Temple head coach Matt Rhule recently found himself with an unexpected opening at offensive coordinator, but he didn't have to search too far for the right candidate to fill it.
Temple quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas has been promoted to offensive coordinator, the school announced Thursday.
The story was first reported Thursday morning on Twitter by OwlScoop.com.
“We brought Glenn in here last year and he did an outstanding job with our quarterbacks,” Rhule said in a statement. “Glenn is a student of the game and has a track record working with productive offenses at every level. He will also continue to work with P.J. Walker and the other quarterbacks.”
Thomas replaces Marcus Satterfield, who was named head coach at Tennessee Tech earlier this month after three seasons at the helm of the Owls' offense.
Thomas came to Temple last season after three seasons as quarterbacks coach with the Atlanta Falcons. He was an offensive assistant with the Falcons the four seasons before that. In Thomas' three seasons as quarterbacks coach in Atlanta, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was named to the Pro Bowl twice, in 2012 and 2014.
The promotion of Thomas was a natural pick for Rhule considering the work Thomas did this past season with Walker.
After an up-and-down 2014 sophomore season that saw him throw for 2,377 yards, 13 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, Walker responded with a school record 2,972 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and just eight picks during a strong junior season, his first under Thomas' tutelage.
“Coach Thomas really helped me last year in terms of understanding my role," Walker said. "Why throwing the ball away or escaping the pocket might be a better decision for a quarterback than trying to make a play downfield. He has incredible knowledge of the offense and an ease in being able to share it.”
Overall, Temple's offense set school records with 5,134 yards and 417 points during the Owls' 10-win campaign that included the American Athletic Conference East Division title. Those 10 wins tied the program record for most in a single season.
Temple's 2016 season kicks off on Sept. 3 when Army visits Lincoln Financial Field.