Owl Outlook is back for Day 13 of training camp, with today's focus being on the new coaches on staff, joining us for interviews today are defensive line coach Jethro Franklin and wide receivers coach Rob Spence.
Franklin, who is entering his 20th year coaching, joins the Temple staff after his second stint coaching the defensive line at Southern Cal in 2009. He also spent the 2005 season at USC. During his time with the Trojans, he enjoyed coaching several All-Conference performers and multiple draft selections from his position.
Franklin has also spent time in the NFL, coaching the defensive lines of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006 and the Houston Texans for 2 seasons (2007-08). Mario Williams set the Texans' sack record in 2007 and made the Pro Bowl in 2008. He went back to USC after spending five seasons (2000-04) handling the defensive line for the Green Bay Packers. The defense set various Packers' game, season and all-time sack records during his tenure. Franklin began his coaching career at his alma mater, Fresno State, where he was in charge of the defensive line for eight seasons (1991-98). The Bulldogs played in three bowls while he was there: the 1991 California Bowl, 1992 Freedom Bowl (a 24-7 upset over USC) and 1993 Aloha Bowl. In 1999, he coached the interior defensive line at UCLA.
After being drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1988, he spent the 1989 season playing defensive line for the Seattle Seahawks. He then was the No. 1 draft choice of the San Antonio Rough Riders of the World League of American Football in 1991, but instead opted to begin his coaching career. He started on the defensive line for two seasons (1986-87) at Fresno State, earning All-American second team honors both seasons. As a 1986 junior, he set a then-school record with 19.5 sacks. He was the Pacific Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Fresno State's MVP as a 1987 senior. He had 31.5 career sacks.
A 21-year collegiate coaching veteran, Spence begins his first season as the wide receviers coach at Temple. He has been an offensive coordinator for 15 seasons at five different schools, including Syracuse, Clemson, Toledo, Louisiana Tech, and Hofstra.
A native of Pelham, N.Y., Spence spent the 2009 season at Syracuse. At Clemson, Spence led an offense that ranked among the all-time best at the school. His units enjoyed two of the top four most-productive offensive seasons in school history. In each of his three seasons his quarterbacks had pass efficiency ratings in the top five on the school record list. The touchdown totals in two of his seasons rank among the top three in school history.
Spence directed an offense that was the most-balanced in the ACC during his three full seasons. That balance was one of the reasons why Clemson had two top-25 seasons, went to three bowl games, and won 25 games, the most victories in a three-year period since 1989-91. From 2005 through 2008, Clemson was the only ACC team to finish in the top four in the league in rushing, passing, and total offense. Spence accomplished that feat with three different starting quarterbacks in Charlie Whitehurst (2005), Will Proctor (2006), and Cullen Harper (2007).
Prior to his tenure at Clemson, Spence coached at Toledo from 2001-04, where the Rockets won 35 games and finished in the top 13 nationally in total offense and top-25 in scoring offense for four straight seasons. Twice in his four years, the Rockets were in the top 20 nationally in rushing, and twice the team was in the top 20 in passing. Spence guided an offense that aver¬aged 474.1 yards and 35.2 points per game in the 2004 regular season that included a 9-3 overall record and MAC Championship. It was the third time in four years that Toledo played in the league championship game. Spence began his collegiate coaching career in 1989 as the offensive coordinator at Iona College, his alma mater. The team posted an 8-2 record that season.
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