Temple head coach K.C. Keeler promised changes after his team’s humiliating loss to Charlotte, and the first move has arrived. The Owls have parted ways with defensive line coach Cedric Calhoun following its 38-31 loss to Charlotte, which snapped the 49ers’ 15-game FBS losing streak. The decision comes as Temple searches for answers after dropping five of its first seven games.

“Temple has parted ways with defensive line coach Cedric Calhoun, sources tell @On3,” reporter Pete Nakos posted on X. “Henry Baker is expected to take over as defensive playcaller for the remainder of the season.”

The coaching change follows a defeat that clearly tested Keeler’s patience. Charlotte entered its October 17 game with Temple at 0-6 and coming off a 40-point loss to North Texas. Yet the 49ers walked away with their first victory of the season after piling up 449 total yards against a Temple defense that had struggled to find consistency.

Keeler did not hide his frustration after the game. Speaking about the loss, the Temple coach described it as the most embarrassing defeat of his career.

“That was the single most embarrassing game I’ve ever coached,” Keeler said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We’re at the point where I’ve seen enough, and I have to make some changes.”

For Keeler, the decision represents a departure from his usual approach to managing a coaching staff. He said he had not made a midseason staff change in 33 years, aside from one coordinator dismissal. However, Charlotte’s offensive performance left little room for patience, particularly after Temple had already struggled defensively in the previous game against UConn.

The Owls lost 34-20 to UConn before returning home to face Charlotte. Following that defeat, Keeler reportedly asked his defensive staff to simplify the scheme and return to base calls. The adjustment did not produce the desired result.

Charlotte quarterback Conner Harrell had a big day. He completed 23 of 31 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for two more, from eight and 10 yards out. The 49ers scored just seven points in the first half, then put up 31 after the break. Temple simply couldn’t slow them down as the game went on.

That made it even worse for Temple, because Charlotte’s offense came in ranked 131st in the country. Aiden Bui hit a career-long 47-yard field goal with 1:48 left to make it 38-28. Temple kicked a field goal late, but it couldn’t recover the onside kick.

The defeat dropped Temple to 2-5, and its season has featured narrow losses as well as more decisive setbacks, including a 27-9 loss to Penn State, a 49-48 overtime defeat to Toledo and a 21-17 loss to Army. After beating South Florida 17-13, the Owls have now suffered consecutive defeats against UConn and Charlotte.

Temple’s offense did its part as quarterback Ajani Sheppard threw for 236 yards and a touchdown and ran for 70 yards and two scores. Peter Clarke caught five passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. Sheppard’s seven-yard run gave Temple a 14-7 lead at halftime, and his 44-yard run tied it at 21-21 after three quarters. But the defense couldn’t hold up its end.

Next, coach Henry Baker is expected to assume defensive play-calling responsibilities for the remainder of the season, although the report did not clarify whether defensive coordinator Brian Smith will retain his existing duties. 

Can Henry Baker steady the defense?

Baker joined Temple in 2025 as passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach before being promoted to assistant head coach in April 2026. He previously worked with Keeler at Delaware from 2011 to 2016 and has coaching experience with Rutgers, North Carolina, the New York Giants, Maryland, and Marshall.

At Marshall in 2024, he served as co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach on a Sun Belt Conference championship team.

His background also includes developing defensive backs at Maryland, including Deonte Banks, Jakorian Bennett, and Tarheeb Still, who went on to play in the NFL. However, his immediate assignment at Temple will be to help correct a defense that has allowed opposing offenses to dictate games during a difficult stretch.

The challenge now is to stabilize a Temple defense that has struggled to deliver consistently. The Owls did improve their defensive numbers in 2025, reducing their average yards allowed from 417.8 to 396.8 per game and their average points allowed from 35.4 to 29.7. But their latest performances still need to improve, and looking at Baker’s background, it does seem like a possibility.

Temple has a bye week before visiting East Carolina on October 31. That break gives Baker time to prepare for his expected new responsibilities, evaluate the defensive problems exposed against Charlotte, and establish a clearer plan for the remaining schedule. Navy, UAB, Rice, and Memphis are still awaiting the Owls later in the season.

After five losses in seven games, Temple has already made its first coaching change. The move puts pressure on the coaching staff to turn Keeler’s frustration into tangible improvement, beginning with the defense.