The Temple Football Media Guide states that William Nicholai was the head coach.
[1] However, a contemporaneous news account states that Willard Hess was the coach and Nicholai the athletic director.
[3] Veteran players returning from the 1913 team included Harry Rosenbarden, Herbert Shields, Raymond Eardle, Roy Bressler, William Lemer, John Smith, and George Logia.
The team also hired its former star quarterback Elwood Geiges to serve as its head football coach for the 1917 season.
In April 1917, the United States entered World War I, and enrollment at Temple dropped as students either enlisted or were drafted into military service.
Students in Temple's medical department declined to bolster the ranks of the athletic programs, stating "they cannot spare the time from their scholastic work.
[13] In the absence of football, the students in the physical training department formed a soccer team.
The Evening Ledger reported at the time: "Although most of them have never played the English game, they believe they will have a fair eleven.
"[13] Late in the season, a varsity football team was formed and staged a single match against the freshmen.