Steve Addazio

Making Temple's Case As conference shuffling picks up speed, the coach hints his program is worthy of BCS consideration: "We play in a great venue [the Linc]. We play a . . . challenging non-conference schedule. We, a year ago, beat the Big East champion [UConn]. We went toe-to-toe with one of the elite programs in America [Penn State]. . . . We are in one of the greatest sports cities that there possibly is in the country and they are supporting Temple football.

PERSONAL Birthdate: June 1, 1959 Hometown: Farmington, Conn. Education: 1981 - Bachelor's degree in Physical Education from Central Connecticut State University; 1985 - Master's degree in Physical Education from Central Connecticut State University Family: Married to the former Kathy Donoghue. They have three children: Nicole (23), Jessica (20), and Louie (17). Head coach Associate head coach, offensive coordinator, offensive line, 2010 Assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, offensive line, 2009 Assistant head coach offense, offensive line, 2008 Offensive line, 2007 Offensive line , tackles, tight ends, 2006 Tight ends, 2005 Offensive coordinator, offensive line, 2004 Offensive line, 2003-04 Offensive line, tight ends, special teams Offensive line, 1997-98 Assistant offensive line, tight ends, 1995-96 Head Coach Offensive line, recruiting coordinator 1996: Gator 1996: Liberty 1997: Fiesta 1999: Orange 2002: Fiesta 2006: Outback 2007: BCS National Championship 2008: Capital One 2009: BCS National Championship 2010: Sugar 2011: Outback College: 1978-81, Central Connecticut State University, 4-year starter Pro: Earned tryouts with New England Patriots, USFL's Jacksonville Bulls and CFL's Ottawa Roughriders Coached 24 players who went on to play in the NFL, including three first-rounders: quarterback Tim Tebow,...

New Temple football coach Steve Addazio received his first oral commitment a day after being named to the Owls' post. Cedric Walker, an electric, 5-foot-9, 175-pound running back from Gulliver Prep in Miami, said Friday he wants to be an Owl. Walker was recruited by Temple before Addazio's arrival. He decided to wait until Temple named a new coach to make a decision, and he and Addazio already knew each other from the recruiting trails. Addazio was the offensive coordinator at Florida before accepting the job at Temple.

AFTER AN opening-day win over Villanova, Temple football coach Steve Addazio came away impressed with the physicality and execution of his team. However, Addazio still expects both his team and himself to make a big leap when Maryland takes the trip up I-95 on Saturday. "The expectation we had for that game was to go out, be really physical, play really hard, relentless to the football and play with great passion," Addazio said on the Big East teleconference Monday. "That's what we wanted to get done and I felt like we did that.

If you like offense, you might like Steve Addazio, the new football coach at Temple. According to a source close to the situation, Temple will name Addazio, the offensive coordinator at Florida, its head coach Thursday at an 11 a.m. news conference. The event is scheduled to take place in the Fox-Gittis Room at the Liacouras Center, where Al Golden was welcomed five years ago. Miami hired Golden away to be its head coach on Dec. 12. Regarded as an effective recruiter and fiery orator, Addazio, 51, is credited with stocking Florida with some of the top high school players and helping lead Florida last season when head coach Urban Meyer took a leave of absence for health reasons.

Temple football coach Steve Addazio shocked the Owls faithful and left at least one recruit confused and angry Tuesday by accepting the head coaching position at Boston College after just two seasons on Broad Street. Although many concerns will surface due to his abrupt departure, the most immediate one to the team, its fans and its surprised recruits is: Who will succeed Addazio? And will the new coach be able to convince those recruits, angry or not, to stay committed to Temple?

Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw calls reports that Owls football coach Steve Addazio is a candidate for the Rutgers opening a "nonstory. " Multiple reports have put Addazio among the leading candidates for the Scarlet Knights job, which opened up Thursday when Greg Schiano was hired by the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Rutgers coaching search appears to be moving at a rapid pace with Wednesday's national signing day fast approaching. Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti has made no secret that he would like to hire a coach by then in order to keep the 2012 recruiting class intact.

The mistakes - costly turnovers, missed assignments, a blocked punt - added up to Temple's worst loss since 2009. The defeat by Rutgers has left Owls coach Steve Addazio with a lot of things to focus on in the coming days. "We have to get ready to find out what was great that we did and what was poor that we did in that third [quarter]," Addazio said after Saturday's 35-10 loss to No. 18 Rutgers at Lincoln Financial Field. The Owls will "try to get that corrected and get on the road to play Pittsburgh," on Saturday, Addazio said.

Several Temple football players, including the top 2013 recruit, on Wednesday urged the hiring of New York Giants assistant coach Matt Rhule to replace Steve Addazio. Rhule is "definitely somebody we would stay with," said Shawn Brown, the father of Williamstown High School linebacker Buddy Brown, the headliner of Temple's 2013 recruiting class. "We kind of remember [Rhule] because we went to a camp when he was there. He was a decent guy. We definitely know who he is, so there's definitely a little familiarity with him. " The players expressed their support for Rhule, a former Temple assistant, during a closed meeting with athletic director Bill Bradshaw, who launched a national search for a coach to take over for Addazio.

The Temple football team has been participating in the annual Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure since 2006. The Owls, however, will have added roles in Sunday's fund-raiser for breast cancer research at the Eakins Oval/Philadelphia Museum of Art. Fifteen members of Temple's football family - including head coach Matt Rhule and his wife, Julie - will participate in the 5K race, 5K walk, or 1-mile walk. More than 50 others associated with the Big East program have volunteered to hand out water.

Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw will retire June 30 after 11 years to give full attention to undisclosed family issues. Bradshaw, 65, will begin a leave of absence Friday. "We are asking our friends and people we know to understand what our challenges are now," Bradshaw said Wednesday night. "I haven't had much sleep over this [situation]. For 36 years uninterrupted, I have been an athletic director, but it's the right decision. " Kevin Clark will take over as interim athletic director.

CHANGE IS inevitable. Sometimes, you can see it coming. And other times, maybe not so much. Neal Theobald, who became Temple's 10th president in January, announced yesterday that Bill Bradshaw would be retiring after 11 years as the school's athletic director. Bradshaw will take a personal leave starting tomorrow. Kevin Clark, who, like Theobald, came to North Broad Street from Indiana University, will take over as interim AD. Clark has been Theobald's senior adviser. The unversity said it will conduct a national search to find a permanent replacement.

THESE DAYS in college athletics, coaches aren't the only recruiters. Right up there on the importance meter are players . . . even those who've yet to don a uniform. Thaddius Smith, a 5-10, 170-pound junior at Cardinal O'Hara High, Monday announced his commitment to Boston College. Quite crucial to the woo-him process, of course, were coach Steve Addazio and assistant Ryan Day (both formerly of Temple), but so were Marcus Outlow, a running back from Connecticut, and Darius Wade, a quarterback from Delaware.

Is Connor Reilly Temple's answer at quarterback? Or is Reilly's promotion to first string a way for the coaching staff to motivate senior quarterbacks Juice Granger and Chris Coyer? Granger and Coyer were expected to battle for the starting position this spring. Reilly, a redshirt junior who also plays for Temple's baseball team, was ranked fourth on the depth chart. But Reilly's arm strength has impressed the coaches in spring camp. "He was just in a system [under former coach Steve Addazio]

The Kevin Newsome experiment is on hold. The Temple senior, who was moved from quarterback to H-back last week, will miss most of this spring's drills with a shoulder injury. The 6-foot-2, 231-pounder sprained his AC joint after hauling in a pass on March 23. "He bought into the move," coach Matt Rhule said of the position switch. "I just wish he could be going right now. But at the same time, he made a great catch and hurt his shoulder. "But he will be ready to go. " Rhule added that Newsome "will give us a chance to be a weapon there, be versatile and contribute to the team.

Matt Rhule didn't have time to spare. After being formally announced as the Owls' 26th head football coach on Dec. 17, Rhule hit the ground running, embarking on the recruiting trail for the first time as a collegiate head coach. "We feel really good about it," said Rhule, who has 15 seasons of professional and collegiate coaching experience under his belt. "People really responded well to us. We're going to take that Temple 'T' further across the country and let people see us. " Along with recruiting, Rhule composed a staff of his own, bringing in offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, defensive coordinator Phil Snow, offensive line coach Allen Mogridge, defensive line coach Brandon Noble and wide receivers coach Terry Smith.

Thadd Smith was almost certain he would return from Boston College last weekend with a scholarship offer. And he had good reason to believe so. "Ever since [coach Steve Addazio] left Temple, he's been telling me to come up there," Smith said. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound junior at Cardinal O'Hara now lists the Eagles alongside Temple and Rutgers among his scholarship offers. Owls coaches visited Smith on O'Hara's campus after Addazio's departure and assured him he remained on their radar, Smith said.

SO, ON national signing day, is there any football coach in America who isn't excited about the class he just recruited? First-year Temple coach Matt Rhule is no different. But the reality is, nobody knows for sure. You can evaluate and project all you want, but until the new players get here, you have no way of telling how many will really help you and how many will end up never amounting to much. All you can do is the best you can and hope that, in a couple of years, you have more hits than misses.

Thadd Smith was almost certain he would return from Boston College last weekend with a scholarship offer. And he had good reason to believe so. "Ever since [coach Steve Addazio] left Temple, he's been telling me to come up there," Smith said. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound junior at Cardinal O'Hara now lists the Eagles alongside Temple and Rutgers among his scholarship offers. Owls coaches visited Smith on O'Hara's campus after Addazio's departure and ensured him he remains on their radar, Smith said.