Temple University Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Linebackers Coach
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"I remember playing against Curtis while I was at Penn State and he was at Pitt. His tenacity and dedication to the game was evident by the manner in which he competed. When our playing careers ended, I admired the success Curtis achieved by translating this passion into the coaching realm. His strong Pennsylvania recruiting ties and familiarity with the City of Philadelphia will serve our program well. More important, he is a relationship builder who inspires student-athletes to achieve. I am very excited to have Curtis on our staff as we prepare to attack the MAC in our inaugural league season."
Head Coach Al Golden
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 Bray in Action  |
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Curtis Bray, who has 15 seasons of Division I coaching experience on the defensive side of the ball, is in his second season as linebackers coach at Temple University.
Last fall during its inaugural season of Mid-American Conference play, the Temple defense reached new heights. TU led the MAC in five defensive statistical categories, including red zone defense which also ranked first nationally.
Prior to joining the Owls, he spent seven seasons as an assistant at Pittsburgh, including four seasons directing the linebackers.
Under Bray's direction in 2006, H.B. Blades ranked fourth nationally in tackles en route to FWAA First Team All-American and Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. Blades, a three-time first team all-conference selection, became the first Panther linebacker to earn All-America honors since Jerry Olsavsky in 1988. Bray, who recruited western Pennsylvania and Ohio while having collateral duties in all phases of special teams, instructed defensive ends at his alma mater from 2000 to 2002 before moving to linebackers. Among the players to graduate to the NFL under his instruction are Claude Harriott, J.J. Horne and Bryan Knight.
The Panthers competed in five bowl games during Bray's coaching tenure, winning the 2001 Tangerine Bowl and the 2002 Insight Bowl, while competing in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl after winning the 2004 Big East title. In 2003, he participated in the NFL Minority Fellowship program for the Denver Broncos and worked with the linebackers and defensive coordinator Larry Coyer during training camp.
Bray is very familiar with the City of Philadelphia, having served as defensive ends coach on the Main Line at Villanova from 1997 to 1999. He helped the Wildcats emerge as a national power in Division I-AA. In 1997, Villanova captured the Atlantic 10 Championship and was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference's Team of the Year with a perfect 11-0 regular season mark.
Prior to Villanova, Bray was the defensive line coach at Western Kentucky (1995-96) and the defensive coordinator at Duquesne (1993-94). Bray also coached the linebackers and handled special teams for the Dukes, who ranked 11th nationally in total defense in 1994.
Bray was a standout linebacker for Pitt from 1988 to 1991 and finished his career with 170 tackles despite an array of injuries his final two collegiate seasons. One of his most memorable performances occurred at Penn State in 1988, when he had a sack for a safety and a key interception to lift the Panthers to a 14-7 victory. Both Golden and current Temple defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio were members of that Nittany Lions squad. Golden and D'Onofrio competed against Bray on four occasions in college, with three games being decided by a touchdown or less (1989-91).
A native of Monroeville, Pa., Bray is a 1988 graduate of Gateway High School, where he enjoyed an exceptional athletic career. In 1987, he became the first defensive player to be honored as the Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year and also was a first team USA Today All-American. Bray excelled in track and field as well, capturing the state javelin championship as a senior. He was named the Monroeville Citizen of the Year in 1998.
Born May 9, 1970, Bray graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in economics. He and wife Heather have a three year-old daughter, Sydney Nicole, and a year-old son, Colden Charles.
PERSONAL
Year Coaching: 14th
College: Pittsburgh '92, B.S. Economics
High School: Gateway
Temple
2007 - Linebackers
Pittsburgh
2003-06 - Linebackers
2000-02 - Defensive ends
Villanova
1997-99 - Defensive ends
Western Kentucky
1995-96 - Defensive line
Duquesne
1993-94 - Defensive coordinator/linebackers/special teams
Pittsburgh
1988-91 - Linebacker
As a player (1):
1989 John Hancock Bowl
COACHING
PLAYING
BOWL EXPERIENCE
As a coach (5):
2005 Fiesta Bowl
2003 Continental Tire Bowl
2002 Insight Bowl
2001 Tangerine Bowl
2000 Insight.com Bowl
