Baylor has announced the hiring of new football coach Matt Rhule, who has put together consecutive 10-win seasons at Temple, with a formal introduction slated at a Wednesday news conference in Waco, Texas.
The announcement, posted Tuesday morning on the school's website and released via social media, ends a search for a full-time successor to former coach Art Briles. Briles, who led the Bears to Big 12 titles in 2013 and 2014, was dismissed in May as part of administrators' response to a sexual-assault scandal at the school that involved football players.
Jim Grobe, hired in May as the Bears' acting head coach, led the team to a 6-6 record this season while leaning on inherited assistants from Briles' staff. The Bears conclude their season Dec. 27 by facing Boise State in the Cactus Bowl in Phoenix.
Rhule, 41, led the Owls to the 2016 American Athletic Conference title by knocking off Navy 34-10 in last week's conference title game. Temple, a 10-3 team this season, finished 10-4 under Ruhle during the 2015 season.
In a statement, Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades said: "We could not be more excited to welcome Matt ... to the Baylor family. When we set out on our search for a new leader of our football program, we wanted a coach who shared our values, who had demonstrated success, who showed a true commitment to the overall student-athlete and who we believed could lead Baylor to a national championship. We found all of that and more in Matt and I know that he will be a perfect fit with the Baylor family."
Rhule played linebacker at Penn State from 1994 to 1997 and will be coaching at a school in Texas for the first time in his career. Before becoming Temple's head coach for the 2013 season, he served on college staffs at Albright, Buffalo, UCLA and Western Carolina.
He will take over a program that has only one commitment in its 2017 recruiting class and projects to lose all of its current assistants after the bowl game.
In a statement, Rhule said: "I am truly honored and humbled to join the Baylor family. ... Baylor is a tremendous institution with a history of football success and I know the passion that so many have for the Bears will help bring the community together to reach even greater heights. I am excited to get started."
