Golden was named head football coach at Temple University in December 2005, as the second-youngest head coach in NCAA football at that time, behind Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald. Temple had a record of 3–31 during the three years before Golden was hired, and had just been thrown out of the Big East Conference for non-competitiveness. In Golden's first three years at the helm, Temple recorded 1–11 in 2006, 4–8 in 2007 and then 5–7 mark in 2008. The 2008 record was the best for the program since a 7–4 mark in 1990.