What started out as (expected) rumors earlier today has since been confirmed by multiple media outlets—Penn State is targeting Miami head coach Al Golden to replace the recently-departed Bill O’Brien.
Hardly a surprise based on the long-time relationship between the two parties.
Golden played tight-end for Penn State (1987-1991), learned under the legendary Joe Paterno, joined the staff to coach up linebackers (2000) and after turning around the left-for-dead Temple Owls (2006-2010), has been on the Nittany Lions’ radar.
Golden took the Miami job in December 2010, when Paterno was steadfast on remaining Penn State’s leader. The longtime coach was fired nine months later for his cover-up role in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal.
Three years later, both programs are at a crossroads. O’Brien helped turn the Nittany Lions program around over the past two seasons, while the NCAA reduced some heavy-handed sanctions it levied on Penn State last September—making the rebuilding project less daunting.
In Miami, Golden negotiated the Hurricanes through a two-plus year investigation of its own after the salacious Yahoo! Sports expose penned by investigative journalist Charles Robinson.
The detailed piece was released in August 2011, weeks before Golden’s first game coaching the Hurricanes.
Multiple players were suspended, the phrase “death penalty” was thrown around in a way-too-carefree a manner, with some “professionals” predicting the Miami program could be done for good.
Golden had a mess on his hands with a broken-down Hurricanes program, but sympathy in the court of public opinion, giving him a free pass to hit the road if he so chose.
Instead, he dug in deeper, stating that he wasn’t raised a quitter and would see his commitment through.
At the end of the 2011 season, Golden and Miami agreed to an extension that would keep him in Coral Gables until 2020. The news was announced during what wound up a season-ending loss to Boston College, as Golden-to-Happy-Valley rumors swirled in the wake of Paterno’s firing.
At every turn, Golden’s has reaffirmed his commitment to Miami. Penn State early on. UCLA, Tennessee and even Wisconsin—the Hurricanes’ coach always attached some how, even if it’s just media speculation rooted in his good guy persona, character and CEO-type vibe.
Crazy as it sounds, a portion of the “U Family” would gladly help Golden pack the moving van as the turnaround and clean-up haven’t met their unrealistic time table.
Forget the ten-year mess, the fact the previous coach went 28-23, burned bridges with local high school coaches and left a team so out out of shape that not one player could pass Golden’s conditioning test that his Temple players could crush.
Three dozen kids left the program over the past three years, while the NCAA scandal scared other top talent away and many of the second- and third-choice recruits simply didn’t pan out.
Still, some remain mired in defensive scheme chatter, harping on coaches and players instead of thinking long-term and praising some of the seeds Golden’s planted over the past few seasons.
Golden’s summer camps have greatly impacted recruiting efforts, while helping make things right with the local high school coaches who tired of Randy Shannon and his indifferent attitude.
Recruiting starts a decade before these kids ever play a down in college. Golden knows that and has gone new levels with brand recognition and selling “The U” to the next generation.
Golden also went new levels with his “U Tough” conditioning program, as well as implementing a 16-player “Unity Council”, in effort to create leadership and empower key members of his squad.
The critics will dismiss all the above with a, “pffftt!” and continue bitching about giving up 500-plus yards a game and losing to the likes of Duke, painfully short-sighted and too frustrated with the wins-versus-losses to acknowledge how far Miami had slipped over the past decade.
Just ask former cornerback Ryan Hill who had a few parting shots and some “real talk” regarding the Miami culture months after his playing career ended.
There’s no other process than a slow crawl back to the top. Such was the case in the late nineties when fans tried to run Butch Davis out of town—the same coach many would welcome back with open arms should Golden depart.
Forget Davis’ inability to gameday coach and true lack of character—shown in the departure from Miami as well as the blind eye turned at North Carolina.
A desire to live in the past have too many thinking the 62-year old they once thanked publicly for turning “champs” to “chumps” is the missing link in a return to glory.
Next up, some cries for the return of Jimmy Johnson almost three decades after he left “The U”, despite being in his seventies and not having coached in 15 years—his last sideline appearance, a 62-7 loss in the Playoffs when coaching the Dolphins.
Based on what Golden is doing on the recruiting front—a fourth-ranked class with 30 verbal commits, despite NCAA sanctions hovering until late October—some are still willing to run off a committed coach current doing his best “Butch” or “JJ” with his third full recruiting class.
The next few days will be program-definining for the University of Miami. That’s hardly overstating it.
By staying, Golden again reaffirms his commitment to this program, displaying a type of character that few modern-day coaches possess and proves that he believes he’ll create something special—in due time—at “The U”.
He’s publicly declared his heart for Miami—both the university and the city itself—and knows that resurrecting the Hurricanes opens the door to any coaching gig he’ll ever desire.
For proof, look no further than every other UM head coach between 1984 and 2001 and where their paths led.
All that said, Golden could hardly faulted for leaving. An up-and-comer with many options three years ago, he walked into a shit-storm at Miami.
Things looked decent from the outside, but getting a look under the hood confirmed that things were worse than ever imagined.
The stench of “Shapirogate” hovered for over two years and even with Miami primed to start turning the corner with a top-flight class coming aboard, Golden still can’t earn the support he deserves—or even a semi-fair timetable in regards to a timely turnaround.
Golden is from New Jersey, but make no mistake—Happy Valley represents “home”. It’s a dream job for a former alum—despite the Sandusky scandal—and like the architect of Miami’s rebuild, whoever gets Penn State back to an elite level will be Paterno incarnate, pre-scandal.
While a case can be made to stay or go, it’d be a surprise if Golden left Miami for Penn State, here and now.
Three years of planting seeds, rebuilding and changing a culture, Golden has built an infrastructure that can prove successful in South Florida. It’s simply a matter of time, desire and growth.
There’s also those buzzwords that seem to define the man. Commitment. Character. Core values. What are Golden’s “8 Pillars of Performance” if he doesn’t subscribe to and live out the same things he preaches to his kids?
“If you’re not based on something, you can fall for anything,” preached Golden in a recent CanesAllAccess piece titled “Mind Games”.
“I think that’s the one thing that we’ve experienced here the last few years, that the University of Miami stands for something. I think our coaching staff stands for something. I think our student athletes stand for something—and what they stand for is that ‘U’ and that brotherhood and that legacy and that it is worth fighting for.
Give that all up to take over the Nittany Lions—forever in Paterno’s shadow—and without the ability to pull all that State of Miami-area talent to the northeast? Penn State would have to be Golden’s “dream job” like nothing else.
There’s also the family factor—and it’s no secret that the Goldens are happy as South Florida residents. They’ve taken to the city, built friendships and proudly call Miami home.
Yes, bouncing around comes with the coaching culture—but the effect can be minimized. Look no further than former Boise State coach Chris Petersen.
Mentioned in every big time opening since becoming a BCS buster, Petersen consistently stayed put until Washington called this offseason. Big time Pac-12 program, with the ability to stay in the Pacific Northwest, as region proved more important to him and his family life than money, status or prestige.
The Petersen argument can work for or against Golden staying at Miami or making the leap to Penn State. It’s all rooted in what he considers “home” at this phase of his life.
Regardless, Golden will hear out his alma mater and go through the process out of respect for all things Blue & White.
I’m guessing South Florida wins out—rooted mostly in Golden’s reverence for the phrases “character” and “commitment—but certainly won’t count out northeast Pennsylvania or breathe easily until the man himself says otherwise.
Neither should “U”.
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Again....thank you for bringing a sane perspective to the conversation. I agree that I'd bet on Al staying....and I would hate to see him leave. We have a real gem of a coach and he'll continue to progress the football program.
... thanks, Ty. Everyone is sick of being in "rebuild mode"—I shudder to think where things go if Al Golden leaves.
This fan base is like someone who breaks up with their nice girlfriend, under the impression they're going to go out and get laid by supermodels seven nights a week. Instead, the ex-girlfriend gets all the dates, the guy is home alone and in time he realizes he err in his ways—when it's too late.
This mindset that if Golden goes that Miami will just pick up the ol' orange-and-green batphone and call up a Butch Davis, Rob Chudzinski, Bobby Petrino or Charlie Strong and have a pick of the litter regarding big time head coaches ... it's laughable.
Miami is a unique job. Private school in a metropolitan city. It's not for everybody. Most college head coaches go places where they get the rah-rah experience. That is not "The U"—but the upside here if winning is endless and there are many things Miami as a city has that podunk college towns will never possess.
Golden seems to be a great fit and could be here a while. He just needs time to turn the corner. It's been three years and it was a seven-year disaster before he even showed up. The NCAA crap set it back even further.
Hopefully he stays and this is a learning experience for the knee-jerk folks who want to run him off.
Again, be careful what you wish for, people.
I don't "wish." I "expect." And what I expect is on-the-field results. Al Golden is a white, out-of-shape Randy Shannon. The numbers prove it.
Coaches are hired to win games, not be good guys. Shannon was fired for not winning games, not for upsetting HS coaches. Golden needs to go, for exactly the same reason. Shalala won't fire him, so PSU needs to hire him.
... by your rationale Miami should've fired Butch Davis after a few years as well, then ... which would've proven idiotic and disastrous.
Coaches are hired to win games and when the guy who got fired turned over a lazy, pot-smoking, out-of-shape roster that went 28-23 over four seasons, it's going to take the new guy more than three years to right the ship—especially with a three-year NCAA investigation, missed-out-on recruits and three dozen kids who left the program over a three-year span, killing depth.
"Expect" all you want. That entitlement mentality is prevalent in fandom and is the norm these days, sadly.
Good article but I am failing to understand where Golden has excelled. Character and perseverance are great but everything about this team has been below average. Coach D is horrible, Coley is horrible, Fisch at least put points on the board. People keep talking about a lack of talent... Is USF more talented? How about Louisville? VA tech, Duke, Vanderbilt? I say no... They are all well coached, that's the difference. Golden is a nice guy, supposedly a good recruiter but he is an average to below average coach. Let's not even talk about his horrible game planning and in game adjustments. How long should it take to win a division title? 10 years? I guess we will continue to watch kids like Bridgewater, S. Johnson and many others excel while we lose to the likes of Duke. Stop making excuses for AG.
... where was he supposed to "excel" at this point? Golden "excelled" by not letting Miami backslide into complete insignificance the past three years. Without the moves he made to put the right recruiting pieces in place, this program might've been knocked out for good. Think about it.
Also, can't know the James Coley hire. Jedd Fisch left Miami at the final hour last year—late January. The Canes needed a last-minute option and they stole the Noles best recruiting and an up-and-coming coordinator. Coley had a tough year down the stretch but also lost some key offensive weapons.
As for Central Florida—George O'Leary has been building there for ten seasons. Went 0-11 a decade ago and had a few rough seasons, but has steadily been building something. The guy was a resume lie from being Notre Dame's head coach, so he obviously is well-thought of and found a fit in Orlando. Has a good quarterback and running back, built a stout defense and they were a play or two from beating South Carolina after knocking off Penn State (in Happy Valley) and beating Louisville weeks later. The season ended with a bowl trouncing of Baylor ... so yes, I'd say right now Central Florida has more talent at key positions, better depth and was coached up proper as it's been a TEN-YEAR rebuild there.
Like many fans, you're lumping ten years of ACC mediocrity all on the current guy, which is bullshit. Coker failed in three tries, when having the easiest path based on talent. Shannon gave it a whirl, crapped the bed in crucial conference games and was 28-23 overall in four years. That's seven years of shitty football handed to Golden BEFORE the NCAA stuff even hit. Even WITH that, Golden had Miami tied for first in the ACC Coastal last year (yes, UNC would've won tiebreaker if non on probation) and gave up a title game shot—yet again, you're blaming the current man in charge instead of the other jackasses who helped create the problem.
As for Storm Johnson, he chose to leave. So did Teddy Bridgewater. How is either lumped on Golden? Johnson didn't want to compete and got himself suspended while Bridgewater didn't want to follow in the footsteps of J12—a big reason being how the Miami fan base treated Jacory Harris.
A few things to marinate on whilst losing one's mind. Just saying.
We hope he proves us right and stays. He is a good
man. So many coaches only care about glory
And money and not the kids they coach
GREAT PIECE! I AM TORN, BETWEEN GOLDEN STAYING OR GOING. IM NOT A UNREALISTIC FAN THAT IF WE LOSE 1 GAME OUR COACH HAS TO BE FIRED. I GUARANTEE MOST OF WHO COMPLAIN DONT UNDERSTAND THE GAME OR NEVER EVEN HAVE PLAYED A DOWN IN THERE LIFE. I AGREE GOLDEN IS A "CHARACTER" GUY, THERE IS NO DEBATING THAT, HE TEACHES MORE THAN X'S AND O'S, AND WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT ERA OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL, EVEN AS FAR BACK AS 2003 THE GAME HAS EVOLVED SO MUCH EVEN WITH THE 'TARGETING' RULES ETC. ITS NOT SO MUCH HIS ABLITY TO RECRUIT OR THE LITTLE THINGS HE HAS DONE OFF THE FIELD, ITS THE LITTLE THINGS ON THE FIELD, I FEEL WE DONT MAXIMIZE THE TALENTS OF PLAYERS WE DO HAVE. A PLAYERS RESPONSIBILITY IS TO EXECUTE , TACKLING ETC. A COACHES JOB IS TO GET THE PLAYERS LINED UP AND SCHEME TO OUR STRENGTHS. AGAIN, I LIKE GOLDEN BUT WHEN I HEAR QUESTIONS FROM RECRUITS THAT DONT SOLIDIFY WHAT WE ARE RUNNING AS A DIEHARD FAN (HOPEFULLY RAISING ONE) IM CONCERNED. I FEEL WITH ALL THE RESOURCES THE U HAS (FORMER PLAYERS,COACHES) HOW CAN WE PLAY AT THIS LEVEL ON THE O AND D (NOT JUST THE D'S FAULT). I KNOW WE DIDNT RECRUIT BLUE CHIPPERS BECAUSE OF OUR 'SITUATION' ONLY THE FEW DIEHARDS CAME (JOHNSON) BUT HOW DO OTHER SCHOOLS PUT TOGETHER A TEAM AND EXECUTE AT A HIGH LEVEL? SCHEME, EXECUTION, GAMEPLANNING AND INTENSITY. IS THE TALENT REALLY THAT DEPLEATED? I AM JUST AS FRUSTRATED AS ANY OTHER CANE, I KNOW IT DIDNT GO SOUTH OVERNIGHT AND ITS NOT GOING TO BE BUILD OVERNIGHT I GUESS WHAT I HOPING IS AND YOU CAN CONCUR THAT GOLDEN IS A MAN OF HIS WORD AND HE IS COMITTED TO THE U AND IS EVALUATING EVERYTHING HE STATED AFTER THE HORRIFIC BOWL GAME AND REALIZES SOME OF THE SCHEMES HE SIGNS OFF ON ARENT SUCCESSFUL TO THE TALENT THE U CAN POSSESS. THANKS FOR READING
This whole situation has me completely torn. While I agree coach Golden has been a great mentor and figurehead during a very turbulent time, I'm not exactly sure what we would be losing if he decided to go to Happy Valley. Does he recruit well? Sure. Does he fit the leadership role and bring a certain discipline that we haven't seen in quite some time? Definitely. However has any player under his leadership really shown great improvement? Even with the older players coming out and saying that coach D isn't the problem, that it's the players fault its very difficult to see that when it seems the defense can't tackle or shed blocks. I am guilty of looking at these teams and expecting 98', 99', 00', 01', but at the end of the day it truly seems like I've been watching the same 4 or 5 ball games ever since old man Coker got run out of town. I know that if Golden leaves we are in big trouble for even more rebuilding, but I really think we need someone who understands Miami football. I think he has stifled most of the bravado, and the essence of the kids that come from the area. Speed at every position is something that we haven't seen in ages, and the diamonds in the rough that JJ and Butch seemed to always find simply aren't there anymore. Maybe I am asking too much, yet those were the teams I fell in love with. Not a big ten team in Green and Orange. Who knows what is going to happen this coming week, but I know that either way I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel happening anytime soon for us U fans.
Awesome article. While the attraction of Penn State is great, I believe that Coach Golden will stay strong and make The U great again!
I sure hope Golden stays at the U!!! I think he's a good coach & an excellent recruiter!!
I hope he stays, for basically all the same reasons that you mentioned in the article. When rumors first started about O'Brien to the Texans I didn't think Golden would be interested in the Penn State job because of turning the corner with the NCAA cloud at Miami, and not wanting to take a step backwards in terms of scholarships and bowl games. But it's obvious now that he is considering it. At Miami he'll have a roster full of his own guys next year, and I think that counts for something. The unrealistic expectations are probably the same at either school (I'm a Miami fan from Pennsylvania), so it's not like the move would really make life that much easier for him. At Penn State at least he would have more than 20,000 fans at the games, but hopefully that doesn't factor in. Al has said many times how much his family loves the Miami area, and one report I read said that his wife doesn't want to leave. I'm hoping that influence helps to keep him in Miami.
Great piece; and once again, you put things into perspective nicely! I am a BIG believer in Golden & would hate to see him leave. Do changes need to be made, yes, but he does everything the right way. I truly believe he is the right man for the job & can't wait to see what he is able to accomplish post-Shapiro/NCAA!! GO CANES!!
come on penn st. make golden an offer he cant refuse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH BUT HE CAN STAY AS LONG AS HE SURROUNDS HIMSELF WITH BETTER ASSISTANCE....AND D'ONOFRIO IS FIRST ON THE LIST THAT IS A MUST GO!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEFENSES WITH LESSER TALENT ACROSS AMERICA PERFORM BETTER...AND THEY BLAME IT ON WHAT SHANNON LEFT BEHIND...LMAO!!! LEVITT WOULD BE A GOOD CHOICE FOR A DC.... AND IF GOLDEN JETS.... HOW ABOUT STRONG..DUNGY...HERMAN EDWARDS....GRUDEN.....JUST TO NAME A FEW GOOD CHOICES .....COME CLEAN WITH THE MONEY AND THEY WILL COME!