During Urban Meyer’s tenure as head coach of Ohio State, the team had some exceptional running backs, including Carlos Hyde, Ezekiel Elliott, and Curtis Samuel. Elliott and Samuel played pivotal roles in helping the Buckeyes secure a national championship in 2014.
That year marked the end of Stan Drayton’s time as the running backs coach, a position he held from 2012 to 2014 after being chosen by Meyer. Drayton had previously worked with Meyer at Florida. Following the 2014 season, he moved on to coach in the NFL with the Bears.
After spending five years coaching at Texas, Drayton finally became a head coach in 2022 when he was hired by Temple. He was expected to revive the program, but unfortunately, he was unable to meet those expectations.
Former Ohio State football coach Stan Drayton has been fired from Temple
Drayton struggled to make progress at Temple and was let go less than three years into his tenure, leaving with a disappointing 8-25 record. Given the lack of improvement in the program, it’s hard to argue against the decision to fire him.
It’s unfortunate that Drayton’s head coaching career didn’t work out, and it’s likely that he won’t get another shot at leading a program. However, he remains an excellent running backs coach with a strong ability to develop talent. He’ll likely find work in that role elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Ohio State’s running game has thrived under first-year running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, who came over from Oregon. It seems the Buckeyes made a solid hire in him. Hopefully, Drayton will land on his feet in a similar position.
