CBS Philly has named Temple Owls’ head coach Matt Rhule 2015 Sportsperson of the Year.

Under Rhule’s guidance, Temple’s football team gave Philadelphians a reason to be excited in a city that, when it comes to sports, has very little to be excited about. Despite several hiccups along the way– including losses to both Notre Dame and South Florida– the Owls managed to bounce back gracefully, finishing the season with an impressive 10-4 record.

The team defeated Penn State this year for the first time in almost three-quarters of a century and won the American Athletic Conference East Division Championship.

Rhule has attributed much of his success to his former coach, Penn State’s Joe Paterno, as well as New York Giants’ Tom Coughlin, to whom he once served as assistant coach.

“Both of those men had a very special influence on me,” Rhule said CBS Philly.

Rhule gave a great deal of credit to the players on his team. “Some college football coaches like to put themselves out on the front cover,” he said. “It’s not about me. It was about those kids. They stayed focused and I’m really proud of them. I’m proud of the job that our staff did.”

Rhule was also the recipient of the Maxwell Club’s Tri-State Coach of the Year Award. I guess it’s time for Rhule to build a trophy case– if he hasn’t already