Gruden staying put; Miami’s search truly begins

Jon Gruden will not be the next coach of the University of Miami.

With that, let’s fold up the tent, disband the program, board up Hecht and pledge our allegiance elsewhere. Life as we thought we knew it is over. Hurricane football is d-e-a-d.

While I’m obviously being facetious, my faux rant isn’t all that far off from what some are saying in the wake of Gruden’s, “thanks, but no thanks” response to being offered the head coaching gig recently vacated by Randy Shannon.

With Gruden officially off the radar, this might be a good time for all of us to shut up, take a deep breath, sit back and reflect as it’s been a whirlwind couple of days for UM and we’re all a bit upside down and talking crazy.

A week ago Miami was four days past the loss to Virginia Tech and three days from getting upset by South Florida. Shannon was still in the driver’s seat, excuses were being made regarding the most recent loss and fans were pissing and moaning about a school president who supposedly didn’t care about football, convinced that Randy would get at least one more year to right the ship, if not more.

For many, Christmas came early when Shannon was let go Saturday evening, hours after the overtime loss to the Bulls. Seems in the wake of the non-hire regarding Gruden, most are forgetting what’s taken place recently inside the walls of Hecht and it’s time for some perspective, instead of spewing more venom.

Many of you felt that Donna Shalala and Kirby Hocutt were content with seven or eight seasons, as long as kids stayed out of trouble. You felt Shannon’s job wasn’t just safe this year, but for many years to come, as long as Miami’s APR rating stayed high and number of arrests low.

Instead, Shalala gave Hocutt the green light to move forward, proving that when it comes to term ‘student athlete’, each word is as important as the other.

Shannon was let go hours after Miami’s fifth loss of the season and who was the first phone call to fill the vacancy? Jon Gruden. Arguably the biggest name out there and UM was all but ready to give the man a blank check, proving their commitment to getting this proud football program back where it needs to be.

How interested Gruden may or may not have ever been, it doesn’t matter. Miami meant business and Hocutt trekked to Tampa with the intent of putting a deal together – something most fans wouldn’t have seen coming in a million lifetimes.

That in itself should be your focus today, after taking a few minutes to wallow in some Gruden-imposed sorrow. Remember where you were a week ago and take pride in the fact this university is committed to building a winner and not settling for mediocrity.

Yes, we all got caught up in Grudenmania, which is both understandable and acceptable. Honestly, when was the last time Miami fans really had a reason to feel good about something?

Saturday November 5th back in 2005, if you really want to know.

The then fifth-ranked Canes kicked the ass off the third-ranked Hokies in Blacksburg, 27-7 and Miami rose to No. 3 in the land, nestled right behind top-ranked Southern Cal and second-ranked Texas, who eventually squared off in the last great title game. It was the last time Miami was truly relevant both on or off the field.

Five years of being average took it’s toll, so when a 7-5 regular season was followed with a 48-hour window where Shannon was fired and there was talk of a potential Gruden hire, everyone ran with it because as modern day Miami fans, we all needed something to cling to.

At allCanesBlog.com, we did our best to share what we were hearing, always with the caveat that it came from a source or friend and that until the ink on the contract was dry, everything should be taken with a grain of salt.

If there’s anything we did these past few days to mislead you, we apologize. Like you, we were thrilled at the premise of a fiery Super Bowl winning coach heading to Coral Gables and simply told you what we heard, in an effort to keep you informed.

It’s a fine line between wanting to be first and striving to be right, which is why others who cover the Canes are getting lambasted today, having gone a little too far in their quest to break the story.

Still, if fans weren’t clamoring for it, there wouldn’t have been the need for the media and paid sites to run with the scoop as they have. (Our site traffic was 10x the norm, as inquiring minds wanted to know.)

Those folks tearing CaneSport’s Gary Ferman a new one today are some of the same fanatics that were treating him like the oracle a few days back, hanging on his every word and begging for any morsel thrown their way – proving that those seeking the story are as much to blame as those who reported it. We’re all fans and we’re all guilty of running before we walked. All of us need to take our share of the responsibility here. Own it, don’t cast stones.

Time to get a grip, to employ some logic and to really size up what’s gone on the past few days. It was easy to get caught up in the moment, but too much happened too quickly and the moment has passed, meaning it’s time to re-evaluate and to see the positive in what’s happened since Saturday.

This university cares about football more than you knew and the head coach that many felt was the root of the problem has been let go. Start and end with that premise, instead of lamenting the biggest fish in the pond who got away.

Yes, for the sake of recruiting, the Miami Hurricanes need to get a coach in place sooner than later. That said, Signing Day is over two months out and this is a program-defining hire that cannot be rushed. Shannon was released five days back and some are literally up in arms that UM has hired a new coach “yet” – as if that’s how it’s done with anyone other than a Gruden-type.

Should Miami’s top brass hire a dud, pick up the bitchfest then and complain away.

Five days into the process and having swung for the fences with the first prospect, Hocutt and staff deserve some credit, as well as your patience.

Despite the reports, Gruden was a long shot and his turning down Miami isn’t an indictment on this program. UM is a different breed and it’ll take a special guy to get on board, maximizing with this school, team and city have to offer.

We’ll delve deeper into the Miami “list” and some other options the Canes are looking at.

Until then, focus on the bigger picture, appreciate the fact that UM’s administration cares more about football than you thought and give them the time to get this thing right.

You owe them at least that much after all they’ve done for U since Saturday.

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