A few weeks back I started writing a column for CollegeFootballNews.com. I saw they were looking for bloggers and felt like I should get on board to take up for the Canes. Most of us feel The U doesn’t get the national respect it deserves, so I got on board to let the outsiders know that Randy has Miami back on the right track.
The second-years coach is following the blueprint to a ‘T’, knows the lay of the land and between solid recruiting, aggressive personnel moves and his leadership, he’ll right the ship.
Follow the blog at CFN.com or check it here a few days later when it’s reposted.
I was originally going to write a piece this week detailing Randy Shannon, how he’s the right man for the job, how he’ll out-recruit anybody and he knows the blueprint for bringing the Canes back.
I was going to call it ‘The State of Miami’ which was a term conjured up by Howard Schnellenberger during his tenure at The U.
As I sat down to lay out my piece, I received my weekly alert from the Miami Herald and stumbled across Barry Jackson’s piece on the Miami Hurricanes and the state of the program this off season.
Jackson beat me to the punch and touched on much of what I was going to explain to you outsiders regarding Miami being “back” – and it being a matter of “when”, not “if”.
At The U, it’s all about family. Miami lacks the rah-rah tradition of the big college school and the Canes are their own entity.
An Independent from their inception until joining the Big East in 1991 (and the ACC in 2004), the Canes built their legacy with that “anybody, anyplace, anytime” mentality that many smaller programs have employed over the years.
Miami played the big boys, whipped ’em, won titles and became the force to be reckoned with the past 25 seasons – outside a brief drop off in the late 90s and again the past two seasons.
The Canes won five titles with four different coaches and did so in a way outsiders couldn’t understand.
Howard laid the foundation, but it was Jimmy Johnson who brought things to the next level, going 44-4, winning a title (1987) and leaving another in the desert (1986). Randy was a four-year letterman under Johnson in the mid to late 80s. While at Dallas, JJ made Shannon a Cowboy in the 11th – not for his size and skills, but for his football knowledge and ability to lead.
Shannon wound up starting as a rookie in the league.
When his playing days rapped, it was back to The U as an assistant for seven years – his final three under Butch Davis, his position coach at Miami in the 80s – as well as with the Cowboys. From there, to the Dolphins, reuniting with JJ and then back to Coral Gables, to take over for defensive coordinator in 2001, when Larry Coker took the reigns.
Outside of a few years in Dallas, Shannon has spent all his playing and coaching days in Miami. He knows the city like the back of his hand. He knows the high school football programs, the coaches, the players and how things are done.
Shannon saw Johnson take Schnellenberger’s Miami program to that next level, which is why he spent time this off season down in the Florida Keys with his mentor. Johnson is taking Shannon under his wing, teaching him how to utilize players and get the most out of them – starting with the upperclassmen who will be beat out by hungry freshman that were part of the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class (per ESPN).
Get these guys on board with the rebuilding process. Get them one-on-one and ask them how they can make the team better. Get everyone involved and don’t let them check out mentally. Eliminate any back-talking or counterproductive behavior by dealing with it immediately.
At Miami, it’s not just young coach talking to old coach about how to maintain the tradition. Par for the course, older players and NFL superstars are reaching out to the new crop of Canes.
Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma has already reached out to true freshman Sean Spence and Arthur Brown, offering up his cell number and explaining his desire to mentor both of them. Panthers linebacker Jon Beason has done the same.
Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork has followed suit and did the same for Marcus Forston.
Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has reached out to Aldarius Johnson, as have Colts wideout Reggie Wayne and Redskins flanker Santana Moss.
Enough is enough. After a 12-13 run since November 2005, the Miami alum know they’re as important a piece in the rebuilding puzzle as the new Canes that will have to get it done on the field.
Beason said he was “in tears” when watching last season’s 5-7 campaign. Vilma complained about “guys not improving year to year”, refusing to just blame it on talent and hinting towards a lack of developing the skills set of the past few recruiting classes.
The first rounders and superstars that have earned Miami the moniker ‘NFL U’ are on campus this summer, working out to gear up for another season – and they’re working out side by side with those Canes already on campus, preparing for fall.
Early as it may be in the process, they see change and a desire to improve.
Miami won’t be back on the road to the National Championship in 2008, but it’s also not as far off as some of the critics might feel. The Canes truly bottomed out last year, which happens after the wrong guy for the job ‘Cokerizes’ the program and leaves it in need of a full-on overhaul.
Shannon is one step closer to bringing things back and I’m going to keep selling you on that message as things progress.
Hey, just thought you might want to take a look at an article the Sun Sentinel recently ran. The focus was slumping season ticket sales for FSU. They are blaming it on the economy and rising gas prices, yet all the other football programs in Florida are noting an increase in season ticket sales. With Miami and here’s the great part showing season ticket sales doubling from this time last year. Just figured that the fans could use some positive news and most won’t ever see this article. I know you’re blog is well read so figured you could get it out there. GO CANES!!!
Sully
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/college/hurricanes/sfl-flspfau16sbjul16,0,6279253.story
Hey, just thought you might want to take a look at an article the Sun Sentinel recently ran. The focus was slumping season ticket sales for FSU. They are blaming it on the economy and rising gas prices, yet all the other football programs in Florida are noting an increase in season ticket s
Miami is Miami, which is good and bad. Ticket sales will always be what they are down south. It’s not Miami. It’s not Florida State. Those big programs with their big state budgets and huge alumni fan bases – the Canes can’t compete with that.
As for USF and UCF, those are up and coming, new programs and they’re just getting some real interest there for the first time. Miami has ‘been there, done that’ and this fan base is simply waiting to see where things go this year.
I’ll tell you what’s as much to blame as anything else — the fact we’re talking about two teams that went 7-6 and 5-7 last year. Miami/Florida State was a dud of a game (on the national radar) last year. A regionally televised game with some D-level announcers.
Compare that to the Labor Day games when both teams were either top five or top ten.
Miami is young this year and is rebuilding, while Florida State is probably going to backslide even a little bit more.
Let the Canes get off to a decent start this year and interest will build for that game.
Fans are in ‘wait and see’ mode for this storied rivalry. Are the teams going to stumble out the gate? Or will the gam actually mean something this year?
Either way, it doesn’t warrant having to pre-buy tickets for that game in July as it’s not going to sell out.
Raised ticket prices aren’t helping the cause either. Bad time to ask Miami and Florida State fans for more money to watch lesser teams.
The radio is reporting other wise. The season ticket prices have gone from $199 to $99 in one day I think.
And the radio is also reporting that the main reason the tickets are even selling at that price is because you get a chance at buying a ticket to the Gator game and those are going for $500 a seat on ebay & craiglist.
Canes305, is it true that both Harris and Marve are going to get playing time throughout the season?
The radio is reporting other wise. The season ticket prices have gone from $199 to $99 in one day I think.
I don’t listen to sport talk radio, so I didn’t know that. Thanks for the heads up. Good call on Miami’s part as $199 was asinine.
And the radio is also reporting that the main reason the tickets are even selling at that price is because you get a chance at buying a ticket to the Gator game and those are going for $500 a seat on ebay & craiglist.
Smart play by the marketing department…
Canes305, is it true that both Harris and Marve are going to get playing time throughout the season?
That’s what the AP reported. I think it’s a good thing. Let them both get experience. I was torn at first because I hate to see one of them unused and on the bench… but Miami has zero experience at the quarterback position, so you can’t just depend on the starter.
If he goes down, you need the #2 guy ready.
Are you planning on making a trip to a game this year?
Are you planning on making a trip to a game this year?
UNC/FSU back to back was the goal, but that’s out now.
Right now it’s looking like Virginia Tech. Can’t make Florida State as I have to be in LA on 10.03, so I might synch with the LA alum group to watch the game.
I have two weddings and a bachelor party weekend this fall and that’s really getting in the way of traveling back for games…
Just be aware that the ticket price isn’t the only cost. The reason I say season ticket prices have doubled is because this year they started requiring a “donation” for the right to purchase a season ticket. The face value of the season tickets didn’t go up much but combined with the involuntary donation it was a huge increase.
Sully
I just really want to put a halt to all these losing streaks we have going on right now to average teams. UNC, GaTech, and Virginia should NEVER have any kind of winning streak against Miami. That just shows how far we have slid the past few years. FSU is not even the issue right now. We’re in their heads. We have to right the ship and beat these middle of the road teams and also knock out Va Tech which has really given us issues the last several years, just by outworking us. I still am in disbelief by losing to these kind of teams. That being said, I am hopeful and still expect to beat these teams THIS year, Freshman-heavy or not. Tech is ripe for the picking as well with all their holes they have, but you have to beat them. They don’t beat themselves. I think this can be a great rebound year, especially with the nation overlooking us. While they continue the lovefest with USC, LSU, Ohio State and Florida, Miami can lay a great foundation for 2009 and 2010 by surprising the naysayers and go to a good bowl game this year. There was nothing worse than watching all these bowl games last year (32 or whatever it was) Miami not even being eligible. Let’s wash 2007 away.
-Columbus Cane