Al Golden Firing Rumors Spiral Out of Control

After a disappointing 6-6 season, Miami Hurricanes coach Al Golden definitely seems like he might be in the hot seat. Upset fans are already calling for his ouster, and today a WQAM host stoked the rumors by reporting that Golden could be gone as soon as tonight. However, school officials...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

December 2, 2014

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After a disappointing 6-6 season, Miami Hurricanes coach Al Golden definitely seems like he might be in the hot seat. Upset fans are already calling for his ouster, and today a WQAM host stoked the rumors by reporting that Golden could be gone as soon as tonight. However, school officials deny this.

WQAM's Marc Hochman says he got a mysterious call claiming Golden would be gone.

I don't have "sources" like other media people. I'm just a talk show schlub. But I just got a phone call from a UM confidant. About Golden.
— Marc Hochman (@MarcHochman) December 2, 2014

I'll share the info at 3pm on 560 WQAM. Again, I just got off the phone w/ him/her. He/She says Golden might be gone by tonight.
— Marc Hochman (@MarcHochman) December 2, 2014

According to CBS Miami, Hochman went on air and said that he got the nugget from a former UM player, but refused to elaborate. He also claimed that the UM Board of Trustees was meeting about a variety of things tonight but wasn't sure if Golden's future would be discussed.

Associated Press sportswriter Tim Reynolds, who is a journalist, then went straight to the source, UM AD Blake James:

Miami AD Blake James: "Al Golden is our coach and will continue to be our coach." (He's said this before, isn't deviating, repeated now.)
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) December 2, 2014

Any potential firing of Golden is complicated by the fact that University of Miami president Donna Shalala has announced that she'll be retiring at the end of the school year. It's possible trustees may decide to have a new president in place before installing a new coach.

And do we really want to go through all of this again? Miami reportedly goes after a few big name coaches, fails to land them, then goes with a bit of an under-the-radar choice, everyone in the media is like, "Well, I like this new guy down in Miami. He's got potential." Only for that coach to drag on through four or five seasons of mediocrity before he's swiftly fired and we go through it all over again.

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