What They’re Saying About Wayne Hardin

What They're Saying About Wayne Hardin

2013 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

Scott Andrien
Tight End [1981-84]
“Congratulations, Coach Hardin, on your induction into the College Football Hall of Fame! You definitely deserve the recognition for all your time and dedication you gave to the football college athletes you coached over the years. I was fortunate to be recruited by Coach Hardin in 1980 and play for him for three years before he retired in 1982. Best of Luck, Coach Hardin, Keep Swinging!”

Bill Anzalone
Defensive Back [1970-72]
“Coach Hardin taught us that 'the only way you can be the best is to play and beat the best' which we did in 1972 in beating coach Bobby Bowden's West Virginia team, ranked 16th in the country, 39-36. This was the start of Temple's recognition of being a big-time program.”

Don Bitterlich
Placekicker [1973-75]
“Coach-- I just saw you have been selected to the College Football Hall of Fame. Congratulations! You really deserve this honor. You epitomize the 'Acres of Diamonds' and Temple University. Anyone that can take a 135-lb soccer player and make him into a decent placekicker is a Hall of Famer!”

Joe Cioffi
1974 Team Captain
Defensive Back [1972-74]
“Heartfelt congratulations to Coach Hardin for his well-deserved recognition for being a phenomenal coach and a great guy. Way to go, Coach!”

Barry Collins
Center [1977-79]
“Coach Hardin got the most out of us and raised our level of play. He gave his players and team the opportunity to succeed-- a sign of a great coach. Playing football at Temple for Coach Hardin was a wonderful experience and an exciting time.”

Steve Conjar
1981 Team Captain
Linebacker [1978-81]
“It is with great pride and honor for all of us that played for Coach that he has finally received this distinguished honor and hope that Paul Palmer will follow in the years to come. I will be forever grateful to Coach for taking a chance on a small linebacker from Central Pennsylvania and giving me the chance to play Division I football. I have the utmost respect for this man and his accomplishments as a Head Football Coach and as a mentor in life. We should all be proud to have played for him and what he brought to the TU Football Family. It is a proud day in Owl country, and we should be honored to have had him as a Coach and a friend. Congrats, Coach, and thank you for the impact you had on our lives and for what we were able to accomplish on the football field. It was a great 12-year run, and we are forever grateful.”

Mike Curcio
1979 Team Captain
Linebacker [1976-79]
“I had the privilege of being the captain for Coach and the '79 team. His 100th career win was a 49-17 victory over Syracuse at Veterans Stadium. Syracuse was ranked No. 1 in the East before we beat them.”

Mark Donlevie
Punter [1973-75]
“This is a proud day for all of us with an affiliation with Temple football. Hoot! Hoot! Hoot!”

Ron Fioravanti
Placekicker [1978-79]
“Coach is very deserving and well overdue for this significant honor!”

Dwight Fulton
1973 Team Captain
Safety [1971-73]
“There is no one who is more deserving of this honor than Coach Hardin. I am just so proud to have been one of those who benefitted from his leadership and his mentorship during my years at Temple. Nobody does it better, and I truly applaud him for this remarkable achievement.”

Jay “Gus” Gicker
Linebacker [1979-82]
“Congrats, Coach! It is a well-deserved honor. Every Temple fan, alumni, and football alumni is beaming with pride today. You had a hand in molding every player you coached in some way or another into a better person and player. Thank you.”

Jake Hagopian
Center [1973]
“Coach Hardin has been a great influence on the lives of hundreds of young men, both on and off the football field. He is a great teacher, mentor, and life coach. Many of his players to this day remember and use the lessons learned in their daily lives and appreciate the brotherhood he helped create for former players. Congratulations, Coach, on the well-deserved honor to be recognized as one of America's best college football coaches; something all who played for you have always known and now will be shared with the rest of the nation.”

Todd Hershman
Defensive Lineman [1980-83]
“Coach Hardin left an indelible mark at two institutions where his presence is still felt. His innovative offenses have yet to be duplicated. The signature uniforms he created at Temple with the distinct box pants showed his ability to think outside the box.”

Nate Hollander
End [1970]
“I just got off the phone with Coach Hardin to congratulate him. It could not have happened to a greater coach or a more humble man. To say the least, he has made a huge difference in my life, and he well deserves this wonderful honor!!! We were and are blessed to have Coach Hardin and now the rest of the world knows this wonderful man and GREAT football coach.”

Steve Joachim
Quarterback [1973-74]
“I am extremely happy that one of the great coaches in the history of college football is getting the recognition he is due. Coach Hardin had a tremendous influence in my life as well as hundreds of others. He was one of the truly innovative coaches during his tenure and was extremely successful wherever he coached. His impact on Temple University and the city of Philadelphia was very positive and long lasting.”

Bob Logan
Team Manager [19771-73]
“I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Coach longer than anyone at TU except maybe Al Shrier. I was the team manager for his first four years, then worked in Athletics for four more years as the Business Manager. I've been his accountant for at least the last 20 years. I've been saying for many years that Coach Harden is one of the two most influential men in my life (together with my father in-law) and the two of them get credit for whatever I have learned and accomplished in life. My two sons have been fortunate to get to know Coach and have played golf with him several times over the years. Even though he left the TU payroll in 1982, he still bleeds Temple Cherry---he is constantly thinking of ways to get bigger crowds and more support for Temple. A winner on the field and a Temple Champion off it.”

Steve Major
Offensive Tackle [1979-82]
“It seems that any time before I begin a project, whether at work or with my kids, I always find myself saying aloud, 'first things first'. That is what I remember about Coach Hardin the most, and it was one of his favorite quotes that has stayed with me forever.”

Joe Mesko
1970 Team Captain
End [1968-70]
“I was honored to be Coach Hardin's first captain at Temple. He challenged me to improve as a player and a person, as he did with all of his former players. Most of his players knew of his outstanding football intellect, but I believe that his motivational skills were his secret to success with his family and his professional career. Today, 43 years since we met, his positive teachings still echo in my mind, and for that I will never forget him.”

Vinnie Mini
1982 Team Captain
Defensive Tackle [1980-82]
“We're playing Penn State, and Coach tells me to 'I n A'. I said, 'what's that, Coach?' He says, 'Improvise and Adjust.' Boy, what a life lesson that was, I still use it coaching today!”

Joe Morelli
Quarterback/defensive Back [1961-64]
“Coach Hardin epitomizes the loyalty that a coach can have for his college and his players. He is happiest when he can do something for his boys. That is one of the main reasons he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I did not have the chance to play for Coach, but I have learned a great deal from him about life and golf since I met him in 1970.”

Kevin Mulvihill
Defensive End [1968-71]
“Coach Hardin came to Temple in the spring of my junior year. I will never forget the first meeting and his 'Acres of Diamonds' speech. We knew we had someone very special. Besides being a great coach, he personally taught me to never quit no matter what the circumstances and no matter how tough things get. He used to say 'winners always find a way to overcome adversity'. I never forgot that, and it has served me well in life, and I have passed it on to my children. Thanks, Coach, for what you did for me and so many others.”

Matt Rhule
Head Coach, Temple Football [2013-present]
“Coach Hardin is a symbol to all of us of just how successful we can be and the great things that we can do, and to have him go into the Hall of Fame is a credit to him and a credit to the Hall of Fame for recognizing that. It's our third Temple person in the College Football Hall of Fame, and it just raises the standard. We want our players here to feel not necessarily pressure but the responsibility that comes with putting on the Cherry and the White and see the other great players that have come before them and the other great people. We stand on their shoulders and we have what we have because of what they did.”

John Rienstra
Offensive Guard [1983-85]
“I'll never forget what he told me the day he gave me a free ride. I was heading to school at Lehigh, but my dad only had 2K and the school was 10K. When Coach Hardin heard my story, he told me, 'How about this, I'll pay for your schooling, and we'll split your dad's 2K.' I told him, 'DEAL! Where do I sign?' Thanks.”

Frank Walker
Athletics Administrator [1970s & 1980s]
“In two back-to-back seasons under Wayne, we played three No. 1 teams—Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Georgia! Wayne is a great coach and an even better mentor. When he came to Temple, it was a thrill for me, because he did such a terrific job at Navy. My uncle was stationed at Navy as a commander in World War II. My tenure at Temple was extremely important to me and my family, and Wayne was a huge part of it.”

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NOTE: Additional quotes will be posted to this page as they come in. Years listed are years lettered, according to our lettermen's section of the media guide.

Temple University Athletics

What They’re Saying About Wayne Hardin

What They're Saying About Wayne Hardin

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