Temple University’s second football head-coaching search is underway, with the university reportedly conducting interviews over the weekend.
University of Wisconsin associate head coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph has interviewed for the position, reported Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.
Temple is replacing Manny Diaz, who returned to the University of Miami less than three weeks after the Owls announced him as their coach to take the Hurricanes’ head job.
Rudolph is said to have to have been “impressive” during his interview with the Owls, Feldman reported.
Rudolph is from Pennsylvania and played guard professionally for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995 and San Francisco 49ers in 1997. He played college football at Wisconsin from 1992-94, serving as captain during the 1994 season.
He began coaching in 2004 as a graduate assistant at Ohio State University. Then he served as the tight ends coach at the University of Nebraska in 2006. Rudolph returned to his alma mater to coach tight ends from 2007-11.
Rudolph left Wisconsin for the University of Pittsburgh in 2012 to become its associate head coach and offensive coordinator. In 2014, Rudolph served as the Panthers’ interim coach in their loss to Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl after former Panthers coach Paul Chryst left for Wisconsin.
After the season, he followed Chryst to return to Wisconsin, where he has been the offensive coordinator since 2015. The Badgers ranked 36th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense under Rudolph’s direction in 2018.
The Owls have also reached out to Northern Illinois University coach Rod Carey, but there has been no official word if he has interviewed with Temple, the Inquirer reported.
During the first coaching search, the Owls reportedly targeted candidates with defensive backgrounds. Including Diaz, Temple interviewed at least five defensive-focused candidates during the first interview process, FootballScoop reported.
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