Shannon's a great hire; now give him a fair shot

When you consider the numbers – 47 percent of Division IA football players are African-American, but only six head coaches – Miami should be praised for hiring Randy Shannon. But make no mistake about it; this was not a victory in minority hiring.

The majority just didn’t want the job.

So after a nationwide search that turned into a nationwide joke, the school promoted from within, appointing Shannon to help rebuild a tarnished program. Unfortunately, he’s got a lot going against him, namely the character issues and time. I just hope that a few years from now, he doesn’t end up the scapegoat as opposed to the hero.

Had Miami brought in Steve Spurrier or Greg Schiano, the new coach wouldn’t have to deal with being a partial reason for the Hurricanes image problem. Shannon is. As a defensive coordinator, he helped recruit guys like Brandon Meriweather and Willie Cooper.

There’s strike one.

In terms of ability, the Hurricanes always have one of the best defenses in the country. It’s the offense, which averaged less than 20 points and amassed 314 total yards per game, that has struggled of late. Shannon’s ability to bring about changes is going to be scrutinized from day one – and rightfully so.

Strike two.

Time is not on his side and sadly, being African-American will give him even less margin for error. Remember Tyrone Willingham, the last black head coach to get a big time job?

It’s deplorable, but if history tells us anything, Shannon has about three years to win a National Title or strike out trying.

A Brown Boys Struggle – Miami Hurricanes Sun-Sentinel blog. (Omar Kelly is a phenomenal writer.)