Wisconsin Football: Joe Rudolph reportedly in mix for Temple job

Reports indicate that Wisconsin Football offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph has interviewed for Temple’s vacant head coaching job.

It appears as though there’s a reasonable chance that Wisconsin could have an opening on its staff soon.

According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Joe Rudolph has been interviewed by Temple for the vacant head coaching position there. Feldman even noted that, based on what he has heard from his source, Rudolph impressed the Owls.

Temple had originally hired then-Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to fill the position, but just three days after the Hurricanes were spanked by the Badgers in the Pinstripe Bowl, head coach Mark Richt unexpectedly announced his retirement. Once that surprising news broke, Diaz and Miami wasted little time in coming to terms on an agreement that would make him the new head man in Coral Gables, leaving Temple high and dry less than three weeks after he took over the Owls’ program.

Rudolph, a former offensive lineman at Wisconsin who played for Barry Alvarez, just finished up his fourth season as Paul Chryst’s associate head coach and right-hand man in Madison. Prior to that, he had also been on the Wisconsin staff from 2008-2011 as the tight ends coach for Bret Bielema before joining Chryst’s staff when he took the head coaching gig at Pittsburgh. Rudolph served as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator from 2012-2014 before returning to Wisconsin with Chryst.

Rudolph has played a huge role in the success of the program over the last few years as offensive coordinator, but his best work has been in maintaining and perhaps even expanding Wisconsin’s status as O-Line U. Under his tutelage, guys like Ryan Ramcyzk, Michael Deiter, Beau Benzschawel, David Edwards, and Tyler Biadasz have developed into college stars and pros.

Unsurprisingly, Rudolph’s success has not gone unnoticed elsewhere in the college football world, as he has been considered a viable head coaching candidate for at least a couple of years now.

Given his accomplishments over the last few years at Wisconsin, one can see why Temple officials would be interested in handing him the keys to the car based on them alone. However, Rudolph also likely gets some bonus points for being a Pennsylvania native with experience coaching and recruiting in the state in his role under Chryst at Pittsburgh.