Will Miami Head Coach Al Golden Make It Through the 2015 Season?

Al Golden entered Saturday’s crucial visit from No. 6 Clemson already firmly on the hot seat as Miami’s head coach. A mediocre 32-24 record in four-and-a-half seasons at the Hurricanes’ helm has fans angry, with planes flying “Fire Al Golden” banners over Sun Life Stadium on a weekly basis.

Saturday afternoon, the Tigers lit a bonfire under that hot seat. Miami was totally lifeless in a 58-0 defeat, the worst defeat in program history, which also dropped the ‘Canes to 4-3. National pundits are asking: Will Golden even make it through 2015 as Miami’s coach?

Let’s take a look.

Miami athletic director Blake James told Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that no change is imminent, but it's clear Golden’s margin for error in Miami has gotten much smaller. Saturday dropped the ‘Canes to 1-2 in ACC play with five ACC Coastal games ahead. Winning the Coastal will be difficult, given that Pittsburgh, Duke and North Carolina (all ahead on the schedule) began the day unbeaten in league play.

Per reports from multiple reporters at the game, “Fire Golden” chants broke out at Sun Life Stadium for the first time. “This is the kind of performance that, in all candor, that gets you fired,” said ABC play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough.

Miami didn’t bring back a lot from 2014’s 6-7 team, including just eight starters. Even that group has been hit by injuries, though. Last week, senior linebacker Raphael Kirby suffered a season-ending knee injury, and Saturday, talented sophomore quarterback Brad Kaaya was sidelined by a concussion.

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The healthy Hurricanes gave a complete no-show, however. Clemson ran all over Miami en route to a 42-0 halftime lead, outrushing the Hurricanes 230-25. Many in the crowd who bothered to make it to Sun Life Stadium beat a retreat to the exits, and Clemson pulled all of its starters up 45-0 midway through the third quarter. Golden told reporters, including Gene Sapakoff of the Post and Courier, that he took responsibility for the poor effort. 

Assuming Golden is still employed Monday morning, how does he save his job?

There’s only one way: win, win, win. With five games left, Miami must win them all to have any shot at winning the Coastal (which would be progress, given that the program hasn’t played for the ACC title since joining the league in 2004). In fact, Miami has just one nine-win season in the last five years.

If Golden can run the table and pull out a nine- or 10-win season (with a bowl victory), that would represent tangible progress. Perhaps even a 4-1 record to end the regular season would do the trick.

But the case could also be made that efforts like Saturday’s are too much to overcome. Multiple former Hurricanes, including offensive linemen Bryant McKinnie and Joaquin Gonzalez, ripped Golden on Twitter, and this certainly won’t build any enthusiasm for the end of the season.

Miami’s administration will have to decide if it makes sense to let Golden go before season’s end or even if it’ll matter. Four Power Five programs (Illinois, Maryland, South Carolina and USC) are already in the market for new head coaches and ahead of Miami in their searches.

Would it really make any difference? Even if the Hurricanes fire Golden, they wouldn’t be making a hire before season’s end and possibly longer, depending on where their preferred target stands with his current program.

An in-season firing would be about sending a message to Miami fans who still care, saying, “This isn’t acceptable any longer.”

If that’s the case, Golden should be fired Sunday morning, because efforts like Saturday's certainly aren’t acceptable in the fifth year of his tenure. Otherwise, Golden should get one final chance to salvage his job. Because if it gets any worse, the Hurricanes really have no decision at all to make. Al Golden should be gone.