Shannon Wants New Identity For Canes
Published: Jul 29, 2007
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TAMPA - A 1 a.m. phone call is usually not good unless it's someone dialing a wrong number. If you're the new head football coach at the University of Miami, the guy hired to restore discipline, stability and respect to a program coming off one of the most turmoil-filled seasons in school history, then 1 a.m. calls probably make you cringe and want to throw your cell phone into Biscayne Bay.
But one late night shortly after Randy Shannon completed his first spring as Miami's head coach, the well-respected former Hurricanes player received the kind of call he'll take any time.
On the other end of the conversation was freshman running back Graig Cooper, one of the nation's most coveted prep running backs last fall. Cooper had called Shannon earlier in the evening to ask whether he could go out. Once Shannon asked a few questions, he told Cooper no problem, have a good time.
A couple of hours later, Shannon's phone rang.
"He called to say he was home," Shannon said Saturday at the Florida Sports Writers Association's annual football media days. "He didn't have to do that. That's just him. So the guys understand what we're trying to get done."
Since being named to replace Larry Coker shortly after last season's 7-6 debacle finally ended with a one-point win against Nevada in the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho - a long way from Miami in distance and tradition - Shannon's primary focus has been on rebuilding a program from the bottom up, starting with character.
Shannon, a former star linebacker for the Hurricanes and their defensive coordinator the past six seasons, has implemented several new team rules to prevent a repeat of last season's turmoil, which included a brawl with Florida International and multiple off-the-field incidents involving guns.
In other words, Shannon wanted to make sure his players knew there was a new sheriff in town.
"We just needed a change," Miami senior guard Derrick Morse said at last week's ACC media days. "Whatever system that the old coaches had just wasn't working the last couple of years. The respect factor, intensity and presence [are what] he brings to the team."
Shannon grew up around turmoil not far from the Orange Bowl, Miami's home. He had a brother die and a sister pass away from AIDS. His single mother worked two jobs to support the family.
He avoided many of the pitfalls his friends fell into by playing sports. It was in the athletic arena that Shannon developed the discipline and accountability that he hopes to pass along to his players in his first head coaching job.
"It's about following the right things, doing the right things, and you'll be successful," Shannon said. "When guys are held accountable and they know what the consequences are, then they know what to adhere to."
When Shannon was named Miami's coach, some college football analysts around the country questioned the decision to hand over the keys of such a high-profile program to someone without any head coaching experience.
Those who know Shannon best expect the 41-year-old to re-establish the Hurricanes atop the polls one day.
"You knew that Randy was going to be an excellent football coach because as a player in the mid-80s, Randy was very, very smart," said former Miami coach and first-year North Carolina coach Butch Davis at the ACC media days.
In his short time in charge, Shannon has made an impact not only in re-establishing the team rulebook, but also on the recruiting trail. He signed an impressive recruiting class - most rated it as one of the ACC's best.
Still, there's plenty of work to be done if Shannon is going to restore the luster of a program that went 53-9 under Coker before last season's meltdown."A job like Miami, you don't just sit back and say, 'I'll take it and just ride it out,'" Shannon said. "It's going to be a great challenge."
Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.
