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Temple players persist: They want Phil Snow as their coach

The majority of Temple football players have let it be known through social media and with meeting with the administration that defensive coordinator Phil Snow is their choice to replace Matt Rhule as head football coach.

The majority of Temple football players have let it be known through social media and with meeting with the administration that defensive coordinator Phil Snow is their choice to replace Matt Rhule as head football coach.

Redshirt senior linebacker Avery Williams, one of the team leaders, said that offensive lineman Leon Johnson came up with the idea for a Twitter hashtag: #LetitSnow.

"People know what it means and it has gone viral and we appreciate it," Williams said in a phone interview. " Yesterday it got a big buzz and today [Friday], it continues to go strong and people keep retweeting it."

A person familiar with the proceedings said Temple intends to interview Snow.

Besides taking to social media, the players have given their opinion to Temple's administration.

"The administration said that this is a business, but they understand that there is also an emotional side to it," Williams said.

Snow has not said anything publically about his future plans.

He turns 61 on Dec. 22 and has never been a head coach. Other than four years as an NFL assistant for the Detroit Lions from 2005 to 2008, he has been a college assistant since 1979. He came to Temple as the defensive coordinator when Rhule was hired in December of 2012.

Temple (10-3) won the American Athletic Conference title last Saturday with a 34-10 win at Navy. A Navy team that was averaging 41.7 points, was held in check by Snow's multiple defenses.

"He is probably one of the brightest guys in the country and all the defensive and offensive guys know it," Williams said.

Temple, which meets Wake Forest in the Dec. 27 Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md., is tied for eighth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 17.2 point per game.

Coaching search

The Virginian-Pilot reported that Old Dominion coach Bobby Wilder met with Temple officials to discuss the coaching vacancy. Reached on Friday, Dennis Cordell, the agent for Wilder, would neither confirm or deny the report.

Wilder has guided Old Dominion to a 9-3 record and berth in the Dec. 23 Bahamas Bowl.

mnarducci@phillynews.com

@sjnard