PHILADELPHIA -- From Joe Paterno to Tom Coughlin, Matt Rhule has been mentored by some of the winningest coaches in football.
Now, Rhule gets a chance to apply all of it at Temple.
Rhule, 37, who will leave his post as assistant offensive line coach with the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants to take over the Owls, was formally introduced on Monday on campus, after agreeing to a contract over the weekend. He has 15 seasons of coaching experience, and is a former linebacker at Penn State.
He will replace Steve Addazio, who left Temple earlier this month to take the same post at Boston College. Addazio was with the Owls for just two years.
"We had a diverse and talented pool of candidates and an overwhelming amount of interest, but one person distinguished himself from the rest -- Matt Rhule," Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw said. "Matt is the perfect person to take Temple Football to the next level."
"Matt is a good, young coach. He has very good command, and is thorough and detailed in his assignments and with personnel," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "He has an outstanding background in the game, and the players like and respect him. He will be a great representative for Temple."
Rhule -- who will finish the season with New York, a team that will advance to the NFC postseason with wins in its final two games -- applied for the Temple position when Golden left to take the job at Miami, and lost out to Addazio.
The second time, though, was a charm.
"From the minute that he stepped foot here and became our assistant, you could tell he was a guy that was passionate about football," Giants tackle David Diehl said. "He loves the game; he loves being around it. He's a guy who brings that energy each and every day."
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
