A Legacy of Owls: The History of Temple University Athletics

Temple University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, boasts a rich athletic history dating back to the late 19th century. As a member of the American Athletic Conference (The American), the Temple Owls have established a tradition of competitive excellence across a variety of sports. The owl, a symbol deeply intertwined with the university's identity since its founding in the 1880s, embodies the spirit and determination of Temple's student-athletes. Temple was the first school in the United States to adopt the owl as its symbol or mascot. The owl, a nocturnal hunter, was initially adopted as a symbol because Temple University began as a night school for young people of limited means.

Early Athletic Endeavors

Temple University was among the first institutions in the United States to sponsor extracurricular athletic activities for its students. The football and basketball programs were inaugurated in 1894 under the direction of Coach Charles M. Thompson, marking the beginning of a long and storied athletic journey.

Basketball: A Storied Tradition

Temple's men's basketball program has a particularly rich history, marked by numerous successes and legendary figures. In 1938, the Owls, boasting a 23-2 record, triumphed in the inaugural National Invitation Tournament (NIT), defeating Colorado 60-36 in the championship final. Because the NCAA tournament was not held until the following year, Temple's NIT championship earned the Owls national title recognition. The 1950s saw the Temple basketball team make two NCAA Final Four appearances (1956, 1958) under the guidance of Head Coach Harry Litwack. Litwack, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after a 21-year coaching career that included 373 wins, left an indelible mark on the program.

John Chaney, another Hall of Famer, further cemented Temple's basketball legacy. He won a total of 724 career games and led Temple to the NCAA tournament 17 times. His 1987-88 Owls team entered the NCAA tournament ranked No. 1 in the country, and he reached the Elite Eight on five occasions. He was consensus national coach of the year in 1988. Former NBA players Eddie Jones of the Miami Heat, Aaron McKie of the Los Angeles Lakers, Rick Brunson of the New York Knicks, and Mardy Collins, formerly of the Los Angeles Clippers, are also part of Temple's basketball heritage.

In 2006, Fran Dunphy, formerly of the University of Pennsylvania, took over as Temple's head men's basketball coach. Dunphy and his Owls won the Atlantic-10 tournament in 2008 beating St. Joseph's University. The Owls were rewarded with a 12 seed in the NCAA tournament and paired against 5th-seeded Michigan State, losing that game 72-61. After Dunphy's (temporary) retirement in 2019, alumnus Aaron McKie was named the program's head coach.

McKie's tenure saw many highs, but just as many lows. A tumultuous 2022-23 season, where the team went on record saying they believed they could qualify for the NCAA tournament, saw the Owls defeating #16 Villanova at home and #1 Houston on the road, but suffering home losses to Wagner College and University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. Ultimately, Temple couldn't live up to their own hype; suffering a 30-point defeat to Cincinnati in the AAC Tournament quarterfinals. The magnitude of the loss, coupled with the failure to reach the NCAA tournament in his five years and the exit of five of the team's top players via the transfer portal doomed McKie's tenure.

Former Miami and Penn State assistant Adam Fisher (basketball) was named McKie's successor on March 29, 2023. Fisher's first season saw the Owls win 16 games, tied for the most by a first-year head coach in program history. Temple's wins over Big 5 rivals Drexel on November 14 and La Salle on Nov. 29 (in triple overtime) put the Owls in the championship game of the inaugural Big 5 Classic, but they fell to St. Joe's. The Owls struggled in conference play with a 5-13 regular season record in the AAC. But Temple nearly stunned the college basketball world by making their way to the AAC Tournament finals, winning four games in four days; including a semifinal win over Florida Atlantic University, who reached the Final Four the previous season.

Women's Basketball: A Tradition of Excellence

From 1999 to 2008, the Temple Owls women's basketball team was guided by head coach and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Dawn Staley. Staley was named the head coach for the University of South Carolina on May 7, 2008. She was succeeded by Tonya Cardoza, a former assistant coach from the University of Connecticut. As an assistant coach at UConn, Cardoza helped lead the Huskies to five National Championships (1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004). In 2005, by winning 25 straight games, a #15 national ranking and a trip to the NCAA second round for just the second time in school history, Temple Women's Basketball also upholds the reputation of Temple athletics. Women's Basketball coach Dawn Staley was the 2004 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, has won 74 games in her first four seasons, captured Temple's only two conference championships and earned three postseason bids. Entering the 2011-12 season, Temple had played in the previous nine NCAA tournaments. The Owls' streak ended in 2012 when they played instead in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). They advanced to the WNIT Third round. Heading into the 2021-22 season, Tonya Cardoza's overall record at Temple is 238-173. Following the 2021-22 season. Cardoza was fired after not making a postseason in four straight seasons.

Football: Navigating Conference Landscapes

The Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision. The football program was a member of the Big East Conference until its expulsion after the 2004 season due to a variety of program shortcomings. Temple played a limited Mid-American Conference (MAC) schedule in 2005 and 2006 before becoming an affiliated football-only member and playing a full 8-game MAC league schedule in 2007.

In December 2005, Al Golden, the defensive coordinator for the University of Virginia, was named head coach, replacing Bobby Wallace. He would accumulate a 27-34 record before moving to the Miami (FL). With the improvement to Temple's football program, the school was invited to rejoin the Big East Conference as an associate member for football for 2012 and as a full member for all sports in 2013. By the time Temple returned to full membership, the Big East had split along football lines into a new, non-football Big East Conference and the football-sponsoring American Athletic Conference, with Temple joining The American.

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2015 was a breakout year for the program. The Owls won 10 out of 12 regular season games, including victories over Penn State, Cincinnati and a 4-point loss in the waning minutes to Notre Dame, with an AAC Championship game-clinching victory over bowl-bound UConn in the final game of the season.

Other Sports: A Diverse Athletic Portfolio

Beyond basketball and football, Temple University sponsors a diverse range of athletic programs, each with its own unique history and accomplishments. Temple sponsors 18 varsity teams.

Baseball

Temple's baseball program was in existence from 1927 to 2014, and played in two College World Series. Its winningest coach, James "Skip" Wilson, guided the Owls to 901 career wins. The team played in the NCAA Tournament a total of 14 times, and advanced to the NCAA College World Series in 1972 and 1977. Temple played its home games at Skip Wilson Field in Ambler, a Philadelphia suburb, from 2004 to 2014.

Rugby

Temple plays every year at the Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC). The CRC is the highest profile college rugby tournament in the country, and is played every year at PPL Park in Philadelphia, and is broadcast live on NBC. Temple Rugby has been one of the most successful sports at Temple University since its inception in 1980. Temple has won the Mayor's Cup and Liberty Cup multiple times. Temple has qualified for the EPRU championships three years in a row, and in 2003 won the Division II EPRU championships. Temple played in the Division II title game in 2010, but lost to Claremont 25-19. Temple's success resulted in its promotion in 2010 to the Division I level. Temple now plays in the Keystone Conference against local rivals such as St.

Soccer

The soccer program was established in 1926, producing five Olympians en route to surpassing the 500-win milestone in the fall of 1996. Previous head coach David MacWilliams guided the Owls to three straight A-10 Tournament appearances in 2010, 2011 and 2012. All-time, the program has made six NCAA Tournament appearances (1966, 1967, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1985) and won first-round games in three of those appearances (1966, 1976, 1978).

Read also: Affording Temple

Cross Country and Track & Field

Men's and women's cross country and track & field teams are coached by Elvis Forde, who entered his inaugural season in 2014-15. In 2012, Travis Mahoney became the first-ever Temple cross country runner to score points at the NCAA Championships, placing fifth and earning his second All-American honor in the sport (2nd team in 2011, 1st team in 2012). One of the program's most notable athletes, Eulace Peacock remains a giant in the history of the sport.

Men's Crew

Temple's men's crew team is coached by Alumnus Brian Perkins. Since taking over in 2016, Perkins has taken the Owls to their first Henley Royal Regatta since 1994 after sweeping the Dad Vail Regatta in record fashion. Prior to Perkins, Dr. Gavin R. White, coached Temple for 37 seasons before retiring at the end of the 2015-16 season. Under White's guidance, the Owls earned international distinction with seven invitations to Great Britain's premiere regatta, the renowned Henley Royal Regatta (1983-86, 1989, 1990, 1994).

Golf

The Temple golf program, inaugurated in 1931, has participated in 20 NCAA championship tournaments, produced 22 All-American citations and won 15 conference championships. Golf team is coached by Brian Quinn, entering his 14th season in 2021-22.

Men's Gymnastics

Under Fred Turoff, the men's gymnastics team has won 18 ECAC/EIGL championships, and produced five individual NCAA national champions. Recently Darin Gerlach won an individual event national championship in 1998. As of 2013, Temple's men's gymnastics team was coached by Fred Turoff, entering his 38th season in 2013-14 with an impressive career record of 432-184. The program won the NCAA Championship in 1948-49, and won seven Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships including back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.

Tennis

Temple's tennis team is coached by Steve Mauro, entering his 17th season as men's coach and who also coaches the women's tennis team.

Women's Athletics: A Growing Presence

As early as 1923, the university's women began participating on club sport teams. In fact, that year, Coach Blanche Voorhees guided an Owl basketball team to a perfect 12-0 record and also started a field hockey program. Additional sports for women followed: swimming in 1926, tennis in 1939, fencing in 1946, softball in 1949, lacrosse in 1957, and finally volleyball, track and field in 1975. The modern era took root in 1974, when Temple named physical education instructor Veronica "Ronnie" Maurek to the dual role of head basketball and softball coach. Andy McGovern, who was Temple's first full-time women's basketball coach, produced the Owls' first winning season of the modern era with a 14-10 mark in the 1979-80 season. Prior to the 1980-81 season, Temple named Linda MacDonald as its second full-time head coach and began the process of national recruiting and scheduling.

Fencing

Temple's fencing team operates under head coach Nikki Franke. Between 1983 and 1995, Owl fencers competed in the NCAA championships every year and never finished lower than fifth. Coach Nikki Franke entered her 44th season in 2015-16 with an impressive 723-207-1 career record. Franke led the Owls to 40 postseason appearances during her tenure. Dr. Franke retired after the 2021-22 season.

Field Hockey

Temple field hockey teams have finished among the NCAA's top 20 no less than 13 times in the last 15 seasons, while producing 24 All-Americans. Jane Catanzaro, a four-time All-American between 1987 and 1990, won the prestigious Honda Award in the 1990-91 academic year, for outstanding achievement and excellence in intercollegiate athletics. Amanda Janney led the field hockey team for 10 years until she resigned in 2015. The program advanced to the Atlantic 10 Tournament for 10 straight seasons from 2003 to 2012.

Gymnastics

The gymnastics program started in 1975. The current gymnastics team is coached by current Assistant Coach Rachel Innis (2019-Present) and prior head coach was Umme Salim-Beasley, hired as Temple's head women's gymnastics coach in late April, 2015; Salim-Beasley had spent a prior four seasons as an assistant coach at Rutgers University, and was named the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Assistant Coach of the Year in 2014. Since 2009, the Owls have placed third in the ECAC three times (2009, 2010, 2012), and fourth two times (2011, 2013). From 2019 to 2021 the gymnastics program won three straight conference titles.

Olympic Legacy

Temple University's athletic program has also made its mark on the Olympic stage.

1948 London Olympics: Temple University gymnasts Marian Barone and Clara Schroth-Lomady help the United States win its first medal for women in team competition with the bronze.
1996 Atlanta Olympics: Scott Brodie (St. rowing team's Men's Eight.
2000 Sydney Olympics: Igor Francetic (Zagreb, Croatia) was a member of the bronze medal-winning Croatian Eight rowing team; Long time Temple men's rowing coach, Dr. Men's Eight that won gold and set a world record in rowing; Temple women's basketball coach, Dawn Staley, was the United States team captain and flag bearer and a member of the women's basketball team that won gold; Miles Avery (Philadelphia native and Temple graduate) is an assistant coach on the Olympic Team and personal coach of All-Around Champion Paul Hamm.

Conference Affiliations

The Temple Owls have navigated a changing conference landscape throughout their history. The Owls are primarily members of the American Athletic Conference (The American). Since their football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. As of the 2023 conference realignment, Temple and Wichita State are the only two schools in the American to have never been members of Conference USA.

The landscape of Temple sports changed in the early 2010s, thanks to a major realignment of Division I conferences. Temple football returned to the Big East in 2012, and then became a full member of the renamed American Athletic Conference in July 2013, after being a full member (non-football) of the A-10 since the early '80s.

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