Miami's decision to jettison Randy Shannon set off an interesting set of reactions throughout the country.
There was one quarter who believed the Hurricanes' administration was acting hypocritically for firing a coach who had accomplished one of his primary missions --- cleaning up the program and restoring respectability.
There were about three quarters who dismissed a 28-22 record (including 0-3 in bowl games) and a two-game step back from a season ago as not nearly good enough for The U.
While the real answer is somewhere in the middle --- I'm not sure anyone ever got the sense they were watching a master tactician at work during Miami games the last four seasons, but no one would accuse Miami of investing as heavily in its program as other schools that attempt to claim elite status.
So Shannon's gone. In an attempt to look at this from the highest possible standard (not saying it's the right standard), let's assume national championships are the only thing that matters for the Hurricanes.
Now let's look at every coach who won a share of the national title (AP or coaches poll or BCS) for the first time at his respective school since 1985:
| Year |
Coach/School | Season | 1st Top 10 |
Season |
| 1987 | Jimmy Johnson, Miami |
4th | 1985 | 2nd |
| 1988 | Lou Holtz, Notre Dame |
3rd | 1988 | 3rd |
| 1989 | Dennis Erickson, Miami |
1st | 1989 | 1st |
| 1990 | Bill McCartney, Colorado |
9th | 1989 | 8th |
| 1990 | Bobby Ross, Georgia Tech |
4th | 1990 | 4th |
| 1991 | Don James, Washington |
17th | 1981 | 7th |
| 1992 | Gene Stallings, Alabama |
3rd | 1991 | 2nd |
| 1993 | Bobby Bowden, Florida St. |
18th | 1979 | 4th |
| 1994 | Tom Osborne, Nebraska |
22nd | 1973 | 1st |
| 1996 | Steve Spurrier, Florida |
7th | 1991 | 2nd |
| 1997 | Lloyd Carr, Michigan |
3rd | 1997 | 3rd |
| 1998 | Phil Fulmer, Tennessee |
6th (full) |
1995 | 3rd |
| 2000 | Bob Stoops, Oklahoma |
2nd | 2000 | 2nd |
| 2001 | Larry Coker, The U |
1st | 2001 | 1st |
| 2002 | Jim Tressel, Ohio State |
2nd | 2002 | 2nd |
| 2003 | Nick Saban, LSU |
4th | 2001 | 2nd |
| 2003 | Pete Carroll, USC |
3rd | 2002 | 2nd |
| 2005 | Mack Brown, Texas |
8th | 2000 | 3rd |
| 2006 | Urban Meyer, Florida |
2nd | 2006 | 2nd |
| 2007 | Les Miles, LSU |
3rd | 2005 | 1st |
| 2009 | Nick Saban, Alabama |
3rd | 2008 | 2nd |
OK, so no coach in the last 18 years has collected his first national title without cracking the top 10 within his first four years on the job. Every first-time national championship coach since 1994 finished in the top 10 within his first three years.
Oh, and eight of the last nine first-time winners collected their titles within their first four seasons.
In four years, Shannon peaked at No. 19 in 2009.
Shannon banned his players from Twitter and didn't let reporters talk to his quarterbacks for much of this season, the sort of autocratic ploys some successful coaches have used over the years. But there wasn't nearly as much bite on the field --- and if history is any guide, chances were it probably wasn't going to happen at any stage.
This is not to say national title-or-bust is the best standard to use. But if that's what Miami supporters want to utilize, they're correct in arguing a restoration to national title glory almost certainly wasn't happening under the just-deposed regime.
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