Friday, December 3, 2010

Time to Talk Randy Shannon

We know that Randy Shannon is on the short list and is the subject of an alumni email campaign supporting his candidacy. We know that when he was defensive coordinator at Miami, his squad was one of the best in the country. We know that he's brought in top-15 recruiting classes the past few years running. We know his recruiting connections in the state of Florida run deep, which is partly why schools like Minnesota are interested in nabbing him. We know that he raised the academic (all teams in APR top 10) and disciplinary (no arrests during his tenure!) profile of a Miami Hurricanes program in which both were sorely lacking before he took over as head coach. And finally, we know that if his star QB hadn't gotten injured and his team had won two games it should have won this season (UVA and South Florida), giving them a record of 9-3 instead of 7-5, that Shannon probably would not have been let go this past weekend after four seasons at the helm. (For what it's worth, Bobby Bowden thinks Miami made a big mistake.)

Coach Shannon is about as good as you could ask for on paper, and I don't have any inside information to this effect, but he sounds like a man of outstanding character to boot. His personal story, for those not familiar, is nothing short of inspiring.

I'm not as concerned as some might be about his overall record as a head coach (28-22, 16-16 ACC), nor do I care all that much about the decidedly strange tale of Robert Marve, in which Shannon was a key player. I'm not certain about this, but I think Shannon's got the stuff that it takes to be a very good D-I head coach (though to the extent there are questions about that, there are similar questions about all the "unproven" offensive and defensive coordinators currently on the search list).

The main question I have about Shannon is unique to Vanderbilt's situation. We've seen that he can take a program with discipline issues and an undistinguished academic track record and instill some positive values. But that hasn't translated into success on the field, at least not the kind that they're accustomed to at "The U." Vanderbilt is a different animal. We've got the student-athlete thing down (to some extent, and let's not be unrealistically arrogant about it) and we're not constantly worried about which key player is going to get arrested from one week to the next (please join me in knocking on wood). In Commie Country it seems that fans are proud of the "clean and scholarly" reputation, but ready for something more. We're ready for wins. At least enough wins to be competitive for a bowl game, any bowl game, year-in and year-out.

Is Randy Shannon a "winner"? I don't know, but I certainly wouldn't say he's a "loser." Looks like he may have gotten a raw deal at Miami and, as a consequence, it's possible that he'll be one of the best bargains on the market. Hard to know from the outside looking in. Also hard to know what kind of offensive staff he would bring in, seeing as he axed his previous OC who ran the spread attack in favor of an NFL-style offensive look. In any event, you'd be hard pressed to argue with the job he did recruiting at Miami (even though The U probably sells itself to a certain extent), and Vanderbilt could absolutely use (read: desperately needs) a guy who knows how to bring in strong recruits. For this reason and because everything I've read about his departure leads me to believe he is good at establishing relationships with his players (if not the bizarre Miami fan base), I am excited about the prospect of hiring a Randy Shannon.

This marks my newest tangent and at least the fifth time I've been stoked about a different coach in which DW is taking an interest. Other than me being fickle and nerdy, I'm taking that as a signal of the quality of coaches out there on the market. Vanderbilt needs to get this right, but as I see it they've got a lot to work with.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post, my only concern is the lack of offensive firepower from a defensive minded coach. He had all that talent and yet was struggling to win in the ACC (UVA is awful). The SEC is a whole different animal. But I agree, if he could up the talent level that would certainly be a positive; however, you could argue that the one really good thing Bobby Johnson did during his time here was up the talent level from where it had been prior to his arrival and that didn't necessary translate into success on the field.

Anonymous said...

Shannon would be a mistake.

He won't get the gig.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't worry about the offense if he brings Mark Whipple along.... Miami fans rag on Randy all they want, but at the end of the day he did a great job with the circumstances.... I think he will do a great job at Vandy, I mean shit... all we need is a coach who can get us 6 wins, be realistic we don't have the same standards as the U. They won 5 national championships and are hungry for more, we won the Gaylord Hotels Music City bowl and are hungry for more bowl games... Randy will get us there again. You can't get any worse than we are now, this is a win-win situation and Vandy needs to get this done!

Anonymous said...

My top two are still Malzahn (who hasnt said "no" and I think Williams will call him after this weekend) and Foster (who said he would listen if Vandy called).

Anonymous said...

I think Shannon is becoming my choice for head coach. His story is inspiring. And I really think he could do well with our defensive talent. He does have experience and he is known commodity. Also, he would be a great recruiter.

I really hope that we don't go after Malzahn. I'm from Arkansas and I believe that Malzahn is a good coach. But he gets way too much credit for the raw athletic ability of his players. Some of the plays that Cam Newton makes are not related to coaching. And I don't think he would be the recruiter that Shannon is. Remember that Malzahn was a high school coach just a few years ago.

Anonymous said...

I just sent the following email to Dean Williams.

First of all, I want to thank you for the great job you have done. You don't get enough respect. I am so tired of Climer and Biddle.

I wanted to give you my support for Randy Shannon. Most importantly, I think he embodies the goals of Vanderbilt. I respect him as a person and a coach. I think he would be an outstanding recruiter, coach and representative for our football team. I know that he appreciates loyalty, and I know that Vandy can be a very loyal place for successful coaches. He could be a great fit.

I really would love to see Vandy bring in Randy Shannon as Head Coach and David Lee as Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. David Lee obviously has great Vanderbilt ties and would be a great developer of talent at the QB position for Vandy. He has done very well as the QB coach with the Dolphins. He knows how to limit turnovers and develop smart QB play.

This could be an incredible combination for Vandy, Shannon's defensive ability and recruiting ability combined with David Lee offensive expertise, Vandy ties and QB development. I know the fan base and alumni could all support these two coaches. They really bring the best of both worlds with their experience on both side of the ball.

God bless,

Vandygal78 said...

I am just so impressed with the search that Williams is doing. So many great candidates, and just saw that Air Force's Calhoun was added to the list. I really can't back one candidate over another, but I'm just so excited for the future. For all the criticism of "no AD" I can't imagine any other program doing a better job than Williams right now. This is certainly better than what UT has done over the past two efforts. Also pleased that the commitments are holding tight for now. This apparent new commitment to the football program by the university should be extremely impressive to these recruits. Go Dores!

Anonymous said...

I am very impressed with the search. The fact that there have been no leaks of any substance and it is being done in a very professional manner is great. It also appears that Williams list has some very attractive options. I am not a fan of a triple-option type HC and offense. If I had a choice, I like Randy Shannon as head coach with him retaining Herb Hand as OC. Shannon will build the defense quickly; and Hand is very familiar with our core offensive talent and will move quickly to put the offense in position to do very well next season. The recruits obviously have much confidence in the furure of Vandy football as we have lost none yet and it looks like they are waiting like we are on a solid coaching hire. I'm very pleased so far.

Anonymous said...

I think Randy Shannon's background as it relates to the paying for 'hits' during the '80's for the University of Miami and his relationship with Luther Campbell need to be openly addressed and thoroughly vetted. From what I have seen on ESPN and read in the papers (not great sources, but sources none the less), I want to know more about his character and judgement.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, do you really want to go after Randy Shannon on a possible "character matter" from the 1908's or from about 30 years ago ??? David Williams would have a very short coaching list if you were looking back 30 years in the background of any potential head coach. Vetting soomeone and a whitch-hunt are 2 seperate things. Let's be serious.

Anonymous said...

Vandy - just do it! Shannon is a great man, leader and recruiter. Donna Shalala is a fool.

Anonymous said...

Responding to the 1:27pm Anonymous - I am very serious. Apparently, you have never applied to a competitive job in the marketplace. Background checks are a part of the process. I'm not advocating a witch hunt, but when alleged 'bounties' and sketchy relationships are involved, it necessitates vetting. Make him a part of the process but also make him answer for his past. Why don't you want to ask the question? Are you afraid of what the answer will be? All candidates should be treated similarly and I would ask background questions for all.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 4:38, you are taking yourself way too serious. Any mature and relatively serious person knows that ALL head coaching candidates (and assistants for that matter) will be vetted and their backgrounds check. I'm not even sure where you are going with your post but just let it go.... and try to focus on the positive. Do Dores.