Miami Football: Time to Remember the Positives of the Randy Shannon Era

Saturday night signaled the end of the Randy Shannon era.  I, like many Cane fans, knew it was time for a change, as Shannon struggled to lead the Canes back to the glory land after four seasons.  But after taking time for the fire to settle and to take a look back at Shannon's tenure at the school, it's important to remember that despite his failings (no ACC championship appearances, no bowl wins, no double-digit win seasons), there was a lot of success during the Shannon era that we cannot simply discount. 

Academics

The fact is, when you say "Miami," the first thing to pop into your mind is not academics.  It's usually football, or partying, or hot girls, or South Beach.  Or a combo of all of them.  But academics rarely was one of them.  

Until Donna Shalala took over, that is.  

Shalala has transformed Miami into a top-50 university in the country, and now the top academic school in Florida.  It is one of the quickest-rising schools in the country, with Shalala hoping to make it the "Stanford of the South."  

With that said, Shannon was recruiting kids who could meet the academic standards for Miami. Miami's APR rating was second-highest in the nation, as they graduated the second-most amount of kids within six years of all D-1 schools.  That's an incredible accomplishment that doesn't necessarily translate to wins and losses, but to the overall betterment of the players that make up the team. 

Image

The image of Miami was one of crime and thugginess.  Part of this was unjustified, but following the murder of defensive end Bryan Pata, the image was cemented in the mind of every viewer across the country: Miami was viewed as an undisciplined and reckless team.  

But since Shannon took over, the arrests have basically disappeared and the image of the program has completely changed.  Instead it's Urban Meyer's Gators who have been in the news for all the wrong reasons as of late, with 30 Gators being arrested since Meyer took over.

Under Randy Shannon?  Only one.  That's a simply stunning number that you must give Randy credit for.  

Recruiting

Miami has consistently landed top classes during Shannon's tenure, with the top class in the country in 2008, and getting the No. 1 prospect in the country last year in OT Seantrel Henderson.  The fact is, while it's easy to say that the talent on the team paled in comparison to the results on the field, Shannon still was able to capture top-25 recruiting classes with regularity while at the school.

Look, the fact is, Shannon probably deserved to be let go.  I never agreed with him being rewarded a four-year contract extension last season, especially since he still had another year on his deal.  

But while it's easy to bash Shannon (and trust me, I've done my fair share of it), he's also a national championship-winning player and defensive coordinator for the Canes.  He's spent his entire life in Miami (growing up, college, working for Canes, then Dolphins, and then Canes again).  

Yes, Shannon had his struggles.  Yes, his lack of emotion at times was mind-boggling.  But from all accounts, he established a great bond with the players, and he'll sure to end up as a defensive coordinator—a position he may be better suited for (and that's not a knock on him, either).  

Best of luck to wherever you may wind up, Randy.