ESPN’s Joe Schad had an online college football chat today and he had an interesting answer regarding the future of Larry Coker:
Corey (Trenton,NJ): What’s up with The U, Coker and the possible coaching search?
Joe Schad: (1:34 PM ET ): Miami has begun calling around.
Joe Schad: (1:35 PM ET ): The trustees would love to see Louisville’s Bobby Petrino or West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez. But that’s not going to happen. The more likely scenarios are Rutgers’ Greg Schiano or former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez.
Three of those names—Petrino, Rodriguez, Schiano—would have Miami faithful jumping for joy, but the mention of Alvarez for anything other than the new athletic director—if that? Hells no.
I read online today that Schiano receives a base of $875,000 a year from RU. Coker will receive $1,800.000 from Miami this year. Schiano would have a chance to double his salary by coming to The U and he’d inherit a program in need of some fine tuning in regards to making a run in 2008.
The clock is ticking. Anticipation is building. Let’s hope the Real Slim Schaddy is correct that Miami has been on the horn, throwing it out that they’re looking.
If college football analyst knows anything about The U’s future, it’s Schad. ESPN sends him down to Coral Gables anytime a player sneezes. Schad is a former writer for the Palm Beach Post and you have to believe he has some Miami ties. Someone had to leak this to him for him to report that The U’s top brass is calling around and testing the waters.
On a side note, I’ve seen ongoing message board discussions asking why Schiano would leave an “up and coming” program like Rutgers for a “spiraling” one like Miami.
Puh-leeze.
The Scarlet Knights are having a dream season and Schiano will have them in the hunt for a BCS game every few years, but they’re not the Canes. Miami is a major player stumbled out the gate and it sitting at 5-5, while Rutgers is this year’s Cinderella team. Five National Championships, a slew of NFL talent and decades of dominance will always separate these two programs. The only leg up Rutgers has on Miami is its coaching staff.
Unless Schiano can win it all at RU next season, anything else will be a letdown. He needs to ride out this incredible season, use it as a bargaining chip with Miami and sign on the dotted line the week after Thanksgiving.
If Schiano can bring his Rutgers coaching ethic to Coral Gables, “National Championship” and Miami will once again be synonymous.
.:Canes305:.