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More Randy Shannon contract talk…

This time around it’s Jorge Milian of the Palm Beach Post talking about the contract negotiation issues between the University of Miami and head coach Randy Shannon.

Milian states that one of UM’s most recent offers remains in the $1.4M range, below the ACC media $1.75M paid the conference’s 12 head coaches. He also points out that Butch Davis reels in $2.15M annually, sitting on a 20-18 record overall, while Shannon remains 21-17 overall, earning much less than his former boss.

Again AD Kirby Hocutt was quoted as stating that Shannon will remain Miami’s leader for a “long, long time”. For the detractors implying that UM is holding off, waiting to see how the 2010 season plays out – not the case. Randy is Miami’s guy. The issue is money – not a ‘wait and see’ approach regarding the relationship and long-term future.

One more time, if Randy is Miami’s guy, pay the man and let’s end this standoff already:

Miami Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon awaits a new contract as punishing 2010 schedule nears
by Jorge Milian, Palm Beach Post

CORAL GABLES — Where does Randy Shannon rank among the best coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference? That’s open for argument.

What is irrefutable is that Shannon, who took over at the University of Miami in 2007, is the second-lowest paid coach among 12 ACC teams.

Shannon is entering the final season of his four-year contract, and while the coach and university officials insist a deal will get done this off-season — with one UM source saying something could be in place by Thursday, the start of an important recruiting evaluation period — so far nothing has been signed.

Any delay beyond the start of the 2010 season on Sept. 2 could provide a major distraction for a team that has a murderous three-game road trip scheduled — at Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Clemson — after their opener against Florida A&M.

Shannon realizes the pitfalls that could befall his team if he enters the season as a lame duck.

“That’s a tough thing during the season to go through,” Shannon said. “You’re going to get the question every day. If you’re winning, the press is going to ask, ‘Do they really want you?’ And if you’re losing, they’re going to say, ‘Well, the university doesn’t want you.’ It’s a bad deal either way.”

Orlando Alzugaray, the afternoon sports talk host on WQAM (560AM), said that 80 percent of his callers support Shannon receiving an extension. But that could change quickly if Shannon begins the season without an extension and the Hurricanes struggle out of the gate.

“That would put more heat on Randy Shannon than he already has,” Alzugaray said. “The fans are expecting this team to take the next step and if they don’t, the fan base is going to start expressing itself and saying they want to see a change.

“I’m already taking those phone calls. I’ve been taking those phone calls for the last year or two.”

Sources with knowledge of the negotiations say that several proposals have been swapped between Neil Cornrich, Shannon’s agent, and the university. One of the most recent offers called for an annual base salary of around $1.4 million. That remains below the ACC median of $1.75 million paid the conference’s 12 coaches, a figure more in line with what Shannon’s side has put forward.

The length of an extension — UM proposed three years and Shannon would like four — and terms of a buyout have also been obstacles.

But if you think the two sides are bickering more than a room full of Republicans and Democrats, that’s not right, according to Shannon.

“Negotiating is always tough,” said Shannon, whose paycheck surpasses only Boston College’s Frank Spaziani, who just completed his first season with the Eagles, among ACC coaches. “You pull here, you pull there. But like I’ve said all along, it will get done. I have confidence in the university and (UM athletic director Kirby Hocutt). This is just how it is.”

Supporters say that Shannon is deserving of a sizable bump in pay, pointing to UM’s improving record, from 5-7 in 2007, to 7-6 in ’08, and 9-4 last year. Shannon’s backers point to former UM and current North Carolina coach Butch Davis, who is making $2.15 million a season even though he has a 20-18 record in three seasons with the Tar Heels. Shannon is 21-17 overall.

Detractors point to instances of poor game management by Shannon, including a time-out snafu at the end of the first half against Clemson last season that proved critical in the Hurricanes’ 40-37 overtime loss. Others bash Shannon for UM’s poor finishes in each of the past three seasons, including losing bowl games the last two years.

Some believe the lack of an extension has already hurt the Hurricanes in recruiting, hence the rush to get something done by Thursday, the start of a recruiting evaluation period that runs through May 31.

The 2010 recruiting class was easily the lowest ranked by Rivals.com and Scout.com among the four Shannon has overseen since he became coach.

“Their rivals are using everything at their disposal to get a recruiting edge on Miami,” said Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg. “If he’s the guy that’s going to lead the program, they need to get this done yesterday.”

Shannon affirms his contract situation has been used against him by other coaches.

“I was getting murdered last year,” Shannon said. “We filled our needs, but it was a challenge.”

Hocutt, UM’s athletic director, did not respond to messages seeking comment, but said recently that he was “confident that coach Shannon is going to be our leader for a long, long time.”

Comments

comments

C. Bello

Longtime Miami Hurricanes columnist. Wrote for CanesTime.com, Yahoo! Sports and former BleacherReport featured columnist. Founder of allCanesBlog.com no longer toeing any company line. Launched ItsAUThing.com to deliver a raw, unfiltered and authentic perspective of all things "The U".

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  • Agree. Best thing The U could do is make Coach Shannon one of the top 3 paid ACC coaches. I mean what more can a person give to a program. He is a part of the history and legacy of this program at every level. He took a job alot of people would not have and has the program moving in the right direction not only with improving each season but also academically and from a discipline standpoint. It all begins with recruiting and this lack of a solid contract will hurt us. The school raised over a billion dollars from alumni and donors.My bet is most of those donors not only love The U but also love the football team.Lets get this done and move on to a great season. How bout 3 million a year!

  • How bout 3 million a year!

    Love the enthusiasm, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

    Randy deserves something in the $1.75-2.0M range. Make it incentive heavy, meet in the middle regarding how long the contract should run and get it done.

    Fully agree with what you say about academics and discipline, but wins/losses are also a part of it. 9-4 was solid for year three, but the win total needs to improve.

    Incentive-based. A ten-win season garners a bonus. ACC title game berth, another bump in pay. Win the ACC, win a BCS game, etc. - all things to beef up the salary.

  • This is such a sally arrangement.

    Holcutt's trying to cut his teeth and wait out the year.

    Coach Shannon deserves at least another 5 years...he's O&G to the BONE and has kids again wanting to be CANES.

    So fine, young boy Holcutt's gotta make it like he's the new sheriff in town - fine -- incentivize the Coach's Kontract. That's cool but give him a deal and get it done...

    This is so F-n wrong ---
    So when Whip leaves after next year (for a promotion with his son GONE) its gonna be RS's fault? That's BS...

    Had Heavy D not F'd up the women's Bball-coach salaries there'd be $$ to be paid...

    Had Heavy D done the right thing we'd still have Kehoe...

    Can't change the past --- but WE can shape the future...

    Ridiculous --- I'm not saying I think Coach Shannon is the best game day coach in the league -- but no contract is HAMPERING the U --- and like always -- (like the rejects who decided to give Corker an extension) that's a TRAVESTY!

    PAY THE MAN!!!
    NOW!

    Canes, baaby

  • LOL.. randy shannon is not nearly as good a coach as butch davis.. and 20-18 at UNC is not the same as 21-17 at UM.. not to mention butch is putting out one of the best defenses in the conference if not the country..

    this desire to compare our mediocrity under shannon to schools where 10 wins is a big deal needs to stop.. we are NOT unc, we should not be held to the same standards as them.. we SHOULD have higher standards, but for some reason Randy being head coach means we have to lower our expectations. ludicrous.

  • LOL.. randy shannon is not nearly as good a coach as butch davis..

    ... being that one has been a head coach for 15 years and the other is entering year four, I would hope Butch Davis is better.

    20-18 at UNC is not the same as 21-17 at UM.. not to mention butch is putting out one of the best defenses in the conference if not the country..

    Yeah, the same defense that Miami torched for 435 yards... in a LOSS.

    And you're right, it's not the same in UNC as it is at UM. Miami actually plays real teams out of conference. Last year UNC took on Citadel, UConn, East Carolina and Georgia Southern.

    Randy's Canes went 5-3 in the ACC and Butch's Heels went 4-4.

  • Kinda funny that Butch took over a UNC program in worse shape then Miami was when Shannon took over. They had worse recruiting and a worse prior 3 years run, even worse over 10 years then Miami. He's won pretty much the same amount of games and beaten us 3 years in a row. All at a basketball school in North Carolina that's never won or been shit in football.

    Butch basically deserves to get paid more then Shannon. He's earned more, I hope Shannon's agent isn't even bringing up ANY ACC coaches names while in negotiations. I'd laugh his ass out of the building and stick a page of stats in his face that would likely show him that he needs to STFU and sign on the dotted line that Miami gave him.

    Shannon deserves ACC type $ that puts him in the 8-12 position in terms of $ earned. Why? Because those are the results he's produced.

    Vtech Beamer-is more accomplished (ACC championships) and thus deserves more $.

    UNC Butch- has outperformed Shannon at a basket ball school and beaten him head to head every time they have met.

    Gtech Paul Johnson- has outperformed Shannon and won an ACC title at a lesser program then Shannon took over in the same time frame

    UVA- Groh is gone. Fired.

    Duke Cutclff - taken Duke to their best seasons since the early 90's under Spurrier, he nearly beat Shannon 3 years in a row AT DUKE! This year he was beating Shannon into the 4th quarter...AT DUKE!

    Atlantic Division

    FSU- Jimbo Fisher - new HC, FSU has chosen to pay him well. His offenses have put up 35+ points on Shannon's defenses every year they have faced including at LSU. He has outrecruited Shannon in his first recruiting class.

    Clemson - Dabo - In his first year he achieved more at Clemson then Shannon has in 3 yrs at Miami, including a head to head win vs Shannon and reaching the ACC title game in year 1.

    Wake Forrest - Grobe- He has won an ACC title and is more accomplished then Shannon.

    NC State - O'brien- in terrible shape currently, he embarrassed Shannon in their only meetings head to head last year, 2008.

    Maryland - Freidgen - he has been fired or "Let go".

    Boston College - Spaz- year 1 he finished 1 game behind Shannon with an 8-5 record and with the same ACC record as Shannon. BC also lost to the same exact teams Shannon lost to in 2009 (Vtech, Clemson, UNC). Again, this is Boston College. Jury is still out on him.

    Based on that list of ACC coaches, their accomplishments and how they have performed vs Shannon's teams there is NO QUESTION that Shannon deserves and has EARNED the right to be paid in the 9-12 spot of the ACC coaching salaries. In other words, towards the bottom of the ACC.

  • Why on earth would Holcutt try to wait until he sees the results of this season?? I think that's a ridiculous reason for the delay with this extention, if that is indeed the case. All this procrastinating involving Shannon's contract is doing nothing but hampering this mans recruiting efforts, interferring with the focus of the team and his job at hand, and exposing how cheap and penny pinching the University of Miami actually is. You make these financial cuts like "busing" football players to games and save thousands, you raise millions of dollars yearly ect., yet you cant pay this man an extra hundred thousand or so?? To you fans that dont support Shannon through all of this, Dont bitch and cry when miami cant pull in a top 15 recruiting class in 2011, dont whine if miami struggles out of the gate this year, but I'll bet you'll be the first fans on his jock hollaring extention if he wins a conference title this year and act like you wanted itsooner. Holcutt procrastinating equals a tougher road for shannon.

  • Boy, I sure hope the University and Holcutt realize that recruits see these articals that these newspapers and the web publish. If this isnt handled quickly, a lot of these promising student athletes with interest in attending miami in the future, will turn their focus to programs where there's no job security issues at the head coach position. This situation can not only hurt in terms of recruiting but cloud the minds of the young men taking the field this year. I dont understand why they would prolong this when it involves an individual who's done everything he has been asked to do. I am 100% sure Shannon's contract wasnt based on winning titles, though it called for him to improve the team in which he has done. Some of the fans seem to think he's undeserving simply because he hasnt won titles, and that's absurd based on the team he inherited in 3 years worth of time. Not to mention 2 years with another mans recruits that appeared "underachieving" at best. Duke's coach gets paid higher. Thats a shame...

  • Respect your stance, but you're definitely one of those trying to build a case against Randy, and reaching big time...

    Kinda funny that Butch took over a UNC program in worse shape then Miami was when Shannon took over. They had worse recruiting and a worse prior 3 years run, even worse over 10 years then Miami. He's won pretty much the same amount of games and beaten us 3 years in a row. All at a basketball school in North Carolina that's never won or been shit in football.

    Again, all this 'basketball school' stuff is a joke. They minute UNC was willing to pay their head football coach over $2M a year and went after a former NFLer, they were no longer a 'basketball school'.

    As for 'never being shit in football', I'm sure former long-time head coach Mack Brown would disagree as he built the foundation in the 90s and UNC's top brass dropped the ball with some bad hires in Carl Torbush and John Bunting. North Carolina spent the past decade TRYING to become a 'football school' and the Butch hire took them to the next level.

    UNC has money and the desire to build a program and in Davis, a solid recruiter. They're keeping top talent home and he's cherry picking kids from South Florida.

    Butch basically deserves to get paid more then Shannon. He's earned more, I hope Shannon's agent isn't even bringing up ANY ACC coaches names while in negotiations. I'd laugh his ass out of the building and stick a page of stats in his face that would likely show him that he needs to STFU and sign on the dotted line that Miami gave him.

    Of course he does. He's a head coach with NFL experience and has been a head coach since 1995, outside a few years where he was between jobs. Shannon is entering year four. No one is debating Butch deserves more. Simply saying there's a middle ground between $1.3M a year and $2.2M.

    Shannon deserves ACC type $ that puts him in the 8-12 position in terms of $ earned. Why? Because those are the results he's produced.

    How can you say that when his team finished in the middle of the conference, not the bottom tier.

    Vtech Beamer-is more accomplished (ACC championships) and thus deserves more $.

    No one is debating that Beamer is a more accomplished coach... which is why he makes over $2M a year.

    UNC Butch- has outperformed Shannon at a basket ball school and beaten him head to head every time they have met.

    Again, not a 'basketball school' and a dumb argument that he beat him three times, as all three of those games we're topsy-turvy games that could've gone either way. Butch whooped Greg Schiano and Rutgers back in 2008 to the tune of 44-12. Should Schiano turn back in some of his $2M+ annual salary?

    Davis is a 'defensive genius' and his mighty D gave up 435 yards against Miami's offense last year, which unraveled after Jacory Harris threw four interceptions - two of which were pick sixes.

    Gtech Paul Johnson- has outperformed Shannon and won an ACC title at a lesser program then Shannon took over in the same time frame.

    GT was in better shape in 2007 than Miami was. As for "outperforming" Shannon, Miami won last year's head-to-head matchup and the Canes lost four games to Georgia Tech's three losses. Not a huge differential yet Johnson made $2.3M last year. Light years more than Shannon made.

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