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.”

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