Joe Paterno Retiring: Is the Al Golden Era Already over in Miami?

News has already hit the message boards and Twitter feeds about Joe Paterno retiring at seasons end just 45 minutes ago.

Down in Miami there is chatter about what is going to happen to their newly-appointed head coach Al Golden.

Golden was hired at the end of last year to bring the Hurricanes back to the elite status they at one time held.

There were questions about his commitment during his hiring, knowing that he was already interested in taking over his alma mater, Penn State, when Paterno was ready to call it quits.

That time has come now.

Although Golden has a five-year contract with Miami, Golden's agent Brett Senior did not deny the possibility of there being an out clause in the contract. 

As everyone knows, Miami has been and currently is under investigation for taking money from a booster and the time frame was before Golden took the job. Golden has made it clear that he was unaware of the NCAA violations when he accepted the job in Miami

What that basically means is when the NCAA finally determines punishment for Miami, Golden may be able to jump ship.

The real question is, will he?

I truly don't think he will. 

Although I do believe Golden will eventually leave Miami, it won't be anytime soon.  He is a type of man that wants to finish what he started.

He did the same thing at Temple.  He turned the football program from one of the worst programs in the country, to a bowl team qualifier in just four years.

During that time frame he was offered head coaching jobs at Tennessee, UCLA and Cincinnati, turning down all of them and signing an extension with Temple.

There was no doubt that he was waiting for Paterno to step down and to try to land that job, but at the end of the 2010 season Miami gave him the head coaching job and he accepted it.

There are other questions that need answers like, will he even be offered the job?

What is going to happen to the football program at Penn State since the NCAA will undoubtedly investigate Penn State's athletic department as a whole?

Would Golden really leave one program under investigation to another program that is under investigation?

Unfortunately, I don't have the answers to any of those questions, but I do believe the Golden Era will be around longer than one year.