That's what Philly.com is reporting this morning, reported based off initial reports from OwlScoop.com. Melvin was the defensive line coach at Rutgers from 2002-2004, before leaving for Illinois and then Cleveland of the NFL.
I recall Melvin being highly thought of during his first tenure at Rutgers, although that unit looked even better once Cary Godette replaced Melvin, and Gary Emanuel maintain that high level of play. Could have just been a consequence of having more to work with. Melvin has worked in the NFL, and Temple is coming off a great season, so his resume inspires confidence. Overall, this looks like a good hire.
Anyone who follows the Giants might know that reports first surfaced yesterday that Temple WR coach Kevin Gilbride Jr. was leaving for a position with the G-Men. Since the two departures were announced as a pair, it makes me wonder whether that precludes the possibility that any more staffers will be heading out the door. Susan's spot here has been open for a couple weeks now. Is it fair to infer anything from that length of time about what could be in the works? Overall, Rutgers definitely met expectations by hiring Melvin for the defensive line, and here's to them making an equally good hire with the last remaining opening.
In a slightly related note, I was going to save these two articles for my next news update, but they're tangently related to this discussion. For anyone still hoping for Ed Foley, he (not surprisingly) still has a close relationship with his despised brother.
I also recently read about one other coach, who if had been familiar with the name, would have definitely listed as a candidate. Albeit, one with a remote chance. Ron Wisniewski played lightweight football at Rutgers in the late 80s, and definitely is a sharp mind with degrees in science and mathmetics. Most of his career as a DI assistant occured out west, including six years as WR coach and recruiting coordinator at Wyoming under Joe Glenn. Although, he did have stints at Kean and East Stroudsburg, and coached tight ends at Princeton last year.
Now, I wouldn't have considered Wisniewski a tier one candidate, but his name would have at least been worth mentioning somewhere on my list of candidates. He's settling down as a high school coach in Arizona, so that remote possibility is nil now. Just wanted to cover all the bases though. As sparse as college football information is right now (the Combine is still weeks away), any information at all right now is a welcome respite from the weather, and, (groan), basketball.