The University of Miami and Randy Shannon got their man: the newly-hired Mark Whipple, who is replacing Patrick Nix as the team’s offensive coordinator. Whipple comes to the Hurricanes with 27 years of collegiate and professional coaching experience.
“I am excited to work with Randy Shannon,” Whipple said. “I feel like we’re going to be a great team. Coach Shannon and I have been on the same page from day one. Our goal is to win a national championship.”
Whipple fits the mold for the type of people head coach Randy Shannon has made a point to make part of the Hurricane culture. He is a winner.
Whipple comes to the Hurricanes after having served as an offensive assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles this past season, where he helped them reach the NFC Championship game. Prior to his job with the Eagles, Whipple served as the quarterbacks coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he helped Ben Roethlisberger become the youngest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
“Mark has been successful in every phase of his career,” Shannon said. “He developed a Super Bowl quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, won a national championship as the head coach at UMass and created an effective and potent offense most recently for the playoff-bound Philadelphia Eagles. Aside from being innovative at his craft, Mark is a tremendous individual who will positively impact our student athletes on and off the field.”
Before his professional coaching career, Whipple coached in the college ranks for 16 seasons, putting together an overall record of 121-59.
Whipple’s collegiate career included head coaching stints at the University of Massachusetts, Brown and New Haven, posting a winning percentage of .600 or better at each university. His resume also boasts a Division I-AA National Championship with UMass and a National Coach of the Year award in 1998.
Everywhere Whipple has gone, he has constructed high-powered offenses, which have gone on to set countless school and team records. All that can be done now is to wait and see if Whipple can take Miami’s talented group of offensive players and turn them into title contenders.