Latest reports coming out of New York are that Miami has not only met with Mike Leach, but Randy Shannon is in town and has been brought into the discussion.
The pitch is to bring in Leach as Miami’s new head coach and to promote Shannon to assistant head coach, while giving him a big time pay raise.
I don’t know about you, but I like this premise. Hell, who am I kidding, I love it.
Bob Stoops to Miami would still be my #1 scenario, but the money is too impossible to overcome. Stoops makes almost double what the Canes were paying Larry Coker.
This Leach/Shannon scenario is a helluva second choice and it’s infinitely better than bringing Greg Schiano to Miami. While I respect what Schiano has done at Rutgers, it wasn’t enough for me to warrant losing Shannon and a slew of other assistants. No way Schiano would’ve kept another defensive guy like Shannon – not to mention what would happen to Tim Walton, Clint Hurtt and John Palermo.
My hat’s off to Paul Dee and Donna Shalala if they can find a way to lure Leach to Miami without wrecking the infrastructure of this program. Miami would get their high-powered, high-octane offense without selling out on a defense which has been a top the nation since 2000.
Keeping Shannon means the defensive coaches are safe, I assume.
Offensively, Leach would bring in his own guys while calling his own plays and acting as QB coach. That eliminates Rich Olson, Todd Berry, Marquis Mosely and Joe Pannunzio from the equation, which is fine by me. Olson’s offense was putrid this season, as were quarterbacks, wide receivers and special teams – all coached buy the aforementioned guys.
The wild card is Mario Cristobal as offensive line coach. This is a guy Miami can’t afford to lose. He’s a top recruiter and an up and comer. Other programs have already inquired about Cristobal, but The U needs to find a way to keep one of their own on staff. Up his pay if need be. Miami can’t lose Mario. Same with strength and conditioning guru, Andreu Swasey. Those two are irreplaceable right now.
Leach & Shannon are a lethal duo, but they have to be a package deal. I’m not ready for Miami to turn the keys over to a B-level new guy and a new Texas-bred staff, but I also don’t want to see The U promote from within and give Shannon the job based on seniority. The duo is Miami’s best case scenario.
allCanesBlog.com will follow this story throughout the day. Check back for any late-breaking news.
.:Canes305:.
I think Texas Tech coach Leach as Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator could mean points, and Shannon as Def. Coordinator and Ass’t Head Coach could mean good defense …
Would be interesting to see if that would work out for Univ. of Miami .. I don’t know anything about graduation rates, and character with Leach though …
And who do you think has a better combined record in the next 3 years Schiano at Rutgers or The next 3 years at the “U” …
You know…you have this ability to convince me that whatever you’re blogging about is the best scenario for the U. First it was Schiano…then it was Stoops…now its Leach.
I like what I read about the dynamic duo…but tell me the truth. Would you really have Leach and Shannon over a Bob Stoops? And now that the Stoops rumor is out of the bag, have you heard any more developments on that story?
Would you really have Leach and Shannon over a Bob Stoops?
No. As I wrote below and yesterday, I would take Bob Stoops over anyone else.
I don’t like Mike Leach without Randy Shannon and vice versa.
I like Leach/Shannon over Patterson, Kragthorpe, etc. We get a high-powered offense while keeping a top ranked defense and our South Florida recruiting ties. Leach can also help recruit Texas.
Outside of Stoops, Leach/Shannon is our best option, I believe.
Outside of the Stoops “wet-dream”, I am liking this scenario.
Reminds me of what the Buccaneers did when they paired Jon Gruden with Monte Kiffin. (present season’s results excluded, of course)
This would likely result in a much quicker rebound. Especially given the current talent level the Hurricanes enjoy.
JMG
Tampa
Hey Cane fans:
I have to admit I was not thrilled with the idea of Mike Leach but after doing some research this guys offensive scheme is incredible and he has a little bit of an attitude too “I think I like this guy”. If you get a chance check out my blog for some stats on Mr. Leach just click my screen name!!
Caneiac1
Hey…………as long as it isn’t Jeff Bowden.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist C.B., I had to do it. Maybe we should start a rumor that Bobby and JoePa are going to team up. Then we could bring in a few more haters from other programs…..what amazes me most is how these folks find your blogs. I only know it from AllCanes. Thanks again for the add…..big pimpin
THE UMIAMI COACHING POSITION SHOULD BE PRESTIGIOUS!
Im just going to play devil’s advocate here. As much as this idea would sound promising and be very beneficial to the future of Miami football, I think it is a little too much to ask of a coach who has done so much for this program.
Randy Shannon has indisputably put his work in for Miami and we are completely ignoring this fact. Why should we prioritize Mike Leach’s offensive expertise over Shannon’s defensive expertise? Can we not just as easily say that Shannon should be promoted as head coach and we simply demote Mike Leach to Assistant coach, or better yet, just bring in a phenomenal offensive minded assistant to help out.
In short, I just dont respect the thought of Shannon having to take the back seat this time around. I think if UM steps up to the plate and respects its loyal and committed staff, then maybe we will start generating some respect and prestige throughout this program. Im sorry, Im just not interested in having another coach come to this program and use it as a platform into the NFL.
Coker was a great guy who gave more than just his labor to UMiami. Just because we had trouble with the loyal guy doesnt mean we should shy away from the next one. I say we build our future around committed people like Shannon who have already showed their devotion to this school. We can craft a winning team with him as the coach. And we will realize, once we do, that we will have something the next time we are searching for a coach that we dont have now–prestige and respect for OUR program.
I guarantee you that Schiano would not have passed up Notre Dame or Penn State had their vacancies were open. And the reason why, is because, objectively, people can see why coaching at those schools would make sense for anyone. Its like being accepted to Harvard. How can you turn that down. Yes, Miami, we have our titles, our talent and our swagger. But we are America’s most scape-goated team! Its up to us to change that image.
AN IMPORTANT POINT EVERYONE SEEMS TO MISS AS TO WHY SCHIANO STAYED AT RUTGERS. RUTGERS IS IN THE HEART OF THE MEDIA AND ADVERTISING CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES—NEW YORK. BESIDES HIS SALARY AND BONUS, HE WILL EARN A BUNDLE OVER THE YEARS FROM ENDORSEMENTS AND T.V. SHOWS. DO YOU REALLY THINK HE WOULD BE GETTING THIS TYPE OF PUBLICITY IF HE TURNED AROUND LET’S SAY THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS. HE TURNED AROUND THE COLLEGE THAT IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN THE HEART—IE 25 MILES—OF THE MEDIA CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES.
HE ALSO HAS THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF BUSINESS AND ALUMNI IN NEW JERSEY WHICH IS EXTREMELY WEALTHY AND HAS THE HIGHEST HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN THE COUNTRY.
WOULD HE GO TO PENN STATE—UNLIKELY—IT IS A LOSERS GAME TO REPLACE A LEGEND. SO WHAT WILL BE HIS NEXT AMBITION. FOR A JERSEY GUY, LIKE SCHIANO, THE ANSWER IS EASY—NOT NOW—BUT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE THE NEW YORK GIANTS. HE WILL BE A JERSEY GUY COACHING JERSEY TEAMS.
HA! Schiano turned you DOWN!
No amount of money paints a pretty picture on the mess that is Miami. Miami had a good run, but they now stink. I mean the “college” and the city – both are filled with refugees from the 3rd world, and the city and college look like Port au Prince after a police raid! Watch the continued stream of footballers parade out of North HAVANA into great schools like RUTGERS.
Your days as a top team ended when the POLICE stopped taking Canes tickets and started arresting your thugs instead. Sure, Miami will always have good NFL-quality players, as the gangs in Homestead are not going anywhere, and your ACADEMIC “standards” continue (and your admission requirements include an SAT score of 850 – COMBINED! for anyone that can outrun a marked unit). This is why former players say they are “…from the U”, because they cannot SPELL the rest of UNIVERSITY.
Go to RUTGERS UNIVERSITY and jump on the train to NEW YORK CIY in 10 minutes;
go to Miami College and get jumped in 10 minutes by a boat person.
Go to the JERSEY SHORE and see Broadway Stars and SPRINGSTEEN;
go to miami beach and see Dominicans doing LAUNDRY.
Go to RUTGERS and get an Ivy-quality diploma that employers salivate over;
go to Miami and salivate over the fries you are cooking.
IF Leech happens to be hired and IF Shannon would be willing to stay, I guess I would take a wait and see approach. We definately need Shannon and Cristobal for recruiting in the area since Leech is a Texas guy in the middle of nowhere and would have no clue about the Miami area. I would hope that he would modify his offense some to include more of a running attack and not his pass 70% and run 30%. The good thing about his offense is that we should be able to finally land some young quaterbacks which somehow has alluded us for the last 2 seasons (baffling). Shannon is an important link for the past several season with a nationally top 5 or 6 defense year in and year out and is a great mind. I guess I will keep coming to your blog Chris, since you are in the family and I hear things here with a program view, which is important. I hope something gets done this week or early next week, so they can hit the recruiting trail hard as soon as they finish their media announcement. But as far as coaches turning down the Miami job, I chalk it up to some guys just not ebing Miami guys and some guys are. As you said, Stoops just makes too much for a small, private university to afford. We don’t have our own station like Notre Shame, so I can live with him being too expensive. This decision is huge and I hope everyone sees this will affect the program for the next 5 years at least, in some form or another.
There’s also talk about Mike Stoops now. I don’t know about that one. I know he was DB coach at The U before going to AZ, but I don’t know if he’s offensive minded enough, and I haven’t really seen Arizona play besides against LSU when they got crushed. I know he has ties here, but just don’t know much else. I’d be willing to hear what he has to say though and see if he has a plan.
There’s also talk about Mike Stoops now. I don’t know about that one.
Mike Stoops is the head coach at Arizona. His brother Mark Stoops was Miami’s former secondary coach and both are at Arizona right now as defensive coordinator.
There is talk of Mike for head coach and Mark being on board with him, but not talk of our former secondary coach taking over as head coach. You’re just mixing up names.
Latest news is Kosar wants the job. I’m not sure how i feel about that one, sure he is a trustee, but i don’t recall Bernie ever coaching or going out and recruiting. The Leach Shannon scenario although a good one, i think would just fail because of egos, i don’t think shannon would stay if he gets passed over. Bob stoops to Miami, christmas comes early. i think we need to be just a little patient, there is the right guy out there for us. We need a good recruiter, we are losing on that front before we ever get to the games. We also need an offensive minded person who isn’t afraid to pay top dollar for a good defense guy.
DOC from Cali
Good catch. Thanks.
To the Rugters fan who posted a comment:
First of all. I think I speak on behalf of a lot of other ‘Cane fans who are actually happy for Rugters and Schiano that they had such success this season. I loved Schiano when he was at the U and really wished him the best when he left. I’m really happy to see him doing so well over there.
Secondly, don’t hate on Miami, the school. Have you seen the campus?? Don’t you know that the U has one of the most beautiful campuses in America? Don’t forget…you’re in JERSEY! The armpit of the nation. Maybe if you guys were on the otherside of the river, you’d be something. Also, did you know that the U has a large student population from New York? We won five national championships, the most NFL picks, the most NFL FIRST round picks…I mean, it goes on and on but I’m sure you’ve heard it all before. And listen, just because you guys have ONE decent season doesn’t mean you’re special. People like Rugters this season because its a good story. Kind of like the Royals winning the world series…or the nerd winning over the prom queen. Win a few national championships, THEN I might actually respect what you say. But until then, just stop. It’s kinda sad actually.
Third…don’t bash Miami, the city. Don’t forget where YOUR players come from. Do you think they’re from Jersey?? These “Homestead gangsters” you hate on are the same guys winning your football games.
Lastly…”broadway stars and SPRINGSTEEN”??? I’m not even going to go there.
Yes…..planes are just full of people salivating to move to New Jersey. Smooth move CB by ignoring this one !
big pimpin says that blogger is a typical northern racist pig !!!
Yes…..planes are just full of people salivating to move to New Jersey. Smooth move CB by ignoring this one ! big pimpin says that blogger is a typical northern racist pig !!!
Bro, I’m over these Buttgers fans. The minute we didn’t strike a deal with Schiano, I started tuning them and their Cane envy right out.
They talk about Schiano like he’s a god. Give it a rest. Most Canes fan weren’t even sold on the guy. I thought he was a decent candidate, but no way was he my #1 choice for us. He still has a lot to prove up there. One good season doesn’t make him the next Pete Carroll. Please.
Rutgers is 0-11 against us and happened to have their ONE good year at a time when Miami had its worst outing since 1997 (probation) and before that, 1977. The think ONE good year for then and ONE bad one for us means that we’re done and they’re the new power. It’s laugable.
As far as them trying to pimp New Jersey like it’s better than South Florida, again, I just laugh.
That’s like comparing a cow patty to a filet mignon.
Do what I do. Ignore them. I responded to a few emails Monday through Wednesday, but I’m over those clowns. Why are they still here? Schiano is staying up there and they’re gloating like they’re headed to Glendale. Tools.
Could you imagine their arrogance HAD they actually reached the Orange Bowl? Holy hell. These yahoos would be completely intolerable.
Yeah Chris, if they’re not Canes’ fans, why are they even blogging? Their coach is staying so why are they on a Canes’ fan blog? Kind of funny. They must have been nervous or something. The thing with coaches is to never believe what they say, especially in front of the media. The number of coaches who say one thing and do another is like sand on the beach. It’s all done to keep the environment and recruits settled. Schiano decided to take $2 million and stay. I don’t have issue with that. So The U moves on. If I remember correctly, Pete Carroll was the 4th or 5th pick for USC and folks were moaning over that hire. I think he’s done fairly well. There are plenty of candidates and we just need to to choose the right one who really wants to be here and make a difference, and make his mark. So all you anti-Cane haters, go to your own blogs and worry about your own programs. We don’t want you here.
Chris, just in case you misread me in my earlier post….I admire the fact that you can ignore these morons. I do have a question though. Can’t you simply not put them up on the page when they are anonymous ? I mean they don’t have the cajones to let people answer them personally….they hide !They are classless and clueless. I enjoy your writings and updates. Keep up the awesome work….thanks for blogging brah. big pimpin