Miami fans tend to have a condescending view towards the ACC in Football. The view of the league was that it was made up of Basketball schools and that Miami would dominate the league when entering it. That has obviously proven to not be the case as "Basketball schools" like North Carolina, Maryland and NC State have had success against the Canes. Now enter Duke into the picture. Duke is the resident doormat of ACC Football twice this decade going on multiple season long losing streaks in league play.
Last week we discussed how poor Miami's staff was when compared to other ACC programs. Now elevate Duke to a high level as far as coaching. David Cutcliffe is simply put in almost three decades of watching College Football one of the best offensive minds I have seen. He understands the rhythm passing game and how to script plays based on a Quarterbacks tendencies. He developed Heath Shuler, Peyton Manning, Tee Martin Eli Manning and Eric Ainge. He also made a bowl game in six of his seven years as the Head Coach at Ole Miss. Simply put for a lowly program like Duke, he was a dream hire.
So where does this put Miami? The Hurricanes already have some of the worst talent in the league and have an unproven staff to boot. This staff was hired specifically to bolster recruiting but from a game day perspective they are as unseasoned as any staff I have seen the last few years at a so-called "major" program. If Duke becomes competitive that's even worse news for Miami than some of the other developments this off season like the very capable Paul Johnson going to Georgia Tech. This also begs me to question Florida State's decision to elevate Jimbo Fisher to be the next head coach years in advance. Personally if I were in Miami or FSU's position and I had the chance to grab a proven winner like Johnson and Cutcliffe I do it rather than taking chances on career assistants.
I'm stunned by Duke's sudden commitment to Football, but it's good for the ACC even if bad for Miami.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
It Just Got Tougher............
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2 comments:
Yes, coaching is definitely important... but it's also highly overrated.
You've got to have solid recruiting each and every year -- and not just top-ranked players, but players that fit the criteria that the HC and assistants have set.
And just like the first commenter on this post stated, "have you seen the class we are recruiting?"
With all due respect, you might want to do your homework in this area because we've got some prep playas who are turning down schools like LSU, USC, and Florida to commit to playing for The U.
Yes, I'm very concerned about who Coach Shannon hires as the new defensive coordinator, but I know there will be a damn good reason for whoever he brings in to run the D.
I like the fact that Randy Shannon is a man of principle, a man of discipline, and a man who's not gonna allow his players to get away with poor practice habits, poor sportsmanship, and poor off-the-field behavior. That said, he's also been upfront (from the many reports I've read) to inform recruits of not just football life, but life as a student-athlete at The U... as opposed to snakes like John "Snake Eyes" Holliday (who's the Florida assistant that's the frontrunner for the WVa HC position) and his boss Urban Liar over there in Gainesville.
Randy Shannon is working on laying a solid foundation -- complete with discipline and accountability -- over there in the football program of the University of Miami, Florida.
Shannon is a man of principle which is a post I'm working on. His straight arrow approach to recruits may not be what they want to hear but it is certainly different than liars like Amato and Holliday. The parents appreciate it also, I believe.
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