Uncle Luke, the man whose booty-shaking madness once made the U.S. Supreme Court stand up for free speech, gets as nasty as he wants to be for Miami New Times. This week, Luke has a message for the University of Miami: Give Randy Shannon a new contract!
The University of Miami is not playing fair with head football coach Randy Shannon. The school needs to give this man a new contract already. Randy has turned the program around since he got the job four years ago. Any other head coach would have received Bob Stoops money.
Randy is picking up where Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson left off and undoing what Butch Davis and Larry Coker did to hurt the program. He has the kids playing with swagger again. The only difference is the players are showing class. Randy has them playing with that Miami attitude: We are going to knock you in the mouth... but not dance all over you anymore.
His second year as head coach, Randy had to deal with the then-starting quarterback Robert Marve situation. Randy gave this kid all the chances in the world to correct himself. Everybody knows Jacory Harris should have been made the full-time starter in 2008.
When Randy pulled Marve from games because he was throwing interceptions, the QB would go home to his daddy, come back two days before a game, and demand to start. Marve's mom caused problems too. She cussed out the towel girls at one home game. Randy constantly put out fires for this kid and his parents.
Last year, he had to weather the storm after his two back-up QBs transferred when Harris was named the starter. On top of that, Randy had to coach the toughest five-game schedule of any college team to start the season. If anyone deserves to be fired, it's the person who came up with the schedule. Miami had to play four top-20 teams. Randy wasn't competing against Troy, Charleston Southern, and Eastern Kentucky like the Florida Gators were. Then players got banged up, and as a result, the University of Miami lost to mediocre teams down the stretch.
And Randy is immensely loyal to the U. He turned down millions of dollars to run other college teams' defenses. He has been a player, a graduate assistant, defensive coordinator, and now head coach. Jimmy Johnson turned the players loose. Butch Davis ran the program like a military camp. Randy is finding a balance.
If he goes into the season without a new contract, it will be the worst recruiting year. He cannot go into recruits' homes over the summer and tell parents he wants their sons when he doesn't even know whether he's going to be there next year.
President Donna Shalala needs to give him a nice contract with a lot of incentives. It's time to reward Randy for getting the program back on its feet.
Follow Luke on Twitter: @unclelukereal1.
