The Annual "Fire Randy Shannon" Campaign Starts Up Again

By Kyle Munzenrieder Mon., Oct. 11 2010 at 11:55 AM

Categories: Sports

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It's still hard for Riptide to talk about, but Saturday's dismantling of the Miami Hurricanes by the Florida State Seminoles was one of the most demoralizing things we've ever had to watch. Before that the 'Canes were sitting as the highest ranked team in Florida and a universal favorite to win the ACC. Now they're unranked, and right on cue the seemingly annual chorus of naysayers gunning for coach Randy Shannon's termination has started up.

Just minutes after time ran out and Jimbo Fisher and the 'Noles sealed their 45-17 win over Shannon's Canes, The Palm Beach Post already had a story up questioning Shannon's future with the team.

"Randy's got another game next week at Duke. He'll work like crazy to win it, but he's in survival mode now," wrote Dave George.

"The frantic and promising push to get Miami back into the top 10 is over for another year. Now it's up to Shannon to keep his kids together for one more try in 2011."

"The way things are going, it may just be his last try, too."

ESPN seems to agree, and a quick look at Twitter blather and comment section craziness seems to indicate more than a few fans are on board.

Shannon did sign a four-year contract extension in May, and he'd take a hefty pay out if he was dismissed early.

Shannon is also one of, if not the most high profile African American head coaches in College football history, and his firing would be a step backward for the game. Some misguided commenters seem to think that's the only reason he's held on to his job as long as he has. It's not.

Despite nominal success on the field -- no bowl win, no conference or divisional titles -- UM's administration loves Shannon because of his success off the field. He's kept the team in line, guided them towards awards for academic excellence, and has only seen one of his players arrested.

The head honchos at UM are still hypersensitive about erasing the image of the Thug U days, and Shannon has done that admirably. Though, if the 'Canes really want to do away with that image than they need to match the teams of the '80s success on field with the current team's success off field.

Shannon will likely get another shot after this year. In fact, he can still salvage this year. Winning the Coastal division is still a big possibility. That could set up a redemptive rematch against the 'Noles in the ACC title game. Though, ice cold Shannon needs to implant a lot more passion in his team to make that a reality.

We'll give Shannon another season, but if January 2012 rolls around and the 'Canes haven't added any new trophies to their increasingly dusty case it may just be time to go searching for a new head coach.

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Another brilliant call by the coaching staff. Lets call time out after a close third down play and give the booth time to look at it. 4th and 1 stuffed of course. Way to go coach Shannon.
I bleed Orange and green, I like Shannon but the bottom line is he can't turn Miami around. Miami is a top notch football school who recruits players that can play at any school, look at schools in the sec, coaches and staff have those schools prepared every game. After looking at Miami they are never ready. Canes fans when have been the last time miami has played a solid 4 quarter game? They only play half of the time there is no way we can beat a team that comes to play. The Coaching staff is to blame for not preparing our kids mentally, cause physically they are good as it gets. Maybe they need that psychology class nick is putting his kids through down in Alabama.
Aaaaaa you sound angry, but you made a valid point. I guess it hasn't hit me yet. You got me, I am young and I love the U. I do want to win just like everyone else, but I still feel he and his coaching staff is doing their best. So whatever!!!!! And BH, you need counseling you have anger issues and you ask to many questions. You need to get over it already he's not going anywhere no time soon. LOL
LS, you sound silly. Pathetic fans with no heart??? The fans complaining are the fans that are sick of mediocrity. You must be really young because your statement of "he's doing his best", sounds like the new generation that wants everyone to get a trophy for doing nothing. Who cares if he is a good guy or his players get A's and B's in class...Do any of us really know them??? Are you or any of us at Randy's dinner table ??? So, who cares, it's about winning games. No bowl wins,no signature wins, no bcs games,no titles, no ACC titles . Tell me why he should still be the coach of this program? I attended the U in the mid 90's when we were on probation, were not now !
I hate the fact that everyone is downing Coach Shannon when he lose, but no one said nothing when he wins. I think all of you are pathetic fans with NO HEART. He is cleaning up someone else SH@@ and it take time. Just like raising a child you have to watch a child grow and teach them things along the way. How can any of you be a true UM fan when you don't support you own. WHITE or BLACK he is doing his best.
Are you kidding me?? Virginia the whole coaching staff must go. The excuse will be Jacory got hurt. They looked like SH$$ when jacory was in the game. The they put the coaches son in, that kids stinks , and the defense could not stop Virginia third and 8 with under 4 minutes to go and we rush 4 guys bring the dam house. Nope lets sit back in zone what a joke. Same story diffrent year..
We don't just need to fire him and rehire some other nobody. UM has to dig deep in their pockets and get a REAL Coach. A Pete Carrol or a Bill Cower. It's great to hire an alum, but if somebody could get us back to being the team we were 10 years ago then I could'nt care less where he went to school. UM is dead right now. There will be no resurgence till we get a QB and some coaches.
Gotta Go, dismantle the whole staff all the way down. Gut the program and rebuild it.
Please fire his ass. This is miserable! Every week the same horrible performance! While your at it, get rid of j. Harris! All talk no skills! Tell him to go back to high school and take shannon with him. They are not college material
When is Miami going to realize they need a coach with a pulse. My grandfather has more emotion on the sidelines and he is dead.
I see UM as a shadow of their former greatness...never has a coach wasted so much talent ... send the whole coaching staff to a community college where character building is a degree program
I think Randy Shannon is a great guy but he was hired to be Miami Hurricanes football coach and that comes with high standards of winning. Winning is a great financial and passionate benefit for the school as a whole and that passion for winning has gone down. The man deserves alot of credit for the continued academic rise of the football program but you have to give some credit for the kids that are actually taking the classes as well. A change does need to occur but maybe not a total firing, why not give him back the defensive cordinator job? That was just a suggestion but as I'm writing this Virginia(0-3) in the conference has just made the score 24-0 now I know Jacory is out but were we doing better when he was in? Sorry Randy U have to go. The passion is gone and that's only going to come back by a change of post of the chief, and it will eventually happen anyways so let's stop the bleeding while we all can still remeber our history!
Please fire this dude on Monday he really sucks as a coach. I mean this guy is allowing his QB to consistently lose ball game by throwing ints but refuses to make a QB change. Why is he potecting Jacory Harris? The better QB left the school for Purdue. I'm sick of tired of every year ther admin gives him passing saying Miami is so young they are just a year away. As long as Shannon is the coach the canes will be an average team 7-3 or 6-4 maybe 8-2 but no championships. He can't even win the ACC.
@Dmoney...I dont think your black by the way...you are just trying to stereotype black people as not knowing how to spell(with your poorly spelled post). Will somebody please repost this?...i'm not sure how.
fire randy please im teird of da canes losin it been to long since we been great,,,we need a coach like saban pet carrol mack brown urben myers bob stoops please do something miami we been losin for to long now,,,firing randy an im black im sick of watching my team not completed for championships its been to long,,,an jacory is da worst qb miami has had an a whlie
Maybe a program of athletes with no offfield problems can't win against more dysfunctional players.
Look...Randy is a great guy, but this has been a losing bet since day one...he had no head coach experience, and as such no following of proven assistants to work with, added to that a very dry and unemotional personality...and UM gets the aura of hiring a favorite son black coach...the team will be only as good as the proven quality and chemistry of the assistants under the emotion of a head coach motivator and leader..which is not what is going on at the U...all the great coaches ( Howard, Jimmy, Dennis, Butch) had super staffs..who do the recruiting...and when Coker fired the legacy staff of proven assistants out went the recruiting, the teaching and the real coaching...And the UM admin comes up saying they have champagne taste but a beer pocketbook. They are still paying out on Coker. The recruiting has been vanilla since the fab five decided to come here three years ago, and since then the merry go round of assistants is undermining top kids comming here...kids are smarter today, and go to schools with great assistant position coaches to teach them what they need for the pros...Jacory is living proof, a legacy in the shotgun hurryup being forced by Whipple to try and play his ego. It is watching the same deal as Brock Berlin...10K passing in HS and UM is trying to make him a drop back. Something is definately wrong for Harris. I see Jacory is frustrated, and has lost confidence in Whipple, and is realizing his chances are gone with his dreams.
Larry Coker was with Miami for 6 seasons.
We need more passion in the team. Starting with the head coach. On his last interview with Joe Rose, when asked if not winning the ACC would be a BIG dissapointment, he said he would just be a bit dissapointed. This is not the team it was, there's no heart. Recruiting will be an issue after last performance.
Bring in Warren Sapp or Michael Irvin these guys don't accept giving up! Canes have no heart they are OK with loosing.
If the goal is to win games and have teams on the field that look as though they want to play and play with a sense of urgency then RS must go. If the goal is to have choir boys on the field then hire a priest.
Listen shannon can recruit like a mad man but cant coach worth a damn. He cant win big games he should be fired. White or black he should be fired he doesnt win. Larry coker had a better record them him and didnt last as long. Fire shannon
FIRE RS he has dont nothing at all in his time at UM but lose and unless something is dont i for one will not renew my season tickets for the first time in 12 years.
If they kept Randy around purely based on his race it will be the biggest disgrace in college football...I know as a Canes fan I am tired of financially supporting an administration that supports mediocrity. UM will not see another penny of my money until they stop the bleeding.
"Though, if the 'Canes really want to do away with that image <b>than</b> they need to match the teams of the '80s success on field with the current team's success off field." Good god. This is the second grammar mistake I have seen by a major publication today. How do you people get writing jobs?