Campbell goes in second, Gooden in third...

Calais Campbell missed the first round boat but was eventually picked 50th overall - in the second round of the NFL Draft, by the Arizona Cardinals. Did the oversized Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman jump the gun regarding his early exit from The U and entry to the NFL? Sure looks like it... 

Tavares Gooden proved to be the exact opposite - snared up 71st overall by the Baltimore Ravens and early in the third round. Gooden's stock rose after the combine and the under the radar Miami linebacker overachived his way into an early Sunday morning pick. Gooden also returned for his senior season to up his game, as opposed to bailing early and testing the NFL waters. 

Kenny Phillips was the last pick of the first round, extending Miami's first round streak to fourteen straight seasons... but the luster of that has worn off as the Canes' Draft impact has fizzled.

Even coming off of 7-6 in 2006, Miami still pumped out three first rounders last year and a total of five Canes drafted. Disappointing after the run Miami saw earlier in this decade - 2006 (9), 2005 (5), 2004 (9), 2003 (8), 2002 (11), 2001 (7) and 2000 (5) - but still All-World compared to what The U saw in 2008.

Miami bottomed out on the field in 2007 and is gearing up to bottom out in the NFL Draft in 2008 and possibly 2009. "The Streak" should come to an end next season, barring some stellar play from NFL bound upperclassmen.

While Cane fans never want to see the day a kid from The U doesn't make his way into the first round, this program is in serious need of a wake up call. Playing for Miami is about winning national championships and being a top five team year in and year out. It's a stepping stone to the NFL for a slew of kids - but that needs to be secondary to getting one's degree and keeping this program amongst the elite.

Winning ways are going to attract front runners and some selfish "me first" players, as we've seen here and there since Miami's last championship in 2001. The trend really started with the 2004 recruiting class and seemed to be the case over the next few seasons.

The lone upside to 5-7? Knowing that the several dozen kids who signed on last February to make up this top-ranked recruiting class are signing on to rebuild. No one is riding any gravy train at Miami anytime soon. It's time to roll up one's sleeves and put this program back on the map first and foremost. 

As all this Draft news has settled and sunk in, Miami is very lucky Phillips kept the streak alive. KP snuck into the first round based on the program's legacy, the type of players Miami puts into the league and based on his potential versus his resume. The New York Giants like Miami Hurricanes. Sinorice Moss was their choice last year, William Joseph a few years back and Jeremy Shockey has been running game in the Big Apple since 2002.

Phillips made the 'right choice' if you measure his decision by being nabbed in the first round, but safe to say another year at Miami could've made this kid mid-first round material in 2009.

As for Campbell, the 6'8" lineman was somewhat exposed during the 2007 season and in the combine. Of the two highly-touted Canes in this year's Draft, Campbell absolutely should've stuck around for his senior year. #81 could've tightened up his game, mentored younger players (little bro Jason Campbell will battle for a safety positon) and worked on his technique.

I don't know Campbell's history. I don't know if his family needed the money or what his motivating factor was to bail with one year of eligibility remaining. To his credit, Campbell did earn his degree and returning to The U would've strictly been a football decision - but one has to believe another season would've helped CC climb up from that 50th spot at which he was chosen yesterday.

Randy Shannon wants to change the culture at Miami and has oft stated a big part of that is getting upperclassmen to return. A tough sell after 5-7 and no shot at being in the hunt in 2008. When Shannon turns the program around and gets the Canes back to winning ways, maybe guys like Campbell and Phillips stick around. It's sort of a 'chicken or the egg' type situation. What comes first, seniors staying or winning ways returning?

Congrats to Phillips, Campbell and Gooden. Very frustrating to see so few Canes drafted, but that can't take away from those who were. This is just another part of the Miami down-cycle the program has experienced the past few seasons and that tide will turn soon enough.

Tune in over the next few days to see which Canes get picked up as free agents. One has to believe quarterback Kyle Wright and flanker Darnell Jenkins are going to get some looks.

Plant some seeds, watch 'em grow...

I hope the cynical, opinionated, know-it-all portion of the Miami Football fan base is paying attention to what we're seeing out of The U's baseball team - as well as what was just displayed on the hardwood this post season.

Success doesn't happen overnight. It's a calculated process. Hell, it's scientific. Plant some seeds, give them time to grow, nurture and in due time, prepare for the harvest.

Right now, it's 'grow' time for Miami Football.

A year from now it's back to 'go' time.

Randy Shannon is entering year two on the job. Year one - a disaster. Make no bones about it. Little positive comes out of 5-7 losing six of seven down the stretch.

Outside a Thursday night beat down of Texas A&M and a win at Florida State, the 2007 highlights included some off-season firings, a few new hirings and the dismissal of some players this coaching staff felt were dead weight.

Amazing what you can get done when your season ends late November instead of early January.

Miami's final spring game took place just over a week ago and a few things were apparent. (1) The Canes have some playmakers and (2) most of said playmakers are underclassmen or true freshman.

Youth is king in Coral Gables and with youth you have to expect some inexperience.

I believe wholeheartedly that Miami is on the mend and will be a top the hill again. It's not if, it's when. I echo the sentiments of defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, Clint Hurtt in a recent Sports Illustrated article:

"In my heart of hearts I believe we're back on the path to being what we were again."

Amen, Clint.

Miami will reap what it soughs and the past few seasons, the Canes haven't been soughing much worth writing home about.

Andy Staples hammers this point in this recent and rare SI gem on The U. Former coach Larry Coker went after the nation's top talent instead of finding success in his own back yard. Simply put, Coker didn't put the focus on the Tri-City area - Dade, Broward and Palm Beach - the way Shannon and staff are.

As Staples points out, some of the highly touted talent between 2003-2006 was big time on paper - but many kids failed to live up to the hype/their rankings due to playing against inferior competition in high school. The lack of production and lack of development during the tenure in Coral Gables, combined with a change in mentality helped produce the Canes recent decline.

You don't need to over-recruit the rest of the nation when you're this close to so much South Florida talent - quite possibly the hottest hot bed of high school football stars in the nation.

Any Texas or California doubters, look no further than Class 6A champs and national champions, Miami Northwestern. Same to be said for St. Thomas Aquinas of Ft. Lauderdale - the 5A state champs - and Miami's Booker T. Washington, who took home the 4A title.

After Northwestern showed Southlake (Texas) Carroll who was boss back in September, there's little doubt that the rest of Florida's best wouldn't take it to their 5A and 4A counterparts nationwide. The Miami kids 'outtalented' the Texas kids the same way great Hurricanes teams have over the years. Stronger, faster and better. Men amongst boys.

Shannon and staff target local ballers because they are damn well sure what kind of talent these highly touted players face daily in practice as well as Friday night, under the lights. That's why eleven of the aforementioned state and national champs are suiting up for The U this fall and ready to make an immediate impact.

Not only do the local high schools again have strong ties with Canes coaches - something that fell off during Coker's tenure where he didn't even employ a recruiting coordinator - but these local Miami-bound Bulls and Tornadoes were barely teenagers when the Canes made their last run.

"The Canes were gladiators that never could get beat," said freshman Miami defensive tackle and former Northwestern Bulls star Marcus Forston. "They always found a way to win. When I was growing up, those were my heroes, my role models."

How many incoming freshman across the nation had that same love and adoration for the Canes? Some, but nothing like the impact it had on the locals. When asked about the first time Forston runs through the smoke on game day as a Cane? "I might cry," he said.

Kids like Forston are the foundation for this rebuilding project. Local kids that could've played anywhere, but wanted to be a part of the Canes resurgence.

All the 'feel good' stories aside, Miami remains a work in progress. As impressive as these newbies are, fans have to remember that underclassmen are going to make rookie mistakes.

Ed Reed and Mike Rumph were both a huge part of Miami's title run in 2001, but peel it back a few years and you'd be hard pressed to forget both sophomores blowing their coverage in a 27-23 loss to No. 2 Penn State in 1999.

Nursing a 23-20 lead with 1:52 left to play, Chafie Fields streaked past Rumph and Reed, scoring the game winner on a 79-yard strike from Kevin Thompson. Years later, both Cane defenders would cite that as a career-defining moment and a learning experience, en route to a national championship and first round NFL Draft picks.

A similar tale regarding recent first rounder, Brandon Meriweather.

Trucked by running back Quincy Wilson on a nationally televised nailbiter against West Virginia, the sophomore safety endured the embarrassment of that highlight for the rest of 2003. A year later, a stronger, more experienced Meriweather was on the delivering end of a bigger blow when he sent a woozy Louisville tight end to the sidelines after breaking up a pass during Miami's thrilling 41-38 comeback win.

Even Mr. 38-2 Ken Dorsey proved mortal as a true freshman. Hurled into action at No. 2 Virginia Tech when Kenny Kelly went down, a wide eyed Dorsey's head was swimming during a 6-of-17 performance for 45 yards and an interception during that 43-10 loss.

Fans expecting Robert Marve or Jacory Harris to walk on water from day one and overcome all obstacles simply because of their high school accolades - look no further than the early history of the great Canes listed above. There will be mistakes when you're thrown into the fire and expected to perform early. There are gonna be some growing pains.

That said, if Miami Faithful remain patient, there will be also be reason to celebrate down the road. This thing is being rebuilt carefully from the ground on up. Patience must remain a virtue a while longer.

The seeds have been planted and the nurturing is underway. Anyone that's followed spring ball can attest to that. Shannon and staff threw the depth charts out the window a la Jimmy Johnson. No more seniority and other Coker-esque tactics are being employed. The best players will see the field.

In an effort to promote camaraderie, locker room assignments are being reshuffled every few weeks. As Staples' article mentioned, defensive backs will get used to sitting next to receivers, quarterbacks will suit up next to defensive lineman and scholarship players will be hanging out with the walk ons.

"You can sit by a guy for four years, and that's the only guy you're going to talk to," said Shannon. "Now, you mix them around the locker room, so you get to talk to four or five guys every so often. By the time your senior season is over, there are about 70 guys that you've had two to three months to spend every day with."

On paper it doesn't sound like much, but the mental aspect of the coaching game is as important as Xs and Os come Saturday. To the average fan, who cares about locker room assignments? In the coaches eyes, this promotes a "personal connection" to each teammate - making them more accountable to each other and less likely to want to let those guys down.

A far cry from the rumored issues a worn out defense felt these past few seasons regarding a lethargic and non-productive offense.

All these little moments, adjustments and fine-tuning are how you build a champion. Great teams don't just "happen". They're built from the ground up and only after you're a top the mountain can you look back and add up all these experiences, realizing the profound impact the had on a championship team.

Miami Basketball is coming off a 23-11 season, a No. 7 seeding in the NCAA tourney and a mid-season upset of No. 4 Duke. A year ago, 12-20 and no post season.

Miami Baseball goes 37-24 last season and has a streak of 13 consecutive NCAA Regional titles snapped. A year later, the Canes are No. 1 in the nation for the first time since 2004, are riding a 13-game win streak and sit pretty at 27-2 halfway through the season.

A year ago, this fan base wouldn't have given you a nickel for either squad. Critical of coaches and players involved with both squads, only the long-sighted fan base realized it was a rebuilding process and that both teams were a few players away from getting things back where they belong.

I hope the short-sighted contingent takes the lead of the long-sighted folks. Miami Football has officially turned the corner and the resurgence is on - but the ship won't be righted overnight. This is a process. Shannon and staff need to nurture these young, talented kids and grow some champions.

Hump-Day coaching rumors & updates...

Not too much on the coaching front the past 48 hours. On Monday, Miami and Greg Schiano decided to go separate ways and that evening Paul Dee supposedly sat down with Mike Leach and things were supposedly moving fast. Tuesday we find out, that's not the case.

What's changed? I'm not sure but I do know that two days ago a lot of folks were much more vocal than they are today. I'm still talking back and forth with my resources, but everyone seems to have hit the same dead end.

Here's what we know since the last blog:

>>> Miami has talked to Leach but it doesn't appear talks were are serious as initially reported.

>>> Miami officially talked with Randy Shannon and much like Leach, The U's top brass will continue the interview process and circle back to Leach, Shannon and others.

>>> Gary Patterson of TCU and Steve Kragthorpe of Tulsa remain on Miami's radar, but there is no conformation of them interviewing for the position yet.

>>> The 'surprise" candidate thrown into the mix today is Mike Stoops of Arizona. Rumor has it the two year leader of the Wildcats is hot on the Miami job. Stoops is in New York, but there's no confirmation that he's sat down to talk with Dee yet. Mark Stoops is Arizona's defensive coordinator and was Miami's secondary coach before following his brother to Tucson.

>>> Mario Cristobal remains high on Pete Garcia's wish list at FIU, as is Shannon. There was a rumor earlier today that Cristobal accepted the positon, but that is false. Some folks with Columbus ties mentioned that Cristobal was offered a position at FIU, but hasn't made a decision yet.

One would expect Cristobal to wait it out and see what Miami does before accepting or declining the positon with the Golden Panthers, but how long is too long? My gut feeling? Cristobal is headed to FIU... unless Miami hires the right guy. Mario definitely would've stuck around with his old boss, Schiano. Everything was wide open after that and FIU made the call.

>>> The Miami Herald reported today that Bernie Kosar was seriously throwing his hat in the ring in regards to the vacant coaching position at The U. Huh? Don't get me wrong, allCanes loves the B -man but there's no way in hell this program can gamble on a former QB great with no coaching experience. I can drive, but it doesn't mean I know how to build a car.

Kosar is a fixture at games and at practice, always taking an interest in whoever Miami's quarterbacks are. Head coach? Not yet. But I'd love to see Kosar come on as an official quarterbacks coach, with some influence on the offensive playcalling. #20 won a National Championship as a freshman against arguably the greatest college team in history, 1983 Nebraska. I want Kosar officially in charge of our QBs.

>>> Former Auburn coach Terry Bowden ripped Schiano on sports talk radio yesterday in regards to blowing it by not taking the Miami job. I spoke with a few national media friends who informed me that Penn State has informed Schiano that the gig is his when Joe Paterno indeed steps down.

Conventional wisdom would lead one to believe Paterno has anywhere from 2-5 years left before he hangs it up in Happy Valley.

If Schiano has confirmation he's the successor, the smart play is to wait it out at Rutgers. There's no reason to move his family from New Jersey to South Florida to State College in half a decade.

>>> Norm Chow officially took his name out of the running for the NC State head coaching vacancy. Chow was offensive coordinator for the Wolfpack in the Philip Rivers era, before heading to Southern Cal and lighting up their offense for a few seasons. Gut feeling is Chow ends up back in the Pac 10. Either at Stanford or Arizona State.

Lisa Love is the ASU AD with USC ties. She was criticized in 2005 for extending Dirk Koetter's contract and missing out on Chow. With Koetter gone, does she try to right last year's wrong with Chow in 2007? If Chow finally lands his first head coaching gig, look for Love to give him that crack with the Sun Devils.

>>> NC State didn't miss a beat when Chow bowed out. Word is they've snatched up Tom O'Brien, long-time coach of Boston College. This was out of left field as all signs pointed to the Wolfpack signing Navy coach Paul Johnson. Similar to the Iowa State hiring last week.

Out of nowhere, the Cyclones brought in Texas defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. In the days leading up to the hiring, many were reporting that Central Michigan's Brian Kelly was slated to land the gig.

Makes you wonder if Miami is about to pull the bait-and-switch on everyone. All this talk about Leach and/or Shannon, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if out of nowhere the Canes signed a solid, proven coach.

With the Internet what it is today, universities need to pull the ol' rope and dope on everyone as to not let the media distract them from the task at hand; inking the contract. What's Miami's next move?

>>> Rich Rodriguez to Alabama seems to be a done deal. For the Miami contingent pissing and moaning about The U not talking to Rodriguez, it's all about the money. Rodriguez showed interest, but Miami was never a viable candidate due to the $2M buyout clause. Alabama boosters can foot that bill, but not Miami.

Rodriguez will earn upwards of $2.5M a year should he sign with 'Bama, which the Canes could compete with. But the $2M the school hiring Rodriguez will have to pay to West Virginia to release him is too much for The U to swallow.

>>> Barry Alvarez mentioned yesterday that Donna Shalala did contact him regarding Miami's coaching vacancy, but he turned down the offer as he's happy as Wisconsin's AD and part of FOX's college football broadcast team this bowl season.

We'll see where Miami's coaching search winds up, but pretty scary to think Shalala was hell-bent on bringing Alvarez back into the fold. Had he showed interest, would Miami have continued interviewing candidates and using the services of consultant Chuck Neinas, or would it have been a one-man race?

More to come tomorrow. Hang in there!


.:Canes305:.

Talk about a one-two punch...

Latest reports coming out of New York are that Miami has not only met with Mike Leach, but Randy Shannon is in town and has been brought into the discussion.

The pitch is to bring in Leach as Miami's new head coach and to promote Shannon to assistant head coach, while giving him a big time pay raise.

I don't know about you, but I like this premise. Hell, who am I kidding, I love it.

Bob Stoops to Miami would still be my #1 scenario, but the money is too impossible to overcome. Stoops makes almost double what the Canes were paying Larry Coker.

This Leach/Shannon scenario is a helluva second choice and it's infinitely better than bringing Greg Schiano to Miami. While I respect what Schiano has done at Rutgers, it wasn't enough for me to warrant losing Shannon and a slew of other assistants. No way Schiano would've kept another defensive guy like Shannon - not to mention what would happen to Tim Walton, Clint Hurtt and John Palermo.

My hat's off to Paul Dee and Donna Shalala if they can find a way to lure Leach to Miami without wrecking the infrastructure of this program. Miami would get their high-powered, high-octane offense without selling out on a defense which has been a top the nation since 2000.

Keeping Shannon means the defensive coaches are safe, I assume.

Offensively, Leach would bring in his own guys while calling his own plays and acting as QB coach. That eliminates Rich Olson, Todd Berry, Marquis Mosely and Joe Pannunzio from the equation, which is fine by me. Olson's offense was putrid this season, as were quarterbacks, wide receivers and special teams - all coached buy the aforementioned guys.

The wild card is Mario Cristobal as offensive line coach. This is a guy Miami can't afford to lose. He's a top recruiter and an up and comer. Other programs have already inquired about Cristobal, but The U needs to find a way to keep one of their own on staff. Up his pay if need be. Miami can't lose Mario. Same with strength and conditioning guru, Andreu Swasey. Those two are irreplaceable right now.

Leach & Shannon are a lethal duo, but they have to be a package deal. I'm not ready for Miami to turn the keys over to a B-level new guy and a new Texas-bred staff, but I also don't want to see The U promote from within and give Shannon the job based on seniority. The duo is Miami's best case scenario.

allCanesBlog.com will follow this story throughout the day. Check back for any late-breaking news.



.:Canes305:.

Is Randy Shannon a legit candidate?

Does Randy Shannon really have a shot at being Miami's next head coach? It depends who you ask. Paul Dee certainly thinks so.Reports out of Miami today are that Shannon is getting serious consideration for the top spot.

Personally, I don't see it happening UNLESS all of The U's other options result in dead ends. I think the top brass is throwing Shannon's name in the mix in an effort to hedge their bets.

Miami has been candid in stating that Greg Schiano is their first choice, but right now it seems a 50/50 shot he winds up at The U. The Steve Spurrier chatter of a few weeks back has quieted, leading many to believe this was just another Internet rumor and possibly an effort to force South Carolina to renegotiate his contract.

Other names are being thrown around and rumors of the week? Jim Grobe of Wake Forest. Bob Stoops of Oklahoma. Steve Kragthorpe of Tulsa. Even recently fired Mike Shula of Alabama was mentioned in an article this morning.

All of this should be expected in a slow media week and one where several programs are prepping for conference title games or season finales. Answering questions and showing interest regarding coaching vacancies isn't a top priority for these coaches right now.

Miami will have their man nailed down sometime between next week and just before the bowl game.

As this master list is complied, Shannon should be a part of it. Especially when thinking about the worst case scenarios. Should Miami be turned down by the aforementioned coaches, the only worse situation for the program would be watching Shannon get lured away during the hunt.

I personally don't believe Miami wants to promote from within again, but they also can't let Shannon head across town to FIU or to another ACC program. Shannon is a hell of a recruiter and he knows South Florida like the back of his hand. With Butch Davis at North Carolina, Schiano succeeding at Rutgers and the NC State gig opening up, the Canes can't lose an uber-recruiter with South Florida ties.

Davis, Schiano and Shannon all recruiting South Florida for other programs other than Miami would be disastrous.

If Miami hires a defensive-minded coach like Schiano, obviously Shannon will hit the road in search of a new gig. But if the Canes were to bring in an offense-minded leader, the new could retain the 2001 Frank Broyles Award Winner for top assistant.

Yet another interesting sub plot in the search for the next great Miami coach.

Personally, I don't think Miami will go with Shannon, but it's smart business to theoretically put him a top their wish list with Schiano. After conference championship weekend passes, there will be several universities looking to replace their head coach. Miami. Alabama. NC State. Arizona State. Big time programs looking to land big time guys.

For Miami to not get "their guy" would be tragic. The only thing worse would be losing Shannon in the process. Especially to an ACC rival.


.:Canes305:.