Hurricanes fans are caught up in the midst of Gruden-mania right now (AD Kirby Hocutt is reportedly set to meet with Jon Gruden today in Tampa), but the other side of the puzzle resulting from Miami's newly vacant head coaching position is where former coach Randy Shannon will land. Well, according to one source there's apparently some interest in Shannon at the University of Minnesota.
Yep, Shannon apparently has interest from a very different UM. Pioneer Press sports columnist Charley Walters drops the rumor in his column today:
A little birdie says Randy Shannon, fired by Miami (Fla.) on Saturday, has drawn interest from Minnesota for its football head coaching job.
Shannon, whose Miami teams were 28-22 during his four years in charge of the Hurricanes, finished 7-5 this season. Obviously, there would be no contract buyout.
Shannon, by the way, coached Cretin-Derham Hall grad Seantrel Henderson, who became a freshman offensive line starter this season.
One theory behind the firing of Tim Brewster after seven games this year was that it would allow the Gophers to get a head start on recruiting.
We're not sure how much credence to give to a report sourced to "a little birdie" (perhaps it was Sebastian the Ibis?), but this is the first major bit of gossip surrounding Shannon's future.
We all know he works well with college kids. He's a strong recruiter and keeps his players out of trouble and in the classroom, and that's something that will be attractive to a lot of schools. Especially those who don't realistically expect to compete on a national level. Though, a chance to hire a guy with major connections in the fertile recruiting grounds of South Florida is a tempting opportunity.
On the flip side he was a hell of a lot better as a defensive coordinator than a head coach. In fact, he was one of the best. Which made us think he could wind up with a DC job at a big program or perhaps even in the NFL.
Update: According to ESPN, Shannon is interested in the job:
The Minnesota job hunt has been going on for a while. Add former Miami coach Randy Shannon's name to the mix. I spoke with Shannon on Tuesday. He's interested. He said he would love to stay in college coaching because "you can make a difference in young people's lives."
