In that rather large binder Al Golden took to the interview with former Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw in 2005 was a chapter entitled the “46 Percent Theory.” The theory is the biggest reason why Golden, who was dismissed by the University of Miami in the fall, should wait for the perfect job to open up in his area of expertise and forget, for now, about an NFL position.
In 2005, Golden had taken an interest in the Temple program from the time he was a tight end at Penn State and an assistant there, at Boston College and at Virginia. All the while the Golden Goal was to take over a program of his own, and Temple had been on his mind because he said it was squarely in the middle of 46 percent of the nation’s population. Draw a 500-mile circle, put Philadelphia in the middle and there’s just less than half the population.
Golden’s theory was that since Temple was in the middle of 46 percent of the population, its unique geographical position could be a recruiting advantage over most other schools. Parents could be sold on sending their kids to Temple, because it is a short drive from anywhere on the East Coast and inexpensive to get to the games. It is also in the middle of transportation hubs like airlines, trains and buses. In that circle are big cities like Philadelphia, New York, Washington, Boston, Baltimore, Richmond and Charlotte.
That theory helped turn the Owls from laughing stock to respectability, and maybe someday Golden can do for another school within the circle what he did for Temple then. The Owls aren’t the only team in the neighborhood, and with the college football business being what it is, another job will open up next year to give Golden another opportunity. At Miami, Golden was outside of his circle and his comfort zone. He went 32-25 as a head coach there, and at most schools, that kind of start leads to a long career.
One of the jobs Golden is interviewing for is coaching the defensive backs with the Dallas Cowboys. Someone who has as much college knowledge both in his head and written down should not be limiting his career scope. And since Miami is paying Golden to do nothing for the next couple of years, he can afford to wait.
