End of the road for Shannon at UM?

UVa. loss could be final straw

My two cents – there’s no way Randy Shannon survives the 2010 season with his job as the head football coach at Miami.

Two caveats – that the ‘Canes win out, or that the school decides to go against its recent 30-year history in football and says it doesn’t consider itself a major football power.

Shannon, in his fourth season at the helm at his alma mater, saw his team drop to 5-3 after what had to be an embarrassing 24-19 loss at Virginia on Saturday. I say embarrassing because the Hurricanes went into the game as a 15-point favorite, and the line seemed low, actually, considering UVa.’s anemic showing in ACC games this year – the Cavs had been outscored by a combined 111-45 in losses to Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina.

The U, as its football alums love to call their school in introductions, has gone 26-20 under Shannon, and just 14-15 in the ACC. Things seemed to be heading in the right direction after Miami went 9-4 in 2009, but the loss on Saturday to an undermanned Virginia team seems to foretell a step back of some sort this year, what with tough games remaining at Georgia Tech and at home against Virginia Tech sandwiched by hiccup games with Maryland and South Florida.

My thinking is that Miami doesn’t play football to win even nine games in a season, much less win nine one year, take a step back the next year, and play year after year in bowls with names like Emerald and Champs Sports.

That said, if UM wins out and finishes its regular season at 9-3, maybe 10-3 if it can get into the ACC championship game, and gets back into a BCS bowl, then I’d say Shannon is due an extension.

Anything less, and I’d say, Don’t be surprised if Miami moves on.

Column by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at [email protected].