Temple head coach Geoff Collins has found his defensive coordinator.
Collins on Wednesday nabbed Purdue defensive backs coach Taver Johnson to lead his Owls defense. Johnson spent the last three seasons as the Boilermakers' D-backs coach.
"Taver Johnson is an outstanding coach, a relentless recruiter and a positive role model for his players," Collins said in a statement. "He has experience coaching several positions throughout his career and has excelled at every university he's been a part of.
"What I like most about him is his passion for the game and his love for the players he coaches. He really stood out in this process as a man who fit into the beliefs, philosophies and overall mentality that is Temple Football."
Johnson comes to North Broad Street with 23 years of coaching experience. Before going to Purdue, Johnson spent three years at Arkansas coaching linebackers and defensive backs. In the spring of 2012, Johnson served as Arkansas' interim head coach. He's also spent time coaching at Ohio State and Miami (Ohio) and with the Cleveland Browns.
Purdue has had 10 interceptions or more in each of the last three seasons with Johnson coaching the defensive backs.
On Tuesday, Collins added Robert Calabrese and Josh Linam to his staff (see story). Calabrese will serve as Temple's offensive analyst, while Linam will be the defensive analyst.