GeauxTo
12-09-2006, 03:04 PM
Oh, how the mighty are crawling.
Alabama and Miami were thought to be two of the biggest plum jobs in college coaching. Apparently, the taste of taking over those two programs with their internal issues and impossible standards is sour to many top candidates.
Miami settled on hiring former player and defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, a widely respected assistant and former ’Cane. But when did you ever hear of an assistant of a fired coach being hired as his replacement?
They spun Shannon like a holiday top at his announcement presser Friday, and he may turn out to be the next big thing. But nothing changes the fact Miami couldn’t lure the coach away from Rutgers — Rutgers! Greg Schiano decided to stay in Piscataway, finding the grass greener in Jersey even with winter closing in. And former coach Butch Davis opted for Chapel Hill instead of trying to untangle the mess at “The U” for a second time.
Part of the problem is, apparently, money. Though a private school with oodles of ex-Canes in the NFL, Miami is reportedly paying Shannon only about $1 million a year. Someone once said Miami’s fan support is four miles wide and an inch deep, which is apparently the depth of the pockets at The U when it came time to shell out for a coach.
Alabama has plenty of cash — it’s paying former Tide QB Mike Shula $68,000 a month not to coach. It also has plenty of problems: probation hangovers, out of control boosters, and comparisons to Bear Bryant every 15 minutes.
Alabama’s legendary sense of entitlement gives rise to the notion that it can get any coach it wants.
Well, it couldn’t entice Steve Spurrier. He doesn’t want the pressure. He didn’t want it at LSU two years ago and doesn’t want it now. A 6-6 record gets you fired at Bama — it gets you streets, stadiums and children (even girls) named after you at South Carolina.
It thought it could buy Nick Saban. Not a bad idea — LSU did it in 1999. But not even Bear’s boys can go checkbook to checkbook with Miami Dolphins’ owner Wayne Huizenga.
Bama thought it had Rich Rodriguez at hello. But the West Virginia native decided to stick to country roads and stay home despite an offer of $2 million per year.
After a little wound-licking, Alabama will be on the search again, possibly to make another run at Saban. The Tide can afford to wait — how much more can its recruiting class be hurt?
Still, those steeped in Tide pride should remember something about Saban: He likes to be courted, have his named bandied about in the press, then utter a grumpy “got a job.” Almost every year Nick was head coach at Michigan State and LSU it was this way. After a quiet first season in Miami, it seems he missed the attention.
Miami settles. Alabama is back on the road, helmet in hand, begging for someone to take its millions of dollars.
For the mighty, it isn’t supposed to be this hard.
By SCOTT RABALAIS (srabalais@theadvocate.com)
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Dec 9, 2006
Alabama and Miami were thought to be two of the biggest plum jobs in college coaching. Apparently, the taste of taking over those two programs with their internal issues and impossible standards is sour to many top candidates.
Miami settled on hiring former player and defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, a widely respected assistant and former ’Cane. But when did you ever hear of an assistant of a fired coach being hired as his replacement?
They spun Shannon like a holiday top at his announcement presser Friday, and he may turn out to be the next big thing. But nothing changes the fact Miami couldn’t lure the coach away from Rutgers — Rutgers! Greg Schiano decided to stay in Piscataway, finding the grass greener in Jersey even with winter closing in. And former coach Butch Davis opted for Chapel Hill instead of trying to untangle the mess at “The U” for a second time.
Part of the problem is, apparently, money. Though a private school with oodles of ex-Canes in the NFL, Miami is reportedly paying Shannon only about $1 million a year. Someone once said Miami’s fan support is four miles wide and an inch deep, which is apparently the depth of the pockets at The U when it came time to shell out for a coach.
Alabama has plenty of cash — it’s paying former Tide QB Mike Shula $68,000 a month not to coach. It also has plenty of problems: probation hangovers, out of control boosters, and comparisons to Bear Bryant every 15 minutes.
Alabama’s legendary sense of entitlement gives rise to the notion that it can get any coach it wants.
Well, it couldn’t entice Steve Spurrier. He doesn’t want the pressure. He didn’t want it at LSU two years ago and doesn’t want it now. A 6-6 record gets you fired at Bama — it gets you streets, stadiums and children (even girls) named after you at South Carolina.
It thought it could buy Nick Saban. Not a bad idea — LSU did it in 1999. But not even Bear’s boys can go checkbook to checkbook with Miami Dolphins’ owner Wayne Huizenga.
Bama thought it had Rich Rodriguez at hello. But the West Virginia native decided to stick to country roads and stay home despite an offer of $2 million per year.
After a little wound-licking, Alabama will be on the search again, possibly to make another run at Saban. The Tide can afford to wait — how much more can its recruiting class be hurt?
Still, those steeped in Tide pride should remember something about Saban: He likes to be courted, have his named bandied about in the press, then utter a grumpy “got a job.” Almost every year Nick was head coach at Michigan State and LSU it was this way. After a quiet first season in Miami, it seems he missed the attention.
Miami settles. Alabama is back on the road, helmet in hand, begging for someone to take its millions of dollars.
For the mighty, it isn’t supposed to be this hard.
By SCOTT RABALAIS (srabalais@theadvocate.com)
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Dec 9, 2006