Randy Shannon And Staff Fired: Dear Jon Gruden, Please Come To Miami...

Miami lost to South Florida at home. There's no reason to break it down, because it's so shocking as a fact, that there's no need for my opinion. The loss clinched Miami's worst record at home since 1997. Could you imagine what would happen if any of the old Miami teams lost to such an inferior opponent? In Coach Shannon's fourth year, the Canes have yet to win double-digit games, win an ACC championship game, make an ACC championship game, or win a bowl game. But today was the last straw.

Below are the list of University of Miami coaches and their respective records: 

Howard Schnellenberger FOUR YEARS at Miami: 41-16

Jimmy Johnson FIVE YEARS at Miami: 52-9

Dennis Erickson SIX YEARS at Miami: 63-9

Butch Davis SIX YEARS at Miami: 51-20 *ON PROBATION*

Larry Coker SIX YEARS at Miami: 60-15

Randy Shannon FOUR YEARS at Miami 28-22

Randy Shannon has now lost more games than any Miami head coach *IN MODERN* history………DESPITE being here the least number of years…..

So there you have it. There is absolutely no way you can defend Randy reasonably after looking at these stats. It's time for him to leave, accept his success as a player and assistant coach, and get out of the way of the program he loves before he completely tarnishes it.

It's time to get grUden (emphasis on "The U"). Now Coach Gruden—why would you want the Miami job? Despite its' recent failings, it's still a big-name program. Look at the list of coaches: Schnellenberger left Miami for the upstart USFL, Jimmy Johnson went on to Dallas to win Super Bowls, Dennis Erickson and Butch Davis both went to the NFL. The point is, coming to Miami certainly doesn't close the door on his shot at the NFL.

And what team would he realistically take over in the NFL right now as it is? Jerry Jones is already looking into making Jason Garrett the permanent head coach in Dallas (going as far as to ask the NFL to excuse the Rooney Rule to do so), and I'd be shocked if Leslie Frazier, one of the most respected defensive coordinators in football, wasn't given at least a full year in Minnesota. Eric Mangini has done enough to keep his job in Cleveland, and would Gruden really want to go there anyway?  

Realistically, there just aren't many teams that are going to have openings that are going to be enticing. Marvin Lewis will be out of Cincinnati, but they're old and dysfunctional, and Miami would give him more money than Bengals owner Mike Brown would. John Fox will be gone in Carolina, but that team is an absolute mess, and plays in a very tough division. On top of that, there is a very realistic chance of a lock-out next season, meaning that Gruden will have to bet that he can find a job he wants AND the league even has a season.

So that's why he shouldn't immediately jump to the NFL. Why the Canes? It's the best college job available in the country (assuming Shannon isn't welcomed back). He gets to work in beautiful Miami, and he's already familiar with working in Florida when he was coach of the Bucs. Despite their record, the Canes are a very talented team. The ACC isn't a powerhouse conference like the SEC or Big 10, so a quick turnaround under Gruden isn't out of the question.

The problem is paying Gruden the money he wants, especially since they'd have to buy-out Shannon, and are still paying former coach Larry Coker and former offensive coordinator Buddy Nix. But this is Miami. Look at all the former NFL players who are fed up and embarrassed by the state of the program. They complain that Shannon has pushed them away from the program, and hasn't invited them back. A quick phone call to any of the current Canes in the NFL would definitely raise money to pay off Shannon, and bring in Gruden.

Finally, the new Ted and Todd Schwartz Family Athletic Center is soon to open, a big draw to future recruits and a future big-name coach. The $5 million donation from the aforementioned family gives them a lot of say when it comes to who's coaching the Canes in the coming years. And if they don't want their millions to go to waste, they'll make sure to let the administration know that it's time for a big-time head coach, a la Gruden.  

I know Gruden is a pipe dream, but when the Canes have been so bad, the only thing left to do is dream. Here's to the U returning to glory, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Michael Perchick is the writer/editor of TheJockosphere, a sports/Twitter site, reporting the top tweets and news directly from athletes.  Follow him on Twitter @TheREALPerchick, and at http://thejockosphere.com/.