Temple head coach Matt Rhule to leave Owls, coach Baylor next season

Temple truly has become quite the college football stepping stone.

First Al Golden, who led the Owls to success and a bowl berth a decade ago, jumped ship for Miami.

Then Steve Addazioleft town for Boston College.

And now, after signing a mega-contract last season to stay in town, Matt Rhule is ditching the AAC Owls too.

After leading the team to back-to-back 10 win seasons and bowl berths, the Owls’ era of success could be in jeopardy. Temple is finally getting national attention on television, in the rankings (they are 23rdin the country) and from recruits — but the Big 12 and Baylor were a hard draw for Rhule to turn down.

Even beating Penn State and nearly upsetting Notre Dame in front of packed houses at the Lincdoesn’t compare to playing Texas, TCU and other Midwestern powerhouses week after week.

Like Golden before him, Rhule will jump to a college that has had off-the-field issues. He’ll have to right the ship for a typically perennialoffensive powerhouse, leaving behind a defensive powerhouse in Temple.

Temple finished 10-3 this seasonand defeated No. 19 Navy 34-10 in Saturday’s AAC championship game. The Owls will play Wake Forest in the Military Bow on Dec. 27. They lost in the Boca Raton Bowl last season.

Rhule is set to address the media this afternoon, but one thing is sure — Owls fans and players will again feel abandoned by a hot coaching commodity.