AP source: Temple fires football coach Carey after 3 seasons

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Temple has fired coach Rod Carey after three seasons with the school, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the firing was not officially announced.

The Owls completed a 3-9 season on Saturday with their seventh straight lopsided loss, falling to Navy 38-14.

Carey went 12-20 at the Philadelphia-based school after being hired away from Northern Illinois in January 2019. He went just 4-15 over the last two seasons.

The unusual timing was the result of Manny Diaz taking the Temple job after Geoff Collins left for Georgia Tech, but soon after Diaz was hired by Miami.

Carey was 52-30 with six winning seasons in seven years leading NIU, and he guided Temple to an 8-5 record in 2019.

But the Owls went 1-6 last year in a season wrecked by COVID-19 issues and then finished tied for last in the American Athletic Conference this year.

Temple also finally hired a replacement for the athletic director who hired Carey earlier this year. Arthur Johnson, a veteran administrator who most recently worked at Texas, was named Temple AD in October.

Temple played in five straight bowl games from 2015 to 2019.

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AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo contributed to this report.

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