How Miami's Recruiting Is Impacted by Firing Al Golden
The Miami Hurricanes opted to make a dramatic midseason move Sunday after an embarrassing 58-0 loss to Clemson, firing head coach Al Golden.
Golden, who arrived in Coral Gables from Temple University in 2010, finished above .500 twice in four full seasons with the school. He lost more matchups than he won against ACC opponents, capped off by Saturday's devastating defeat.
Miami Director of Athletics Blake James released a public statement shortly after the decision to name assistant Larry Scott interim head coach.
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"We have a proud tradition of excellence at Miami, not just in football but in all sports, and we want to compete for ACC and national championships," James said. "I simply believe that now is the time to bring the Hurricane Family together and rally behind our young men.”
It's been a while since Miami legitimately joined the national championship chase. The Hurricanes haven't claimed a conference title since leaving the Big East in 2004, finishing no better than 9-3 during the past decade.
Clearly, this a program at a crossroads right now. You can be sure that's weighed heavily on recruiting efforts.
Doubt has swirled around Golden's regime for years now, and a 6-7 result last season created more speculation than ever. Despite ever-present rumblings about Miami's future, both in the short and long term, the Hurricanes managed to maintain solid momentum with prospects.
Golden signed the ACC's third-best recruiting class last February and actually held the top overall spot in national 2016 composite class rankings for a significant stretch of this cycle (it now rates 11th). Miami reached 20 commitments well before other programs, though the quality-vs.-quantity argument certainly came into play for a group loaded with 3-star recruits.
Repercussions of the coaching change reverberated immediately on the recruiting trail.
Longtime Hurricanes wide receiver commit Ahmmon Richards, who has 37 touchdown receptions since 2014, per MaxPreps, backed off his verbal pledge Sunday:
Other Miami commits, such as prized in-state wide receiver Sam Bruce, rallied around the program.
"I didn't commit to no damn coach! I committed to the U," he tweeted, per CanesWarning.com.
While the Miami brand still resonates with recruits, it's undoubtedly lost some of the luster that once shined bright a decade ago. The program is just 60-47 since Larry Coker lost his job, failing to win a single bowl game under the direction of Golden and Randy Shannon, who is now a Florida Gators assistant.
The challenge is twofold for Miami. The Hurricanes must convince prospects to trust in this process moving forward, even though the man who will provide that sales pitch probably isn't on campus yet.
For his faults as a game-day coach, Golden at least held accountability on the recruiting trail. His staff is still in place for now, but rapport between the team and young targets will be tested in the months before national signing day, especially as assistants continue their careers elsewhere:
Bruce, who tweeted the message above, also shifted attention to how Miami will handle holdovers during an expansive program change. He seemed to stress the importance that Hurricanes wide receivers coach Kevin Beard carried in his recruitment process:
The pressure is on Miami to hit a home run with its next hire following two lackluster tenures. For recruits who plan to arrive on campus in January, it's pivotal for administrators to find the right fit fast.
"I'm just curious really to see who they bring in and how they change things. I only have a few months to make a final decision since I'm graduating early, so I'm hoping my questions are answered soon," Hurricanes linebacker commit Zach McCloud told Corey Bender of Scout.com.
The waiting game will likely inspire multiple Miami pledges to explore alternative collegiate options and line up campus visits. Prospects would be wise to at least develop a firm Plan B in case they aren't on the same page with whichever coach takes over.
Indianapolis Colts assistant Rob Chudzinski, Memphis head coach Justin Fuente and former Miami head coach Butch Davis are among the names being floated around early as possible candidates. Plenty others, outlandish and realistic alike, will certainly emerge as things evolve.
Michigan's quick ascension under Jim Harbaugh has translated into a top-10 class on the 2016 recruiting trail, so don't underestimate the potential for immediate results if Miami locates its ideal new leader.
The Hurricanes are centrally located in one of America's most fertile recruiting regions, which makes this job an attractive opportunity for any coach who appreciates the perks of capitalizing on an excellent local talent base.
High school standouts were barely through kindergarten when Miami last enjoyed glory on a national stage. The goal of returning to prominence has fallen far short under the past two coaching staffs, pushing those successes further distant in the rearview mirror.
Miami's new coach must do more than improve the fortunes of a football team. He'll need to change the narrative with recruits, offering opportunities to become building blocks for a proud program that is forced to start from scratch once again.
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