Category Archives: Nick Rolovich

01.10.13
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Rolovich gone, Heater not forgotten

Nick Rolovich’s decision was a case of Reno 911 meeting 10th and Diamond.

With the announcement yesterday that Nick Rolovich was staying at Nevada comes the news today that Temple defensive coordinator Chuck Heater is leaving for Marshall.
Both developments, while disappointing, are not surprising.
We speculated in this spot a week ago that Chuck was going to Marshall and this is what we said when Rolovich was rumored to come to Temple as offensive coordinator:

I’ll believe Rolovich comes when I see him on North Broad Street. It might be a culture shock for someone who has worked in Hawaii and near Vegas the last two years to work at 10th and Diamond.

I published those words on this site Dec. 28. My instincts proved to be correct.
Rolovich was offered a double-salary pay raise to stay in Nevada.
Good for him. He’s got twins on the way and doesn’t want to uproot his family.
Plus, it’s better he decides now than sometime mid-way through the season. After all, 10th and Diamond isn’t for everybody. Scot Loeffler was the consummate professional while here and did a great job as offensive coordinator in 2011, but I could tell his heart wasn’t into being here.
Fortunately, Matt Rhule’s heart is into it and that should bode well for the make-up of the balance of the staff.

He was one of the best defensive coordinators I’ve ever seen at Temple. Nick Rapone was the best, Chuck was the second, Vince Hoch was the third and Mark D’Onofrio was a distant fourth.

I’m sure Marcus Satterfield will do a fine job as offensive coordinator. There will not be a search for a coordinator on offense. Satterfield will be the guy.
I don’t watch too much television, but one of the few channels I do get is the Comedy one and, while The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (my favorite) was off the air last month, I watched a couple of episodes of (awful) Reno 911.
The only thing that made me laugh about that show was imagining how long those cops would last at 10th and Diamond.
Two minutes.
Maybe.
Chuck, though, was another story altogether.
He loved living in Philadelphia, loved Temple, and was a terrific person to be around.
He was one of the best defensive coordinators I’ve ever seen at Temple.
Nick Rapone was the best, Chuck was the second, Vince Hoch was the third and Mark D’Onofrio was a distant fourth.
Like Nick, Chuck was as humble as they come.
After he made the second-half adjustments to shut out a UConn team that beat Louisville, I found myself standing next to Chuck in the parking lot while waiting for the guys to board the buses. He had a big smile on his face while watching the whole scene.   I turned to him said: “I don’t know what you did or said at halftime, but you are a genius.”
“It wasn’t me,” Chuck said, “It was the boys.”
That will be my lasting memory of Chuck at Temple.

12.31.12
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Matt Rhule becomes TU’s full-time coach today


A hybrid helmet between the old (left) and the new would be the best in college football.

Matt Rhule
Head Football Coach
Temple University

Dear Matt,
Let me officially be among the first to welcome you to the job full-time as Temple football coach now that the Giants have been eliminated.
I know you’ve been working hard for Temple since being hired, but it’s nice to get your full attention now.
I wish you nothing but the best. These players deserve a coach who will stay here and win for a long time.
First, thanks for bringing back the forward pass and Nick Rolovich to Temple. We’ve missed aspect of the game since the New Mexico Bowl.
You weren’t around at the end of the first half versus Maryland when the fans chanted in unison “Throw … The .. Ball.”
 It’s just as well.

Worst. Helmet. Ever. (Sorry, Chonn.)

You’ve come a long way since the last time we crossed paths and exchanged pleasantries while jogging at Mondak Commons in Upper Dublin Township a few years ago.
In the year since you’ve been gone, a few things changed that you might or might not know about. I’m sure you know coach Addazio changed the helmets. That was not a popular move to former players, who preferred the TEMPLE spelled out, as do most Temple fans (the results of a poll overwhelmingly favored the old Temple helmet).
Yet I realize branding the ‘][‘ is important, too. To me, the perfect compromise would be just that, a compromise, splitting the helmet down the middle with TEMPLE on one side and the T on the other side. To me, that would be the most distinctive and best helmet in college football today.

Nothing would please Dynamo Hyno more than a return to the TEMPLE helmet.

I know it’s not important in the overall scheme of things, but I hope you consider at least going in the direction of changing the helmets back to the Golden Era variety since that call was on Golden and Daz in the past.
It is now your call.
No biggie, since we survived the awful Owl helmet era and the attitude inside the helmet is more important than the lettering on the outside of it.
Also, you might have noticed in the Army game, we have an abundance of BCS-level linebackers and a dearth of depth at DE. Hopefully, some serious consideration is given to switching at least temporarily to the 3-4 until some big-time Adrian Robinson-type pass rushers can be recruited at the DE position.
I think Temple football will be the most exciting sports ticket in Philadelphia soon due to the changes you have already implemented.
I know the best is yet to come.
Good luck and Go Owls!

Sincerely, 
Mike Gibson
Editor and Publisher
Temple Football Forever

12.28.12
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Rhule’s complete staff is …

BREAKING NEWS: Nick Rolovich accepts position as Temple offensive coordinator as of 6:30 p.m. Saturday night … as Tyler Haddock-Jones might say … #geniuses ..

The Wisconsin football website “Bucky’s 5th Quarter” has high praise for Rolovich.

Nick Rolovich

The most agonizing thing out of Matt Rhule’s first few days as Temple head coach has to be the delay in the staff hiring announcements, which has to be expected.
The fans want to hear who now and that’s just not happening.
After all, Rhule’s got a job to finish at New York first.
Yet, if we are to believe the recruits, they seem to know who the assistants will be and they are not telling.
One of them, Tyler Haddock-Jones, used the hashtag #geniuses to describe the staff Rhule is assembling (see post below). He tweeted that he got off the phone with Rhule at 1:23 on Sunday afternoon and that Rhule told him what the staff would be then.
Haddock-Jones must have been impressed or maybe he’s just easily impressed.
We should find out one or the other in the next few days.
So far, two assistants have been named and while both appear to be solid hires, I wouldn’t use the hashtag #geniuses next to either one. Brandon Noble is going to be defensive line coach, while Rhule hired a guy from Tennessee Chattanoga, Marcus Satterfield,  to be an offensive coach in some capacity.
Of course, there are more announcements forthcoming and I would use the hashtag #geniuses next to these two:
CHUCK HEATER (DC) and NICK ROLOVICH (OC).

Genius, miracle-worker, same thing.

Heater, for obvious reasons well-documented here. He’s been an outstanding defensive coach everywhere he’s been and his 2011 Temple defense might have been one of the school’s best ever. It’s not his fault two of his starting defensive linemen were suspended or that his defensive ends lacked closing speed on the quarterback. A 3-4 defense utilizing linebackers as pass rushers would fix that problem until the Owls can recruit some stud sackers. Love to see Heater retained.
Rolovich’s pistol offense would work well at Temple. Chris Coyer was not the same quarterback in 2012 as he was in 2011 simply because Scot Loeffler wasn’t around to utilize he talents.
If Coyer can get out of a pass rush and throw on the run, that makes him a more effective dual-threat. The same can be said for Juice Granger and Kevin Newsome, who have similar skill sets.
I’ll believe Rolovich comes when I see him on North Broad Street. It might be a culture shock for someone who has worked in Hawaii and near Vegas the last two years to work at 10th and Diamond. Still, it can’t be too different from the Gainesville to Philly trip Heater enjoyed and, from all accounts, is apparently enjoying.
We don’t know yet if Rolovich and Heater are in the fold or will be in the fold, but if they join Rhule the staff IQ goes up exponentially and Haddock-Jones can use that hashtag without fear of contradiction.