After four tumultuous years the University of Miami fired football head coach Randy Shannon Saturday night.
The decision was made hours after Miami’s embarrassing 23-20 overtime home loss to the University of South Florida Saturday afternoon.
“We have made a decision to seek new leadership for our football program,” Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt said. “Our expectations are to compete for championships and return to the top of the college football world. We will immediately begin a national search.”
Shannon was 28-22 in four years running the helm at UM. He was 16-16 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Shannon
had a 4-9 mark verses ranked opponents and was 0-2 in bowl games. Miami never once won the Coastal Division in the ACC and experienced some of its worse losses in program history under his watch.
UM lost 48-0 to Virginia in the final game at the historic Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes also lost by 28 to in state rival Florida State at home earlier this year. The icing on the cake was when the orange and green lost to lowly USF at home after a walk-on freshman quarterback engineered a comeback.
Shannon improved in each of his first three seasons winning five, seven and nine games respectively but this year the team regressed falling to 0-3 verse ranked teams while struggling with Duke and shockingly losing to Virginia and South Florida.
Shannon was a four year letter winner for UM and was the starting linebacker on Miami’s 1987 National Championship team.
During his reign, Miami improved its Graduation Rates and Academic Progress Reports and only had one off field arrest, but inconsistencies on the gridiron plagued him.
ESPN has reported that offensive coordinator Mark Whipple has been fired as well and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland will be the interim head coach.
Hocutt will address the media at a news conference at the Hecht Athletic Center Sunday at 1 p.m.
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Justin Antweil may be contacted at jantweil@themiamihurricane.com.