Football School: Temple hires KC Keeler as head coach- a new era for the Owls

Drew Smith
December 2, 2024
Philly
0 Comments

Football School? Temple University hired KC Keeler as its new head coach, marking a significant move as the Owls aim to rebuild their depleted and downright embarrassing football program.

Temple hires K.C. Keeler save their football program:

IT'S OFFICIAL‼️

Welcome to @TempleUniv, @CoachKCKeeler!

✍️: https://t.co/jGy8yWhNYh pic.twitter.com/GazB9H19ZT
— Temple Football (@Temple_FB) December 1, 2024

Don’t get me wrong, KC Keeler is one hell of a football coach and if anyone can help dig Temple out of the depths of AAC hell, Keeler has the best chance of doing it.

Keeler somehow managed to lead Sam Houston State’s transition from FCS to FBS and led the Bearkats to the 2020 FCS national championship. The Bearkats were 9-3 this year in their second season of FBS play, including a 6-2 mark in Conference USA.

He brings a wealth of experience and a proven record of success to Temple University, who has delivered pretty much everything but that over the past several years.

Temple athletic director Arthur Johnson praised Keeler’s ability to evaluate, recruit, and develop talent, describing him as the right leader to restore Temple football to prominence.

“Coach Keeler has a track record of evaluating, recruiting, and developing student-athletes into championship-level young men,” Johnson said in a statement. “His leadership, experience, and the culture he establishes within programs are exactly what Temple football needs.”

Keeler replaces Stan Drayton, who was fired in November after compiling a 9-25 record over three seasons and all things considered, he’s excited about the new role, highlighting his alignment with the vision of Johnson and Temple President John Fry.

“I am beyond thrilled to be named Temple University’s next head football coach,” Keeler said. “Their shared vision and enthusiasm for returning this program to greatness has been contagious. I’m eager to get to work to bring that vision to fruition for the Cherry and the White.”

The Owls haven’t had a winning record since 2019 but had six straight seasons at .500 or better from 2014-19.

As for KC Keeler, he posted a 97-39 record over his 11 years at Sam Houston State and had his most successful stint as Delaware’s head coach (2002-12), where he led the Blue Hens to three FCS national championship game appearances and the 2003 title while also taking home the Eddie Robinson Award as the FCS Coach of the Year in 2016.

The hope here is that Keeler’s ability to navigate Sam Houston State’s move to the FBS also demonstrates his skill in managing complex transitions, a trait Temple will value as they work to rebuild yet again.

Temple has obviously struggled to recapture the success it enjoyed in year’s past, but Keeler’s resume offers a glimmer of hope for a turnaround.

It’s a long shot, but the guy has a proven ability to build winning cultures and his championship pedigree offers a promising foundation for a Temple Football program that appears to be built in quicksand.

Temple fans will be watching closely to see if Keeler can return the Owls to relevance in the competitive college football landscape. For now, the hire signals that Temple is serious about making a comeback, and KC Keeler is ready to lead the charge.