hmmmm Gruden like Stoops has been on the top of everybody's list every time one of these jobs comes open. Maybe one of these days Gruden will actually take a college job, maybe that would be Miami, but why do I think it is just an unfounded rumor.
Bill I am hearing the same thing on the Cane boards from media sources all over the internet. And they have the same attitude that Terry does in that its probably just a rumor. I keep hearing the assistants at OU are on the list as well as Mike Leach, Tubberville and Richt among others. The supposed salary Miami is offering is $3 million for whoever becomes the coach. I have mixed feelings on Randy Shannon being asked to leave. He took over the reigns with no talent in the cupboard and a long history of scandal that gives most college football fans the reason to dislike the school. He turned it around with good if not a couple great recruiting classes. He also only had one player arrested in his tenure at the school and that was Robert Marve who broke a mirror off a car because he was mad at his girlfriend. To top that off he put Miami at the top of the list in Academics in college football, a milestone that does not make the headlines even though it should. He was a fan as a child and played on the team while winning a championship ring and then coached the defense when it won another. His problem was he could not seem to get over the hurdles needed to get the talent to play up to its potential. He never won the ACC or even played in the ACC championship game. To top that off he never won a bowl game and seemed to never have the chemistry needed to get the most out of his players. I wish him all the best in his future and know that someone will be getting a great coach. Spent some time on the phone with a relative who lives and works in Coral Gables and he says money is not an issue (I have always presumed it was). One thing you might appreciate Bill (You mentioned this before) is the fact that Miami not having its own "On Campus" stadium has always made it tough. The major reason was always because land values in the area are beyond affordable and there was no room for parking (They actually have room for a stadium but not the parking). With the economic downturn the land has become affordable and the city of Coral Gables has decided to sell the land needed for parking on US 1 to the University for $1 million per year for the next ten years, pretty much giving it to the school. This will make it possible to build a stadium better suited for the 11,000 student population on site.
That would be a huge step forward for the program. I caught glimpses of the crowd at the VaTech/Miami game and it looked like a Marlins game. Bringing it back to campus will be a huge plus. Shannon will be a sought after DCoord if he wants and who knows maybe he'll get a HC job some place else. He's clearly one of the good guys.
One thing I have always found simply amazing is the fact that Dade County, one of the hot beds for high school talent in the nation with an abundance of 6A high school teams has a total of 6 high school fields to play on. When the County planners laid out the schools years ago they did not want the schools to have their own stadiums. To get by this the teams for years have played each other from Wednesday through Sunday on different fields using the six existing fields or playing at tropical park or the Orange bowl. This swapping of fields includes the 1A - 5A schools as well on the same sites. Its just dumbfounding when you think of it because every small town in the USA has a high school with its own field to play on...?
Rec, there used to be an issue with Coral Gables not being willing to give a permit to build an on campus stadium. I don't know if that is still an issue, but for years it was. I can tell you that the on campus Stadium for the Gators is a big deal for the fans. My dorm the first two years was less than two block from the stadium.
What are you hearing Terry? I read where he announced he was not interested in Miami, hell he probably makes more money on MNF....
WOW! (Sorry for the temporary hijack Ralph!) So Gruden finally makes the jump after years of being the next guy. Interesting.
hmmmmmmmmmm....Gruden a done deal apparently. Very suprised. This am John McClain the Texans beat writer said that he had heard that Gruden was fascinated by the Spread offense and wants to go back to college and implement it there and then eventually bring it to the NFL.
miami <r>Well maybe Gruden could bring their average game day attendance up to over 25,000. He's as good a new warden for them as any other. <E>8)</E></r>
He may have the same problem as Charley Weis, that is having to assemble a staff without having a good feel for available candidates.