The loss at home to South Florida was the final nail in the coffin for Randy Shannon. Fans have been clamoring for weeks for his firing and late Saturday night they got their wish. The University of Miami officially fired head coach Randy Shannon, temporarily replacing him with offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. The Randy Shannon Experiment lasted four years and resulted in 28 wins and 22 losses. His ACC record was an abysmal 16-16. Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt made it clear what Miami is looking for:
“We have made a decision to seek new leadership for our football program. Our expectations are to compete for championships and return to the top of the college football world. We will immediately begin a national search.”
The key word here is ‘national.’ The past two hirings (Coker, Shannon) came from within and it is clear now the program must seek an established (i.e. high dollar) head coach. There are several names already causing a buzz on the internet. Former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach, Georgia’s Mark Richt, Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen, Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and TCU head coach Gary Patterson. There are some ‘dream coaches’ that are most likely unattainable (Butch Davis, Jon Gruden) and others that have ties to the university (Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, FIU head coach Mario Cristobal). Personally, we’d like to see the administration go after Mullen. But the most important thing is to conduct a national search for an established, proven head coach. No more hirings from within due to the current players’ preference, please. You pay for what you get, and now it is time to dig deep into your pockets.
As for Shannon, we wish him all the best and have no doubt another program will benefit from hiring him. It’s weird…we’ve all been calling for his firing for some time now and that kicked into over drive after the South Florida game. Yet, when we found out he got fired, it was met with mixed emotions. This is a man that is the definition of a life long Cane. He played for the Canes, was part of its coaching staff, and then became the head coach. He bleeds orange and green, as we all do. And, he has cleaned up the program and has improved the academic standards like no other coach here has. Unfortunately, the ultimate measure is wins and losses on the football field and Randy fell short in that department. But don’t let that diminish the appreciation and love for a man who has dedicated nearly his entire adult life to the Miami Hurricanes football program.
We wish Randy nothing but the best but look forward to where this program might be headed in the future. Let’s get someone who is proven and whose motivational skills will translate to discipline on the football field. There is still plenty of talent on this team. It needs to be molded in a different way. Miami has saved some money by hiring first time coaches in recent years. Now, it is time to shell out for the best available established candidate. And bring back Art Kehoe while you’re at it.
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Well said. Agree on every point you’ve made. I felt the same way when I saw that crawl on the bottom of ESPN. I was totally caught off guard by the emotion I felt when I learned the news. It wasn’t relief or elation or satisfaction or even optimism, it was simply shock and sadness. And this after I spent the afternoon rooting against my ‘Canes and calling for Shannon’s ouster…
Bottom line, this is a sad, sad day, but a point that we have been heading towards for some time now. To Randy: Thanks for your service and love for Miami, best wishes on your future endeavors.
As for the coaching search, my top two candidates would be the TCU head guy and the Boise State hc. These guys have proven they know how to evauluate and develop talent as well as win big games and handle themselves properly on the national stage. They are also ambitious and highly motivated. With those skills and Miami’s recruiting base, you just can’t go wrong. No coordinators, no big names who have washed out elsewhere, etc, etc. We need to go back to the Schnell, JJ, Erickson (even though I hate that guy) model.
Sad, but exciting times at the U. Will be very revealing to see how the administration handles this hiring process. Perhaps more revealing will be the names that either will or won’t be interested in the position. That will tell us a whole lot.