Winds Of Change Starting To Blow For Canes

Limping into the new year after four consecutive losses and on the heels of a six-win season, frustration has resulted in mostly silence, misdirection or lashing out regarding of University of Miami athletics.

While other proud programs are in the process of shaking it up this off-season, things have remained relatively quiet around “The U”.

All signs point to head coach Al Golden returning for a fifth year in Coral Gables—which in itself has many frustrated and setting overall low expectations for 2015.

While major adjustments don’t appear on the immediate horizon regarding this football program, two steps in the right direction will occur over the next year; a changing of the guard (and hopefully a more athletic-conscious president at Miami), as well as today’s freshly-announced partnership with adidas.

Canes-themed imagery and new slogans showed up via adidas’ social media channels this morning ( “The originators of Swagger meet the originators of Sport” and “Swagger, it’s a Canes thing. Starting in September the 305 will be faster than ever”, were two.)

The new 12-year relationship will take “The U” through June 2027 but more importantly, Miami will become to adidas what Oregon now represents to Nike—a foundation and a top priority, with the university reaping branding benefits that come from both.

The Hurricanes originally partnered with Nike in 1987 and it was a pioneer move for both parties as deals of that nature between a manufacturer and university—commonplace today, didn’t exist back then.

Where Miami was once Nike’s everything, that title now belongs to the University or Oregon, where the manufacturing-giant’s CEO Phil Knight is an alum. Knight’s checkbook helped make the Ducks a powerhouse and his apparel sent UO’s apparel and brand through the roof.

“The U” and Nike were an ideal fit for years, had a hell of a run and for obvious reasons are both better off going another direction.

Outside of adidas’ desire to woo Miami and makes the Canes their everything (courtesy of a “substantial amount of money” and a deal reported to dwarf Nike’s), the news is welcomed as it’s one more way UM can shake off the worst parts of a rough couple of decades.

Being in the apparel business, allCanes is beyond familiar with the Nike line and more-specifically the jersey-related changes that have taken place since 1995—the year Miami’s long-time deal with Russell Athletic came to a halt.

Those first-look Nike jerseys lasted five years and at an immediate glance will evoke specific memories—be it the first year of the Butch Davis era, 5-6 in 1997, an upset of No. 2 UCLA a year later or glimmers of hope when the Canes began their comeback in 1999.

From there, Miami’s look was upgraded, with uniforms that still send chills up the spine—that slicker look lasting from 2000 to 2003, where the Canes rolled to four consecutive BCS games, played for back-to-back national championships, won a title, put together a 34-game win-streak and had a combined record of 46-4.

That indelible style was plastered all over ESPN in its day, returns during segments when discussing the best-teams-ever and was recently on display in “The U Part 2″—the Rakontur follow-up to its successful 30-For-30 documentary.

Those images define a dream-era of Miami while the next 11 years were sub-par and full of turmoil, with the jersey look and feel losing some luster.

The 2004 edition had the notorious ‘bra-strap’ fans ripped apart and since then, nothing more than minor tweaks for upwards of a decade—with Nike’s focus shifting to a full-time support role for Oregon’s ascension.

A “renewed” campaign was rolled out in 2014, complete with new colors and combinations, but met with various results and reeking of too little, too late.

The “Smoke” jerseys and orange helmet certainly went over gangbusters, while orange-on-orange combos with a green lid and oversized-helmet “U” proved too out-there—a sentiment that the best ideas were going to Oregon and everyone else was getting the leftovers.

The middle ground and tradition was also lost as Miami rarely went old-school at home with the vintage orange top, white pants and classic helmet that defined an era.

While adidas will arguably have a new style for Miami, talk of a more eighties, retro-style look has been discussed—and looking at apparel lines for adidas-schools like Nebraska and Louisville, safe to assume Miami could finally see the black jerseys folks have clamored for over the years.

Another big factor for “The U”—the new guy in charge; former Taylor Made CEO Mark King, who was promoted to President of adidas Group North America in April and took over June 1st.

The 54-year old King joined Taylor Made out of college and took over as president in 1999. Between then and 2013, King took the company’s sales from roughly $350 million to over $1.7 billion.

King also proved to be an innovator, most-notably with adjustable-weight schemes for its drivers (though was criticized as of late for a rapid release cycle regarding product that had a negative impact on the long-term interest of the sport.)

Still, forward-thinking has done much more good for King than harm.

Earlier this year King was profiled by Bryant Gumbel on HBO’s Real Sports, showing how he was ahead of the curve regarding the future of golf—both the game itself as well as equipment sales and overall brand.

King took the stage at the PGA Merchandise show in January 2014, building his platform on “Hack Golf” and discussing the heavy investment Taylor Made was making ($5 million) researching ways to bring more people into the sport.

King is also behind the 15-inch cup designed to help make the game more fun for casual players.

“If you read the tea leaves, change is coming,” King told the San Diego Union Tribune soon after last year’s merch show.

“Nobody is saying that the game as it is now should go away. They’re just saying let’s have a bunny slope so that we can get people excited again”—a reference to the impact snowboarding changing the skiing industry.

A major complaint by University of Miami faithful as of late—not enough leadership; especially in regards to the direction and decisions made by the athletics department.

A notion that the head coach is in over his head, the athletic director has little pull and the outgoing president is complacent by way of guaranteed TV revenue and a focus on improved image—but other than than, everything is rolling along smoothly. (Nothing to see here!)

UM may have primarily been financially-motivated to make the jump from Nike to adidas and if so, having King’s vision is a bonus and could play well for a program trying so shed the skin of a losing era, while rebuilding a new one and paying homage to a storied past.

Regarding the new, groundbreaking partnership with “The U”, King boldly let his thoughts be known on Thursday.

“The University of Miami was the first college program to excel as a national brand with championship play on the field, changing the game of college athletics,” said King.

”Their unmatched success, national relevance and cultural significance make them a perfect fit for adidas as we continue to significantly invest and grow our business in the U.S. Florida is a key battleground and home to some of the best athletic talent in the country. We’re proud to have Miami as a key pillar of our future business.”

Despite the losses, the Hurricanes do remain nationally relevant—proven by the amount of national coverage and primetime slots this program has received the past few years, despite going 28-22 under Golden the past four years.

King and adidas see Miami as culturally significant and a pillar to future business, with some of the best homegrown talent in the nation.

Miami efforts to truly be “renewed”—a clean-up is needed across the board and some projects are further ahead than others. Money has been put back into facilities over the past several years, which was a start.

From there, time and circumstance are resulting in a changing of the guard with Donna Shalala stepping down and a new era beginning, as UM is set to hire the university’s sixth president in school history—with Admiral James G. Stavridis, Dean of The Fletcher School of Law at Tufts University said to be the early leader in the clubhouse.

Whether Stavridis’ politics align with Miami’s current direction, the fact someone of his caliber is being considered shows UM’s long-term vision and the type of leadership the university is looking to bring in this time around.

Stavridis is a native of West Palm Beach and his his early thirties in the midst of the Hurricanes’ “Decade of Dominance” in the mid-eighties. He’s seen this program at its peak and being logically-minded, should possess the wherewithal to see what a moneymaker this football program can be—better than six-win seasons, status quo and guaranteed television dollars.

Miami’s decision regarding the next president is months out, while that yet-to-be-named individual will take at least half a year to let another football season unfold before making any decisions regarding the future of the football program and coaching staff.

Regarding the here and now, there are a few million reasons this switch was the right choice for Miami—an program that needs every dollar it can get—so the change should be embraced and celebrated.

It’s an adidas thing. The Canes will soon understand.

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