http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2690489 He is their current defensive coordinator. Not a sexy pick, that's for sure.
One thing that is for sure... Shalala has her hands full. Her decision to go with Shannon was based, in part, on the current dismal financial situation of Miami U sports. 1) Home attendance in 2001 (Coker's 1st year, Nat'l Champs) and 2002 (played for Nat'l Champs) averaged right at the 70,000 mark. 2) This year Miami averaged 41,909, with only the FSU game (71,481) and the Fla Int'l game (51,130) drawing more than 50,000. Without those two games, Miami averaged 34,000, with the Boston College season finale hitting 23,308. 3) Home attendance, plus the fact the ACC has had only one BCS participant each year since 2002, has left Ms. Shalala with a tad of a budget accounting problem. 4) She was also in charge of the decision in 2004 to turn down the $45 million offer from the Big East to "stay put"... plus it cost her $3 million in combined fees to leave the East and join the ACC. 5) Whether Shannon is a good choice or not may be up to the new Prez in a couple of years... those damn budgets always get in the way!! And, chalk one up for the BCA...
The U's Athletic Department is currently $15MM in the red financially. Not a major crisis yet, but not a time to be dropping several mil on name coach either ....... we could very well be witnessing the final death throes of a once proud program.
I did not like her when she was with the Clinton Administration and like her even less as the president of Miami. The decisions she has made has been horrendous for the football team, and this latest one - hiring Shannon - may be another bad one. Mediocrity only breeds more mediocrity. Miami needs a top coach to turn the program around. I wonder what the Miami fans are saying about Shannon.
With the current discipline problems Miami obviously has, I just don't see it getting any better with the hiring of someone already on a staff that "lost the team". The players that I have seen interviewed on the subject all like the guy, and say they have a good rapport with him. That can be seen as a positive, but to me, they need an outsider to come in and kick their butts up between their shoulders, let 'em know who's in charge but quick. I don't see where this has been accomplished. If he was the man to do that, he would've already done it.:dis:
Just checked out the Miami forum. Fan's response is luke warm at best. The big question is, who will he hire as offensive coordinator. That could make or break him.
OK, so just to get this right... They fire their old offensive coordinator-now-head coach because they want a change in direction for the program. And then they hire their defensive coordinator. To change direction. Anyone else just not seeing it?
I'm sure they were pretty upset when Schiano turned the job down despite the pay raise. Who would want to coach those thugs? I will say this about LSU, since Dinardo and players like Larry Foster are gone we haven't much trouble (i.e. dead players, on the field brawls, etc.)
