UM finally gives Randy Shannon his due…

The wait is over and the University of Miami stuck with their word. Kirby Hocutt and Donna Shalala repeatedly said that Randy Shannon was “their guy” and on Wednesday afternoon they made it official, with the much-discussed, much-debated contract finally getting inked.

Shannon got his four-year deal and UM got some much-needed stability entering the peak season regarding off-season recruiting.

Terms weren’t disclosed, but the AP is reporting that the dollar amount is in the neighborhood of the ACC median ($1.75M) as opposed the $1.2M range that was kicked around when negotiations started. Another sticking point was a three-year versus a four-year deal, with both sides opting for the latter.

“There’s no other place I’d rather be than coaching Hurricanes football,” Shannon said. “I’m excited about the momentum we continue to build and our strong recruiting classes. We have dedicated student athletes and an experienced and committed coaching staff, a strong athletic program and the University leadership’s support — all important components consistent with long term success.”

For those keeping score, Shannon is 21-17 in three seasons at Miami’s head coach – winning five games year one, seven games year two and nine games year three. He’ll now enter year four with some additional pressure, having gotten the new contract, but the off-season should be easier on the recruiting front.

“The biggest issue I heard recruiting last year was ‘Coach, you changed it around so why won’t they give you a contract extension?'” Shannon said. “There were schools saying ‘They don’t want him there,’ and no matter how much I said they do want me here, there were recruits and parents who weren’t seeing that part.”

Over the past four seasons, Miami’s recruiting classes average sixth in the nation, behind Florida, Texas, Southern Cal, Alabama and LSU. As Hurricane coaches put together the 2011 class, they’ll now do so without dealing with the negative recruiting from other schools playing up Shannon’s contract status.

There’s been a ton of praise regarding a lack of off-the-field issues, as well as the Canes excelling academically on Shannon’s watch, but don’t downplay the improvements on the field. If 5-7 didn’t become 9-4 by year three and if the talent wasn’t being stockpiled and developed, there wouldn’t be so much support for the fourth-year coach.

Hocutt, Shalala, the Board of Directors and all higher ups absolutely want to win football games, want that BCS money and want their cut of merch sales – which are obviously greater when UM wins. A winning football program is good for a university’s morale and as we saw in the Rakontur documentary on “The U”, admission actually went up when the Canes were dominating.

Those of you who believe that the administration doesn’t care about winning football games – you’re high. Nothing good comes from the Canes being in the middle of the pack. Especially for Hocutt – an up and coming athletic director looking to make a name for himself. He’s already added Nebraska to the out of conference schedule and is looking to ink deals with Alabama and Notre Dame. Doesn’t necessarily come off as a guy who doesn’t care about football.

Greg Cote had a great piece in the Herald, congratulating Shannon for a well-earned contract – but with the message that the time to win is now – and he’s spot on.

I’ve supported Shannon from day one for a slew of reasons. He’s obviously as “Miami” as it gets, being a local product, a UM alum, a national champion, a proven assistant and he’s learned from two solid ones in Jimmy Johnson and Butch Davis.

I also believe that as the University of Miami attempts to stay relevant in a game that’s since been taken over by big money and athletic departments with state funding, this program needs a Shannon-type to lead the charge. The U can’t afford Urban Meyer money, nor can it rely on the type of guy who views the job as a stepping stone or is ready to get going when the going gets tough.

Shannon took a job that nobody wanted and he’s weathered the storm of an impatient fan base, recruiting and rebuilding for three seasons and improving each and every year – in regards to win total, talent accumulated/developed and assembling a quality staff.

With year four on the horizon, a roster made up primarily of “Randy’s guys” and the contract inked, it’s most certainly time for the Canes to make that next level jump. That doesn’t mean an “ACC title or bust” mentality as much as it means constant improvement, growth, less boneheaded mistakes and winning winnable games.

“ACC or bust” is bogus as there as many factors that go into winning a conference title. Timing. Chemistry. The stars aligning. Georgia Tech was that team last year, having survived close calls against Clemson, Virginia Tech, Florida State and Wake Forest. Miami could’ve gone 10-2 in the regular season last year, holding the tiebreaker over the Yellow Jackets and still not made the conference title game.

The Canes have a favorable conference schedule in 2010, with Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia Tech at home – though road trips to Clemson and Georgia Tech will be challenging.

Miami had a strong 3-1 start last season, but “faded down the stretch” according to some. The 6-3 run to close the season was frustrating, but can be explained when measuring injuries versus depth. Jacory Harris found himself banged up as the year went on, forcing passes and turning the ball over behind an up and down offensive line. Injuries on the defensive side of the ball also took their toll.

What some call ‘excuses’ the logical minded folk refer to as an explanation and those 2009 woes shouldn’t be the case in 2010. Harris will be healthy, as well as wiser his second year as a full time starter. The offensive line loses some veterans and some depth, but the young talent is expected to be better down the stretch.

The wideouts are a year older and wiser. Depth and talent return at running back as well as on defense, where the Canes will field the deepest line this program has seen in half a decade.

Miami athletes are again running track, making for a faster bunch of Canes than anyone has seen in a while and from a maturity standpoint, this group has been on Shannon’s watch for years now. The old regime is long gone and a new attitude is firmly in place. Randy didn’t set expectations too high his first few years on the job, but clearly he likes the looks of this team as he’s been more vocal about what should be expected. The bar isn’t being set low entering this fall.

The haters and detractors will continue doing their thing, some wanting Shannon to fail while others simply want to play the “told you so” card, should the Canes not return to elite status immediately. Old coach or new coach, modern era or yesteryear, you’ll always have those who can’t see the forest for the trees – miserable if Miami loses or bitching that enough points weren’t scored during a win.

So be it.

Like it or not, Shannon is the guy. All that chatter about Hocutt and Shalala not being “sold” on Randy or dragging the contract process out through fall, not the case. Shannon was “their guy” all along. This was simply business, with both sides working to meet in the middle, which they finally did.

With the next few years of Miami football set on this course, here’s hoping everyone can at least unite regarding the program’s greater good. Root for this team and the success of the program, regardless of how you feel about the coaching situation. As long as Randy Shannon has the Canes getting better, there should be less chatter. (Conversely, frustration towards Larry Coker as the program declined annually – zero issue with that.)

Congrats to Shannon and UM’s admin for finally getting this deal inked and like Greg Cote, I agree that it’s time to get on that championship track. Four years to bring it home, Coach… or at minimum, to have Miami a perennial contender year in and year out from this point on.

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