Temple has fired coach Stan Drayton with just two weeks left in the 2024 season, the university announced Sunday. The timing is interesting, given that the Owls are one day removed from Saturday’s 18-15 overtime win against FAU, but even with that they’re 3-7 on the year, solidifying a third straight losing record for Drayton.
The Owls close the year on the road against UTSA and at home against North Texas, two teams that are one win away from bowl eligibility. Temple, meanwhile, did not make the postseason under Drayton.
“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,” Temple athletic director 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.”
Drayton never won more than three games in a single season. He was hired ahead of the 2022 campaign and departs Philadelphia with a 9-25 overall record and a 4-18 showing in American Athletic Conference play. The Owls currently sit 11th in the AAC standings. They finished no better than 10th during Drayton’s tenure — that was in 2022, when the AAC still had only 11 schools.
Prior to his hiring at Temple, Drayton was the associate head coach, running backs coach and run-game coordinator at Texas. He was hired by Tom Herman in 2017 and retained by Steve Sarkisian in 2021.
Drayton, a former running back at Allegheny, also coached running backs at programs like Florida (2005-07; 2010), Tennessee (2008), Syracuse (2009) and Ohio State (2012-14), where he first worked with Herman, now the coach at FAU. Drayton was also the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears from 2015-16.
Temple is the eighth program to make a coaching change thus far during the 2024 cycle. All have been from the Group of Five ranks.
