Saturday, 3 December 2005

As of Saturday morning, it's official

Al Golden to become 23d head coach at Temple University in a press conference Tuesday, 2 p.m., at the Liacouras Center. ... Good luck, Al
By Mike Gibson
Put aside the fact that no one has ever seen what Al Golden can do running a team with a clipboard in his hand.
Every other indication points to Golden, the current Virginia defensive coordinator, having a terrific career as Temple University head coach.
Golden stocked the Boston College roster with outstanding talent that has perpetuated itself to this day.
As recruiting coordinator at his alma mater, Penn State, he did the same.
He comes to Temple with an insiders' knowledge of the East Coast, its players and the potential to win at Temple University. As an assistant coach to Tom O'Brien, in two trips to Philadelphia, he went home a loser to the Temple Owls.
O'Brien, after watching the $7 million Edberg-Olson Hall go up at Temple University, remarked to the Boston Globe in the ultimate backhanded compliment, "now even Temple has better facilities than us."
It should be interesting to see what level of talent Golden can attract to Edberg-Olson Hall to prepare to play in the greatest football stadium in America, Lincoln Financial Field.
The one question remains, as is the one question with any assistant coach, is how he'll do under the pressure of calling those plays and running that program.
Al Golden has prepared all of his life for this moment. Greg Schiano, a terrific recruiter at Rutgers, has been routinely criticized for his game-day coaching.
Maybe Temple will luck out and, in Golden, get superb recruiter and a great gameday coach.
Whatever, Golden will now have his chance.
Last year, he turned down Charlie Weis' offer to become Notre Dame defensive coordinator. That wasn't quite the right fit, in his mind.
This is.
This is his time.
With this hiring, Temple had a chance to both turn around the perception of its program in Philadelphia and beyond. They could have had the Joe Philadelphia fan say "wow" with this hiring, if it had been a big name like Rick Neuheisel, Mike Price or Dennis Erickson and, to a lesser extent, Jim Harbaugh and Bruce Arians _ recognizable names in this heavily pro football town.
Early, the rumors circulated that a big-time alumnus would deliver the money needed to attack a name like Neuheisel. The late rumor was that another alumnus agreed to pay the salary of Bruce Arians and was refused.
The administration could have had "Joe Philadelphia Fan" saying "wow, Temple hired him?"
Now the few Joe Philadephia fans who care will likely say: "Who?"
At this point, though, who cares?
With creative funding, Bill Bradshaw could have delivered both flash and substance.
Instead, he settled for substance.
Already, there is considerable consternation on the Rutgers' board over the rumor that Mark D'Onofrio will become Temple defensive coordinator and more over what Golden can do for Temple.
Al Golden has substance written all over his face and more importantly his resume.
With substance comes results and with results there will be enough flash to light up a Fourth of July party.
Thanks to Temple Football Forever's h-t-m-l consultant NJ Schmitty, good luck to someone who will be known for the forseeable future as "Owl" Golden.

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