Temple’s Matt Rhule has a new contract and will remain Owls coach.

Meatloaf sang, “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” and that’s what you could say about the Temple football program over the last three days.

They didn’t get an American Athletic Conference Championship when they lost the title game to the University of Houston 24-13.

“This one hurts,” said Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who was the Conference Defensive Player of the Year and is a finalist for the Bednarik Award. “You never like losing. You just have to keep the ‘what’s next’ mentality, and we just have to go back and figure what’s going on next, and we’ll go from there.”
What’s next for Matakevich and the rest of the 24th ranked Owls (10-3, 7-1) is an invitation to the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl. They’ll face Toledo out of the MAC in the game to be played on December 22 at FAU Stadium on the campus of Florida Atlantic University.

“Obviously, we’re ecstatic to accept a bid to the Boca Raton Bowl,” said Owls head coach Matt Rhule moments after he and his team learned they would be going to a bowl after not having an extra game in 2014 despite being eligible.

“I think it’s a fitting end for our guys,” added Rhule, who is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. “We’re hopeful we can finish the year in the top 25.”

The news that the program will be playing in its third bowl game in seven years was followed by more good news, Rhule will be sticking around North Broad. After having his name mentioned for some of the open head coaching positions at bigger programs, Rhule was given an extension by the university.
University President Neil D. Theobald announced that Rhule has agreed to a six-year contract which will run through the 2021 season. Financial terms are not being disclosed.

“One of the first decisions I made as Temple’s president was to hire Matt Rhule as football coach,” Theobald said in a press release. “Matt’s commitment to our student-athletes on and off the field, as well as the program’s substantial improvement each season, has more than justified my confidence in him. He works tirelessly for the betterment of our players, our football program, and our university.”

“While this has been such a special season, there is still so much more that Temple football can accomplish,” Rhule said whose team would set a school record for wins in a season with a victory over the Rockets in the bowl game. “I am proud to coach such incredible student-athletes and I am honored to continue to be a part of the Temple community.”

In three season as the Owls head coach, Rhule has an 18-19 mark and two of his three teams were bowl eligible. He was an assistant coach on both Al Golden and Steve Addazio staffs before joining the New York Giants as the assistant offensive line coach for the 2012 season. He was named head coach at Temple in December of 2012.

Email Rock Hoffman at Rock@Footballstories.com