Personally, we thought Miami’s decision to hire Al Golden as their next head coach was an inspired one. After all, the man won 17 games the past two seasons at Temple of all places. Temple, people, a school that hadn’t won 17 games in any three-year stretch since 1979-1981.
Based on the amount of negative email we’ve received following the hire, however, the hiring went over like flatulence in church amongst a vast majority of Hurricanes fans.
We don’t know if it will assuage any of the anguish and angst they’re feeling right now, but there were a few very respected and very prominent football people who went to bat for Golden during the search process. Former Miami head coaching great Jimmy Johnson told the Miami Herald that he spoke to athletic director Kirby Hocutt and gave him Golden’s name. Additionally, Johnson said that NFL coaching legend Bill Parcells recommended him as well.
“Howie Long said [his son] Chris played for him at Virginia, and both of them think he’s great,’' Johnson said. “Classy, smart, an outstanding recruiter. The job he did at Temple was unbelievable. I’m excited, plus he has experience as a head coach in a difficult situation to get this thing back where it belongs.”
Hocutt also reached out to former Miami AD Sam Jankovich, the man responsible for hiring both Johnson and Dennis Erickson. Jankovich applauded Hocutt for resisting the pressures placed on him by some trustees of the school to hire Marc Trestman and instead going with the candidate he felt was the best fit for the football program.
“Trustees can put all kinds of pressure on you, and I felt there were some trustees who would push Trestman,’' said Jankovich. “But the wise person does the research and goes with his choice, and Kirby did that. He made an excellent choice. Golden is very well respected, well qualified, will recruit hard. This might compare to hiring Jimmy. He’s a little more outgoing than Jimmy, but the same attitude.”
And, for what it’s worth, ex-USF head coach Jim Leavitt also recommended Golden to Hocutt.
It remains to be seen whether or not Golden is the right man for the job, but may I be so bold as to suggest giving him a year or two before declaring it an abysmal hire?