Solid ink on head coach Al Golden

Two solid national articles on Miami Hurricanes head football coach Al Golden this week. One from ESPN’s Heather Dinich and the other from CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd – both shedding positive light on the new UM leader and “The U” in general.

For those too lazy to check out the ink, some Cliff Notes.

The Dinich piece, “A different view for football at Miami” focused on the difference between coaching life in big city Philadelphia and big city Miami.

– Facilities are nicer in South Florida, but expectations are obviously higher.

– Sunny Coral Gables is alluring – but also has its share of distractions for fans of a program that went 7-6 last year.

– Golden states that winning consistently and competing for championships is the cure-all for sluggish attendance and refuses to make excuses for no on-campus stadium, citing that USC had recent success with an off-campus venue.

– Golden feels winning is part of the equation, but also stated that being vital part of a later community year round – be it stewardship, community relations, athletic department and university events – is what it’s really about.

– Dinich praised Golden’s efforts since being hired last December, stating that the new head coach has spoken in ten different cities, opened three scrimmages to the public (as well as the spring game, which drew 200+ former players) and talked of the marketing department extending efforts further into Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and beyond.

– Quoted senior associate athletic director for external affairs Blake James, stating that ticket sales are ahead of where things were last time this year. Miami ranked 39th in attendance last season and sixth in the ACC with an average attendance of 52,575 in 2010 — which was more than the average attendance three of the five seasons the Canes won a national title (1983: 44,555 … 1989: 51,634 … 2001: 46,162). Last year’s attendance average was the best UM has seen since the 2004 season.

– Heisman-winning quarterback Gino Torretta pointed out that big games always brought out big crowds, but when playing non-top 10 teams the Orange Bowl was often empty. To that point, 41,148 were in attendance for last year’s season-ending loss to South Florida while 75,115 showed up for a mid-season loss to Florida State.

– Golden closed the piece by reminding the media and fans that World Series and Super Bowls have been played at Sun Life Stadium and that the off-campus building isn’t the issue; the lack of winning is. “I think it will continue to be a topic of conversation until we get it fixed, until we get it right,” said Golden. “It’s like anything else: The more you can leave an excuse exposed, the more people are going to buy into that theory. We have to go back to winning on the field.”

The Dodd article, “Stepdad Golden inherits Miami’s problems and triumphs” was also positive.

– Dodd stated that Golden entered his first meeting with players carrying nothing more than an empty notebook. He wasn’t there pretending to have all the answers. The new coach went in open-minded and ready to listen. He asked player what all the team issues were. What were the problems and how could he help fix them.

– Of those answers – the confidence of quarterback Jacory Harris after being so turnover-prone … a collective ego deflated after an embarrassing bowl game loss to Notre Dame … a national program who has been irrelevant for most of the past decade with no conference title in eight seasons.

– Dodd refers to Golden a stepdad-type, explaining that Miami’s dynasty was achieved by four different coaches, none of which stayed more than six years.

– Junior safety Vaughn Telemaque was quick to tell Golden, “I hope you’re not here to build a championship. We’re ready to do it this year” which Golden then went on to say was his goal – an immediate championship.

– Dodd praised the re-hiring of offensive line coach Art Kehoe, reminding readers that the legendary Kehoe is the school’s only coach with five rings. Upon returning to Coral Gables, Kehoe is said to have told players that it’d become “Burger King University” at UM – with too many players “having it their way”. He told players to put a Whopper on the front of their jerseys and a an “OK” on the back because that’s what they’d become; OK.

– Dodd reminded readers that Golden turned around a Temple program so bad it “got kicked out of the Big East. The Big East.” Golden’s Owls started 1-16 in his first seventeen games. A few years later, it put together a 9-4 and 8-4 season, reaching its first bowl game since 1979 and third in school history.

– A lack of discipline and desire have been blamed for the recent skid. In an effort to get to the bottom of things, Golden brought in guest speakers like Jimmy Johnson, Pedro Taylor (father of the late Sean Taylor) and former safety Darrell Fullington, who called out the motivation of the now 23-16, underachieving top-ranked class of 2008.

– Dodd also touched on the hiring of Jedd Fisch as offensive coordinator. He mentioned that Fisch has never played ball, but came to Miami highly recommended and with an impressive resume, having spent nine years coaching under Dom Capers, Brian Billick, Mike Shanahan and Pete Carroll. Golden had an immediate bond with Fisch as they’re both “Jersey guys”.

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