Stan Drayton fired as Temple head football coach

Stan Drayton has been let go as head football coach at Temple, the school announced on Sunday. The Owls beat Florida Atlantic in overtime yesterday but are locked into a third-straight losing season under Drayton, who went 3-9 in each of his two full seasons at the helm (the Owls are currently 3-7).

“I would like to extend my appreciation to Coach Drayton for his commitment to Temple University, our student-athletes and the football program over the past three years,” AD Arthur Johnson said in a statement. “Under his direction, our student-athletes have excelled in the classroom, been outstanding members of the community and Coach Drayton has represented the University with a tremendous amount of integrity and class. I wish him and his family well in their future endeavors.”

“With the changing landscape of college football and the playoff format, the opportunity for Temple football has never been greater. Our expectation is to compete for American Athletic Conference titles, appear in bowl games consistently, and build a program that our fans, alumni, and students can be proud of in the classroom and on the field. I am confident that our fans will rally around our student-athletes and support them as they always have.”

Defensive coordinator Everett Withers, who arrived at Temple with Drayton in 2022, has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The Owls travel to UTSA (5-5) next weekend and then finish the year at home against North Texas (5-5).

credit to AP Photo/John Raoux for the image