AP source: Temple hires Carey from N. Illinois as coach

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Temple has hired Northern Illinois coach Rod Carey as its next football coach, filling a vacancy that abruptly opened in late December after the newly-hired Manny Diaz left to lead Miami.

Temple officials said Friday that they planned to introduce Carey at a news conference. Athletic director Patrick Kraft says Carey is a proven winner and the right fit to keep the Owls moving forward.

Carey arrives after Geoff Collins departed to Georgia Tech and Temple unexpectedly lost Diaz as its first replacement. The former Miami defense coordinator made a deal after the regular season to lead the Owls next year, but that changed quickly after Hurricanes coach Mark Richt unexpectedly retired on Dec. 30. Some 12 hours later, Diaz had a five-year deal with Miami and the Temple job was vacant again.

Carey coached seven seasons at Northern Illinois, leading the Huskies to six bowl games and compiling a 52-30 record. He was the 2013 Mid-American Conference coach of the year.