In the end, Florida fans aren't going to get their wish: Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, the Sgt. Slaughter-like face of the rapid collapse of the fearsome Gator attack that dominated the SEC under predecessor Dan Mullen, isn't getting fired.
Instead, they get to rejoice in Addazio's departure for a promotion, to replace Miami-bound Al Golden as the new head coach at Temple, per the Philadelphia Daily News and many other sources. The Owls will introduce their man on Thursday. It's Addazio's first head coaching job since a dominant run at Cheshire (Conn.) High from 1988-94.
For now, everybody's happy: Addazio gets a top job near his New England roots, Temple gets a boss who learned the ropes at powerhouses in South Bend and Gainesville, and incoming Florida coach Will Muschamp doesn't have to pink-slip a guy who played a significant role in the Gators' SEC/BCS championship seasons in 2006 and 2008 as offensive line coach. Meanwhile, the Urban Meyer Coaching Tree adds another branch, joining Kyle Whittingham, Charlie Strong and Dan Mullen, while Meyer himself is just punching the clock till the Outback Bowl and chill time.
In the long term, well, who knows. The offense took a step back in the transition from Mullen to Addazio in 2009 and fell off a cliff this year sans Tim Tebow and two other first-round draft picks. But the MAC doesn't mind. Its roster of head coaches currently includes former Tennessee offensive coordinator Dave Clawson, who escaped north to Bowling Green after killing the Phil Fulmer regime with one of the worst Volunteer offenses in history in 2008, and former Nebraska coach Frank Solich, who caught on at Ohio after being canned in Lincoln. Until a few weeks ago, it also included Stan Parrish, best known for presiding over the back-to-back winless seasons that earned Kansas State the title of "Futility U" in the late '80s and who was cut loose after two fruitless years at Ball State.
Golden took Temple out of the depths, and if Addazio can keep the Owls' heads above water, it's not such a bad gig – at least, no one's going to start a website demanding your job on a platter. And if the professors start asking "Why do we have a football team, again?", well, it won't be the first time.
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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.
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