http://www.tampabay.com/sports/coll...mi-coaching-saga-as-a-cautionary-tale/2251469
There are similarities between USF's and Miami's programs. Because those similarities can also be seen as difficulties, USF would be prudent to not rush to judgment the way Miami did with Golden.
Interest in the program is down significantly, with home games full of empty seats. Former Miami players such as Warren Sapp and Clinton Portis started complaining, and fans started grumbling, and someone hired an anti-Golden banner to fly over the stadium. Golden wasn't going to wriggle out of trouble. And yeah, losing 58-0 to Clemson on Saturday didn't help.
Instead of whining about the state of the program, why didn't some of these former players put their money where their mouths are and help pay for salaries and facilities that are on par with, oh, Clemson and FSU?
Nope, it's easier to pound fists and shake heads and get rid of the last guy so you can hire a new guy even if you have no idea whom that new guy might be.
Most Miami supporters did not care that Golden was hamstrung from the start by a booster scandal that happened before he arrived. The NCAA crawled through its investigation, leaving Golden in limbo for three years. The school imposed a self-ban on bowls. Scholarships were limited. Recruiting became difficult.
Yet, by all accounts, Golden ran a clean program with players who went to class and stayed out of trouble.
Not that most Miami people cared. Miami is no different from every other program. Fans would gladly trade a few arrests and an NCAA slap on the wrist now and then for a spot in the college football playoffs.
But there's more. Miami is not an easy place to coach. Salaries for a coach and his staff are not on par with big-time programs — the programs Miami is supposed to be beating. The team plays in Sun Life Stadium, a sterile NFL stadium with little atmosphere that is more than a half-hour from campus, making it difficult for students to attend.
Home stadiums are supposed to be a hostile advantage, like Florida's Swamp, LSU's Death Valley and Ohio State's Horseshoe. They are not supposed to feel like a day at the museum.
Besides, firing Taggart would just put USF in that never-ending cycle of hiring and firing coaches every few years, like Miami. Miami's next permanent head coach will the school's fifth since 2000. It will be the Hurricanes' third in seven years.
There are similarities between USF's and Miami's programs. Because those similarities can also be seen as difficulties, USF would be prudent to not rush to judgment the way Miami did with Golden.
Interest in the program is down significantly, with home games full of empty seats. Former Miami players such as Warren Sapp and Clinton Portis started complaining, and fans started grumbling, and someone hired an anti-Golden banner to fly over the stadium. Golden wasn't going to wriggle out of trouble. And yeah, losing 58-0 to Clemson on Saturday didn't help.
Instead of whining about the state of the program, why didn't some of these former players put their money where their mouths are and help pay for salaries and facilities that are on par with, oh, Clemson and FSU?
Nope, it's easier to pound fists and shake heads and get rid of the last guy so you can hire a new guy even if you have no idea whom that new guy might be.
Most Miami supporters did not care that Golden was hamstrung from the start by a booster scandal that happened before he arrived. The NCAA crawled through its investigation, leaving Golden in limbo for three years. The school imposed a self-ban on bowls. Scholarships were limited. Recruiting became difficult.
Yet, by all accounts, Golden ran a clean program with players who went to class and stayed out of trouble.
Not that most Miami people cared. Miami is no different from every other program. Fans would gladly trade a few arrests and an NCAA slap on the wrist now and then for a spot in the college football playoffs.
But there's more. Miami is not an easy place to coach. Salaries for a coach and his staff are not on par with big-time programs — the programs Miami is supposed to be beating. The team plays in Sun Life Stadium, a sterile NFL stadium with little atmosphere that is more than a half-hour from campus, making it difficult for students to attend.
Home stadiums are supposed to be a hostile advantage, like Florida's Swamp, LSU's Death Valley and Ohio State's Horseshoe. They are not supposed to feel like a day at the museum.
Besides, firing Taggart would just put USF in that never-ending cycle of hiring and firing coaches every few years, like Miami. Miami's next permanent head coach will the school's fifth since 2000. It will be the Hurricanes' third in seven years.
