenging task as he fulfills his last assignment at Florida.

"Every once in a while, [emotions] creep up on you a little bit, and I'm sure that will happen throughout the week and at the game," he said. "I've got six years in this program, in which a lot of tremendously great things have happened. So every day, I've noticed at different times I feel that. That's all real."

But Addazio also is eager to encounter the new world that lies ahead.

"I've been waiting a long time to get to Philadelphia," he said, "and just enjoy the heck out of the city, enjoy the great restaurants, enjoy the great people. I can't wait. I know it's a sports town and a football town, and I can't wait to get up there."