Posted January 22, 2016

Rhule named CBS Philly’s 2015 Sportsperson of the Year

Temple football's head coach is credited with creating a bright spot in the city's 2015 sports landscape.

Football Head Coach Matt Rhule at a press conference.

Joseph V. Labolito

Coach Rhule was named CBS Philly's 2015 Sportsperson of the Year for the leadership and excitement he brought to the city's sports scene.

In a bleak year for Philadelphia sports, Temple football stood out. Behind the team’s success? Head Coach Matt Rhule, who was recently named CBS Philly’s 2015 Sportsperson of the year.

By many measures, it was a historic year for Temple football: There was a win against longtime rival Penn State, a seven-game winning streak to start the season, a nationally broadcast game against legendary powerhouse Notre Dame and the American Athletic East Division championship.

“It’s not about me. It was about those kids. They stayed focused and I’m really proud of them.

-- Matt Rhule, Temple head football coach

Joseph Santoliquito from CBS Philly said of Rhule: “He did something once thought of as an impossibility in this city: He made Temple football relevant.”

However, Rhule, the ultimate team player, credits his players and coaching staff for the team’s ascent.

“It’s not about me. It was about those kids,” Rhule said. “They stayed focused and I’m really proud of them. I’m proud of the job that our staff did.”

This isn’t the first time Rhule has been recognized for a stellar season. He was also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award and a semifinalist for the George Munger Award—each given annually to the nation's best college football coach—and won the prestigious Maxwell Club’s Tri-State Coach of the Year.

- Meaghan Bixby