Miami fires coach Al Golden after program's worst loss: 4 things to know
t seems that Miami's 58-0 loss to Clemson on Saturday was the final straw. The school announced Sunday that Al Golden has been relieved of his duties as football coach.
"Coach Golden has led our program through some very difficult times and he has done so with class, integrity and a true desire to see our students succeed on the field, in the classroom and in the community." Miami athletic director Blake James said in a statement.
"However, 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. I simply believe that now is the time to bring the Hurricane Family together and rally behind our young men."
Golden went 32-25 in his five seasons with the Hurricanes, never finishing with more than nine wins in a season. He led the team to two bowl games, but for a fan base that expects national titles, it simply wasn't enough.
"On behalf of my family I want to thank the University of Miami for a tremendous opportunity," Golden said. "I believe in what we are doing and how we are doing it and we have some outstanding young men in our football program. Though this moment is difficult, we wish the Canes the best of luck going forward."
Assistant coach Larry Scott, Miami's tight ends coach and running game coordinator, will serve as interim coach until the end of the season.
Here are four things to know about Golden's dismissal, and where Miami goes from here:
1. Golden never met expectations at Miami: When Golden first took over the Hurricanes program, coming to South Beach from Temple, it was in the midst of an NCAA scandal. The school self-imposed sanctions that kept it out of bowl games and limited its scholarships.
That bought him some time following a 13-11 record in his first two years, but the beginning of the downfall was the 2013 season. Miami started the 7-0 and reached No. 7 in the AP Top 25. At that point, everyone was proclaiming that The U was back ... but it wasn't. The Canes lost four of their final six games, including a bowl game, and finished the season 9-4.
Still, there was reason to hope that Golden and Miami could take the next step in 2014 ... but they didn't, instead finishing the year 6-7. A slow start to the 2015 season included losses to Cincinnati and the
worst defeat in program history, which came Saturday at the hands of Clemson. Things reached a point where it was only a question of when Golden would be fired, not if.
2. Miami is not an easy job for anybody: There are a few things you're going to hear over and over again from Miami and college football analysts during the school's coaching search. You'll hear about the national championship history of the school and the potential to turn this program around and restore the glory. That's all true. The potential is there. Miami is a national brand located in the heart of some of the best high school football talent in the country.
But all of that has also been true for the last 15 years, which is how long its been since that last national title. Since then, the school has chewed up and spit out Larry Coker (who was the coach for that 2001 title), Randy Shannon and now Golden. The program hasn't won 10 games in a season since 2003, only winning as many as nine twice (2009 and 2013).
Maybe the Canes can chalk it all up to not finding the right coach, or maybe it's the result of an environment that expects a little too much, too quickly. Miami's fan base -- former players included -- is incredibly passionate. Not only is it
extremely vocal, but it's
not shy about expressing its feelings, either. This is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, when things are going well, you're an icon. But if they aren't going well enough, nobody is afraid to come out and say you're the wrong man for the job and that you need to be fired.
Not only does Miami need to find a good coach, it has to find one that can withstand the pressure cooker that is Miami football.
3. Interim coach Larry Scott has no head coaching experience: Scott is in his third season on Miami's coaching staff, coming to Coral Gables from South Florida before the 2013 season. He has served as the tight ends coach.
As for why he's been chosen as the interim coach, well, it's possible the players really like him, but odds are it has something to do with Scott's abilities as a recruiter as well. He's been a key recruiter for the Canes in South Florida since joining the staff, and with things up in the air right now, it's likely the school believes he can do the best job of keeping Miami's recruiting class together as the program tries to move forward.
4. Chip Kelly isn't going to take the Miami job: It's a dream that I fully understand, Miami fans. But just like last time when you convinced yourselves that Jon Gruden was going to leave a cushy television gig for Miami, Chip Kelly isn't going to leave the NFL for Coral Gables, either.
That doesn't mean you won't find a good coach, though.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...n-miami-relieves-its-head-coach-of-his-duties