The Temple Owls made what felt like an inevitable move of firing head coach Stan Drayton come true on Sunday. Drayton was let go from his post after nearly three seasons with the program, each slightly more disappointing than the last.
With Drayton out and the season nearly over, the time to shift the page to next year is upon us. Which replacements should be atop the list for Temple to hire in place of Drayton?
Brennan Marion, UNLV (offensive coordinator)
We’ll start with the obvious choice here. Brennan Marion has no ties to Temple, but that shouldn’t matter. If the Owls are serious about restructuring their team and scoring more points, than there is no better candidate than Marion.
Under his tutelage, the UNLV Rebels offense is averaging the sixth-most points in the country this year. What makes that even more impressive is that fact that they’re doing it with their second-string quarterback for the second season in a row.
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Marion brings with him heavy ties to recruiting in Texas and can recruit the West Coast now with his ties from his time with UNLV. There’s also ties in Florida and the rest of the South as it’s clear Marion is next up to make the move, it’s just a matter of when.
His go-go offense is an incredibly difficult scheme to stop and if he can bring with him some of the flare that’s made UNLV a nationally known offensive power, the Owls will have hit a home-run hire.
Brian Bohannon, n/a (former Kennesaw State head coach)
After he was let go, or fired, or resigned, or whatever the case actually was at Kennesaw State, there is not a better candidate or more qualified candidate to take a rebuild over than Brian Bohannon. In fairness, he probably shouldn’t even be available as he was essentially promised (at least in our eyes) a second year of FBS action with Kennesaw State as they’ve made their move up.
Bohannon built the Owls — Kennesaw State, not Temple — up into the program that was ready to make the move and with a bigger budget that Temple could offer, should be said he could do the same with Temple. Only, he won’t be starting at the proverbial bottom.
He’s a program builder, if you want to slap a label on him, but he won’t have to build Temple from the ground up. He’ll just have to sift through the rubble and maintain the positive pieces that will remain following Drayton’s disastrous ending.
D.J. Eliot, n/a (former Temple defensive coordinator)
D.J. Eliot is a name that has already come up as he’d be a legacy hire for the Owls. Eliot last coached in 2023 with the Philadelphia Eagles having spent the 2022 season as the defensive coordinator for Temple under Drayton.
Residing in the Philadelphia area, Eliot has extensive ties to recruiting in the south, something Temple has not been able to do in recent years. The game is different since Eliot was truly in charge for more than a sample year or two here or there in college, and it’d be interesting to see what he’s made of the portal and NIL recently, but for a team that needs to stop opponents from scoring, Eliot is the guy to look to.
Mark Ferrante, Villanova (head coach)
From just outside the city, Mark Ferrante could make the trek in to Philadelphia a very easy one if he wants to make the leap from FCS to FBS. Now in his eighth season as the head coach of Villanova, Ferrante has coached the the Wildcats to two separate 10-win seasons and three FCS playoff appearances.
Ferrante has the Wildcats ranked in the top 10 in the FCS this season and has done so with his usual flair of strong defense and high-flying offenses.
A former quarterback himself, Ferrante presents as the potential safest of the candidates due to his proven success, track record, and location. Despite no ties officially to Temple, Ferrante could build an impressive staff that could make the Owls a contender in the AAC in no time.
Kevin M. Gilbride, BYU (tight ends coach)
Kevin M. Gilbride has been an up-and-comer in the coaching world since he made his first stop with the Syracuse Orange back in 2003. A former dual-sport athlete at Hawaii, Gilbride is a northeast resident and has proven his worth in and around the coaching ranks ever since.
His first official FBS job came way back in 2007 when Temple gave him his start as the wide receivers coach from 07-09, making him a legacy candidate as well. Gilbride is currently the tight ends coach at BYU after serving as an offensive analyst for Charlotte in 2023.
Previous to that, Gilbride spent 2010 to 2017 with the New York Giants, 2018-2019 with the Chicago Bears, and 2021 with the Carolina Panthers.
That kind of professional tie-in is hard to come by with someone who is still rising in the coaching ranks on Saturdays. He’s reportedly got a good beat on recruiting, the transfer portal, and NIL since returning to the field with Charlotte two years ago, and has himself primed for at least an offensive coordinator role, if not a head coach role, if he can nail the interviews this offseason.
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