The Quiet Storm

A team that has faced many off the field problems, is now staring a new season fresh from issues that has brought this team down. The 2009 Miami Hurricanes, yeah i know I am biased, an article about Miami. But I am not, this team led by Randy Shannon has come a long way. In the eighties Miami was a team that won but yet the nation hated them. Their plays were electric, big plays after big plays. They used their team speed to their advantage and won five national title, the first one coming in 1983 against Nebraska. During the title runs their image took a hit. Reports after reports of criminal activities, began destroying this team. Players drinking in the dorm having sex with women that were drunk or passed out, while other players peeped. Coaches drinking with players, university secretary's smoking marijuana with players. One of the biggest Pell Grant scandals in history. Failed Drug test that were being ignored by coaches. Dennis Erickson was used as a scapegoat when he coached them, but under Jimmy Johnson things were almost the same. In 1987 before the national championship game in Tempe, Arizona, players arrived at the airport in combat fatigues. Then at the dinner with the opponents, the whole team walked out from the Steak Fry. Years after years new players come in but the attitude was always the same, the problems got worse and Miami football was heading to an end. Sports Illustrated ran an article on why Miami should shut the football program down. It has happened before In 1939 Chicago University dropped their football team, a member of the Big Ten Conference. The football program was bring the university down. The SI article has many good points except one, the football program can be repaired. In 1995 Butch Davis became the next hurricanes coach. He was given the job at the same time that the NCAA placed Miami on probation banning them from one bowl appearance and taking away 31 scholarships. This was not a simple task but coach Davis succeeded, leading Miami to a #2 ranking in 2000, his final year as coach. The next year his offensive coach became the head coach at Miami and led them to the title with players that Davis recruited. But coach Coker was not Butch Davis, and he was losing control of the players. Some questioned his toughness. Off the field issue came back to Miami, two deaths in the program and a brawl not to mention no conference championships led to Larry Cokers firing. Who would be the next UM coach, a team that was being called "Thug U" by the national media. Miami needed a disciplinarian, someone who would teach his players how to respect themselves and others. Enter coach Randy Shannon, he was an ex player in the 1987 team and he played the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. But his true calling was being a coach, he was part of Dennis Erickson staff as a graduate assistant. Then in 2000 he became linebacker coach for the Miami Dolphins. Larry Coker hired him as defensive coordinator in 2001, that year he received the Broyles Award given annually to the best assistant coach in college football. He began his first year as head coach with a strict code of conduct. Players were being suspended left and right and coach was showing who was the boss. The team didn't fare to well on the field, missing out on a bowl game. The following year there were no off the field issues many players were behaving themselves while other universities were having problem. Miami is trying to get to a place where they haven't been in a long time, respectability, and they have found their man. I hope that the administration is patient with Coach Shannon, he has stated that he was to coach Miami until they throw him out, that is something Miami has never had, a coach that wants to stay. I say let him, they will win with Randy maybe sooner rather then later. This year with many young players returning from last years team, Miami has a chance to surprise team in the ACC and maybe even a team from Norman, Oklahoma, we will have to wait and see. Coach this is your team, this is a perfect fit to a once uncontrollable team.