A joint statement from Temple Athletic Director Arthur Johnson and Stan Drayton announced late Sunday morning that Drayton will no longer lead the Owls’ football program. Defensive coordinator Everett Withers will coach the team’s two remaining games of the 2024 season.
“I appreciate the opportunity that I was given to lead a great group of young men at Temple University,” Drayton said in the statement. “I wish them nothing but the best in football and in life.”
The announcement came less than 24 hours after Temple’s 18-15 overtime win over FAU Saturday.
“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,” Johnson wrote in the release. “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, who worked as an associate head coach and run game coordinator at Texas under both Tom Herman and Steve Sarkisian, was one of Johnson’s first hires following the end of Rod Carey’s three-year tenure. The first-time head coach had a 9-25 record in nearly three full seasons, including a 4-18 finish in American Athletic Conference games and an 0-15 record on the road.
Johnson also wrote the Owls failed to meet the department’s expectations in recent years. This comes just six days after Drayton compared his roster to Tulane following the Owls’ 52-6 loss on Nov. 9. It also comes less than two weeks after Johnson told those in attendance during an NIL educational session and reception in Media that he could have done more on the NIL front when he first got to Temple.
“With the changing landscape of college football and the playoff format, the opportunity for Temple football has never been greater,” Johnson wrote. “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.”
Before Temple, Drayton won national championships as an assistant coach at Florida in 2006 and Ohio State in 2014. He served as a pivotal part of developing running backs like Bijan Robinson at Texas and Ezekiel Elliot at Ohio State and was the lead recruiter in getting future Eagles star Brian Westbrook to Villanova.
The Owls have just five days before kicking off against UTSA Friday evening at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
