Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

Everett Withers returns to Temple football as new defensive coordinator

Withers, who was chief of staff for the Owls football program, originally left in the offseason to join the coaching staff at Florida Atlantic University

Everett Withers, seen here as Temple football's chief-of-staff, rejoined the program as its defensive coordinator on Tuesday. Originally, Withers left to take over defensive coaching responsibilities at Florida Atlantic University.
Everett Withers, seen here as Temple football's chief-of-staff, rejoined the program as its defensive coordinator on Tuesday. Originally, Withers left to take over defensive coaching responsibilities at Florida Atlantic University.Read moreOwlSports.com screenshot
    by Javon Edmonds
    Published 

Everett Withers is set to return to Temple football in 2023 as its defensive coordinator.

Withers, who originally left the program in December to become Florida Atlantic’s assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator, is making a return after the Owls lost defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot on March 9. Eliot joined the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff as its new linebackers coach.

» READ MORE: Temple quarterback EJ Warner walks the Inquirer through his process

Withers was with Temple last season as head coach Stan Drayton’s chief of staff, filling in for a sick Drayton as the Owls’ head coach in an Oct. 29 overtime loss at Navy. Last Thursday, Temple added Marcus Berry as its new chief of staff. Berry previously spent the past six years at Maryland as the Terrapins’ director of recruiting, assisting in landing three Top 30 recruiting classes for the Terps.

Prior to that job, Berry was the director of player personnel at Rutgers, Illinois, and North Carolina. This will be Berry’s second stint at Temple as he was the Owls’ running backs coach from 2007-14 where he coached Super Bowl champion running back Bernard Pierce.

Berry previously worked with Drayton on the Green Bay Packers staff in 2003 and is a fellow Cleveland native.

As for a big reason behind the return of Withers, Drayton said he wanted to hire a new defensive coordinator before the end of spring camp, preferably one familiar with Eliot’s system to prevent issues with the installation of Temple’s playbook.