Stan Drayton - Football Coach

Photo by: Zamani Feelings

Stan Drayton

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
tufb@temple.edu
Phone:
215-204-4694

STAN DRAYTON
Hometown	Cleveland, Ohio
College	Allegheny, 1993
Family	Wife: Monique
Family	Children: Amari and Anaya
Coaching Experience
Year	School, Position
2022-	Temple, HC
2017-21	Texas, AHC / RBs / RGC
2015-16	Chicago Bears, RBs
2012-14	Ohio State, RBs
2011	Ohio State, WRs
2010	Florida, RBs
2009	Syracuse, RBs
2008	Tennessee, RBs
2005-07	Florida, RBs
2004	Mississippi State, RBs
2001-03	Green Bay Packers, OQC / ST
2000	Bowling Green, RBs
1996-99	Villanova, RBs
1995	Penn, RBs
1994	Eastern Michigan, RBs
1993	Allegheny, RBs
Postseason Experience
Year	Bowl, School
2020	Alamo Bowl, Texas
2019	Alamo Bowl, Texas
2018	Sugar Bowl, Texas
2017	Texas Bowl, Texas
2014	College Football Championship, Ohio State
2014	Sugar Bowl, Ohio State
2013	Orange Bowl, Ohio State
2011	Gator Bowl, Ohio State
2010	Outback Bowl, Florida
2007	Capital One Bowl, Florida
2006	BCS Championship, Florida
2005	Outback Bowl, Florida

Stan Drayton, who has won college national championships and coached at the NFL level during his 31-year career, returned to Philadelphia as the 29^th head football coach of Temple University on December 15, 2021.

“I am excited to bring Stan Drayton back to Philadelphia as the next head football coach of Temple University,” said Arthur Johnson, Temple Vice President and Director of Athletics. “I had a chance to get to know Stan while we worked together at the University of Texas. He is an outstanding football coach and an even better person. He knows what success looks like at the highest levels of football. He also knows what it takes to be successful in this city having spent six years of his career here and learned from two of the city’s legendary football coaches.”

“This truly is a dream come true for me,” said Drayton. “Philadelphia has always held a special place in my heart as my wife, Monique, and I got married while we lived here. I’m so thankful for this great opportunity.”

During his first two seasons at Temple, Drayton recorded back-to-back 3-9 seasons aided by some unexpected assistant coaching changes and plenty of roster turnover.

Drayton came to Temple from the University of Texas where he was the associate head coach and run game coordinator for both Tom Herman (2017-20) and Steve Sarkisian (2021). During his time with the Longhorns, Drayton guided the development of a trio of young running backs - Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson and Keaontay Ingram. All three made immediate impacts as true freshmen.

Robinson had breakout performances as the 2020 season progressed and tallied 703 rushing yards on just 86 carries to break the school’s single-season yards per carry average record at 8.2. He amassed a team-high 915 all-purpose yards (703 rush/196 rec/16 KR) during the 2020 season, making him the first freshman to lead the Longhorns in all-purpose yards since Cedric Benson in 2001.

In year three at UT, Drayton was influential in the growth of Ingram, who totaled 1,095 yards from scrimmage (853 rush/242 rec). Ingram averaged 5.9 yards per carry - nearly a full yard better than his 2018 total (5.0 ypc). He also rushed for more than 100 yards on four occasions.

Drayton also oversaw Johnson’s seamless transition from quarterback to running back as a true freshman, a move that took place just one week prior to the season opener versus Louisiana Tech. Under Drayton’s eye, Johnson racked up 807 all-purpose yards (649 rush/158 rec) on 146 touches (123 rush/23 rec). He was the ninth true freshman in school history to rush for at least 600 yards. Johnson posted two 100-yard games (121 at WVU, 105 vs. TTU) and was twice named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in 2019.

In his second season, Drayton mentored two newcomers in graduate transfer Tre Watson and true freshman Keaontay Ingram. The duo combined for 1,494 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground, while adding 313 yards receiving with five more touchdowns.

Drayton led a young room of running backs during the 2017 season, as the Longhorns top two backs in 2017 were both true freshmen in Daniel Young and Toneil Carter. Young started the final five games of the season, and rushed for 373 yards and three scores. He also caught 13 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. Carter started two games in 2017 and rushed for 252 yards and three touchdowns. He caught six passes for 31 yards and a score. True sophomore Kyle Porter finished fourth on the team in rushing with 261 yards and four touchdowns.

Prior to Texas, Drayton coached at Ohio State where he won a BCS National Championship in 2014. He joined OSU as a wide receivers coach in 2011, before leading the running backs for the next three seasons. He had previously won a BCS National Championship (2006) while coaching running backs at Florida (2005-07, 2010).

Drayton spent four seasons (2011-14) at Ohio State, including the last two as assistant head coach on offense and running backs coach. In 2014, Drayton helped the Buckeyes win the National Championship as Ezekiel Elliott, who was a sophomore, finished third in the nation and second in single-season school history with 1,878 rushing yards.

Under Drayton’s guidance, Elliott capped the 2014 season with three-straight 200-yard rushing games (tied for the most in single-season school history with Eddie George, 1995). Drayton’s work with Elliott helped him to be named College Football Playoff National Championship Offensive MVP with 246 rushing yards (tied for third most in single-game school history) and four touchdowns on 36 carries against Oregon. Elliott was also named Offensive MVP of the Sugar Bowl (230 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries) versus Alabama.

In 2013, Drayton helped senior running back Carlos Hyde finish eighth in the nation with an average of 126.8 rushing yards per game (1,521 yards and 15 touchdowns on 208 carries in 12 contests). Hyde was named the Big Ten’s Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year as his 1,521 rushing yards were eighth most in school history and his 7.3 yards per carry was the highest in single-season average in school history. Hyde’s 246 yards at Illinois that season are tied for third most in single-game school history.

In his first season as Ohio State’s running backs coach in 2012, Drayton guided the Buckeyes running backs to 1,536 yards, 21 touchdowns and an average of 5.44 yards per carry during the team’s 12-0 campaign. He came to Ohio State in 2011 as the team’s wide receivers coach.

During his college coaching career, Drayton has also served as running backs coach at Florida (2005-07, 2010), Syracuse (2009), Tennessee (2008), Mississippi State (2004), Bowling Green (2000, also serving as special teams coach), Villanova (1996-00), Pennsylvania (1995, assistant running backs/director of football operations) and his alma mater Allegheny (Pa.) College (1993). He has also served as a graduate assistant at Eastern Michigan (1994).

Prior to his time at Ohio State, Drayton spent the 2010 season as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Florida, his second stint at the school after serving as the Gators running backs coach from 2005-07. In 2006, Florida won the BCS National Championship as the Gators averaged 160 rushing yards per game. That season, running backs DeShawn Wynn and Kestahn Moore combined for 981 yards and an average of 5.0 yards per carry while losing only two fumbles. Wynn scored his 25th career rushing touchdown, which was the second-most in school history, against Ohio State in the title game. He went on to become a seventh-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2007.

At Mississippi State, Drayton helped guide Jerious Norwood to a 1,000-yard rushing season in 2004 before he went on be chosen in the third round of the 2006 draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Another prominent pupil was Villanova two-time All-American Brian Westbrook, who became the first collegiate player on any level to record more than 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving in the same season. He was the winner of the 2001 Walter Payton Award as the Offensive Player of the Year in NCAA Division I-AA and was a third-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2002 draft.

On the professional side, Drayton most recently served as running backs coach for the Chicago Bears from 2015-16. He also served as offensive quality control coach/special teams of the Green Bay Packers (2001-03).

In 2016 under Drayton, Jordan Howard, a fifth-round pick out of Indiana, set the Bears single-season rookie rushing record with 1,313 yards, breaking the previous mark held by Matt Forte despite only having 12 carries in the team’s first three games. It was also the second-best rushing total of any player in the NFL regular season, trailing only Ezekiel Elliott (1,631), who was coached by Drayton at Ohio State. Another of Drayton’s Buckeye protégés, Carlos Hyde finished 14th in the league with 988 rushing yards. After working with Drayton, Elliott went on to be the fourth overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, while Hyde was a second-round selection by the San Francisco 49ers in 2014.

In 2015, the Bears rushing offense was 11th in the NFL averaging 115.9 yards per game, a 16-spot improvement from their ranking of 27th (90.1 ypg) a year prior to his arrival. Drayton helped running back Jeremy Langford, a fourth-round draft pick, finish fifth among all NFL rookies with seven touchdowns and ninth among rookies with 816 yards from scrimmage. Langford joined Pro Football Hall of Famers Walter Payton and Gale Sayers as the only Bears rookies since at least 1960 with a rushing touchdown in four-straight contests and, along with Payton and Sayers, the only rookies in franchise history to have 100 receiving yards, one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown in a single game.

The list of head coaches Drayton has worked under is a who’s who of coaching. From his early years in Philadelphia with Penn’s Al Bagnoli and Villanova’s Andy Talley to successful college coaches such as Urban Meyer Jim Tressel, Luke Fickell, Tom Herman, and Phil Fulmer, to the NFL’s Mike Sherman and John Fox.

Drayton has always been a strong recruiter both in evaluating talent and getting the best players to join him. Among his most high-profile recruits, he is credited with bringing Cam Newton, Mike and Maurkice Pouncey to Florida, Robinson to Texas, and he was responsible for bringing Westbrook to Villanova.

A three-time first-team All-America selection as a running back at Allegheny, Drayton is second in the school’s record book for rushing (3,272 yards), rushing touchdowns (54) and scoring (336 points) and was a part of the 1990 Division III national championship team. He was also a two-time All-American in track, competing in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. A 1993 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English, Drayton was inducted into the Allegheny College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

Drayton, a native of Cleveland, and his wife Monique, a native of Detroit, have two daughters, Amari and Anaya, who are both elite gymnasts. Amari is a member of the U.S. women’s national gymnastics team and the 2024 NCAA National Champion LSU team.