Steve Kim: Shannon's Culture Club

Published Aug 27, 2007

Shannon's Culture Club

It seems that new Miami Hurricanes head coach Randy Shannon doesn't subscribe to the Bill of Rights. After last year’s incident involving Brandon Meriweather and the homicide of Bryan Pata, the CEO of the Canes ordered everyone within the program to turn in their weaponry.

“The right of the people to keep and bear arms” would be adhered to in the democracy that is the United
States, but Shannon's rule is a dictatorship. It's his way, or no way. Anyone caught with a firearm would be
summarily dismissed from the program.

Any player with whose GPA slips just one iota below 2.5 - even fifth year seniors on track to graduate - will be forced to live back on campus. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

Months ago over 30 players were called in to meet with Shannon . It seems as though that they were tardy in turning in various materials and properties belonging to the university. They were all informed that they would be paying a late fee in the form of gassers on Greentree. As time has gone on, the list of such deadbeats has dwindled to a precious few.

Weigh-ins are now as stringent as anything you'll see administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for championship fights. Don't meet your prescribed weight, and you'll be standing next to Coach Shannon during games. Yeah, it's clear: after Barney Fife, there is a new sheriff in town.

Imagine that - discipline, structure, regulations and accountability. It has all returned to the University of Miami football program. In the midst of all the pablum that was spewed last year about 'The U' not being able to compete in the 21st century arms race that is now college football, it's clear that this is a different - and improved - program. But not one new coat of paint has been brushed on, not a single shovel has hit the dirt and Miami's facilities won’t ever be confused with those of Oregon, which were funded by Nike head man, Phil Knight.

What has changed, though, is the culture within the program. Miami's downfall the past few years was never about players’ lounges, outdated weight rooms or not having an indoor practice facility. What it was really about was the loss of responsibility and an excuse-making attitude that riddled this once-great program.

Bemoaning a 9-3 record was looked upon as having expectations that were 'out of kilter' just a few seasons ago. Shannon, picking up the pieces of the mess left by Larry Coker, said he would, ironically, shoot himself, if this year’s squad had a similar mark (8-4).

The bar that has been chronically lowered is now being raised. This year’s team has some glaring holes at
quarterback, wide receiver, defensive tackle and linebacker. You can probably pencil in this years edition of the Canes to lose a game or three. The difference, however, will be that it will be looked upon as unacceptable, regardless of the circumstances.

But you just can't judge progress by the win-loss record, and make no doubt, eventually that's what Shannon and every coach is judged on. Remember the 'We’re 53-9!!!' mantra that was incessantly thrown around last summer coming into the season? Sometimes you just have to look a bit deeper than a team’s record. There's a bigger picture here with the UM football team. In it are things that won’t necessarily be measured by the results of the games, at least for 2007.

The mindset and work ethic being implemented this year can and will lead to better results once the overall talent level is replenished. All indications are that that is happening. It seems that future recruits and their parents are buying in. Those currently in the program are, too - or if they’re not, they’re being jettisoned.

So what does turning in your school books on time have to do with winning football games?

Well, more than you think.

Last year Miami finished with a mark of 7-6. Of those six losses, five of them came by ten or less points. A Miami team that would have three first round picks and standouts like Calais Campbell and Kenny Phillips, playing in an ACC won by an overachieving Wake Forest squad. But in those close losses, a procedure penalty here, a wide receiver cutting off a route a yard or two early, and it's the difference between making a key first down or punting away. The difference between settling for a field goal instead of scoring a touchdown. The difference between winning a close game and losing one.

It's the little things. They may seem small, but they add up over the course of time. And it's Shannon's ideal that what you condition your players to do off the field can then be translated onto the gridiron.

It's a whole new culture.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

- Don't get this twisted, what I wrote above should not be taken as any sort of Mulligan or free pass. I, like all Miami fans, while realistic, am still expecting to see progress and improvement over the course of the year.

But I just really like what I'm hearing out of Coral Gables . If Shannon can translate what he's done from
January to August, to the fall and winter months, we got ourselves one helluva coach.

- Did anyone read the excellent article from Dave Hyde this past weekend on Coach Shannon? Just an excellent piece of journalism and perhaps the most comprehensive and revealing look at the often- mysterious man from the hard streets of Miami .

What really opened my eyes was his reasoning for his gun ban. As an African-American male, who's been effected by that type of violence, and knowing what he knows of current society and how an inordinate amount of young black males are the victims of such brutal crimes committed by those with weapons, he felt he owed it to himself, his players and the community to make a stand.

And it's clearly evident that he fully realizes that, to many of his players, he is the dominant male figure in their lives, as a good number of them come from single-parent households. Shannon seems to be embracing that responsibility.

Here's a guy who's teaching life lessons, in addition to football.

- Hey, no matter whom the Miami fan-base thinks should be the starting quarterback, can we at least give that young man - whether it's Kirby Freeman or Kyle Wright - our full support? The last thing we need is a smattering of boos after an early series of three-and-outs offensively in the first quarter.

- Here's a team I like this year - Oklahoma State . I think quarterback Bobby Reid will really emerge this year and he's got a host of offensive weapons to play with, including All-American wideout Adarious Bowman, tight end Brandon Pettigrew and running back Dantrell Savage.

Coach Mike Gundy has done a nice job of procuring talent in Stillwater .

- I took some heat last season for saying I'd take Cal's DeSean Jackson over Ohio St. speedster Ted Ginn.
I think this year that Jackson will reaffirm my opinion. He's a more complete receiver and every bit the explosive kick returner.

- Did Jim Grobe do a great job of coaching last season or what at Wake Forest ? Not only did the Deacs lose their best offensive player, runningback Micah Andrews, for much of the year, but Riley Skinner was pressed into duty at quarterback as an untested redshirt freshman and their best defensive player, Matt Robinson, was out all of last season.

And yet, WITHOUT three first round draft choices, they won the ACC, somehow. I think they go bowling again in 2007.

Steve Kim is a frequent contributor on CanesOverHere.com and runs his own website, Maxboxing.com. He can be reached at k9kim@yahoo.com

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