(That’s Giovani Bernard’s hand. I think.)

Jones on the incident:

“I got punched in the groin by one of the Miami players… They were playing dirty… it definitely wasn’t an accident.”

Video from the ACC Network / ESPN3.com telecast of the game verifies the claim by Jones, with the UNC receiver seen getting punched in the groin by Miami defensive lineman Micanor Regis while Jones was stuck at the bottom of a pile of Hurricane defenders early in the third quarter.

Then there’s the other egregious cheap shot Regis delivered on a UNC player earlier in the game. (more…)

Share This

Share This

According to Mizzou athletic and administration sources, Haith met today with school Athletic Director Mike Alden in Houston. Following the meeting, negotiations commenced between the two parties for the Missouri basketball coaching job.

COLUMBIA (MO) DAILY TRIBUNE Sports Editor Joe Walljasper subsequently confirmed the news on Twitter: (more…)

Share This

(Audio below - Credit 790 The Ticket in Miami)

Sapp, who has a relationship with Jon Gruden dating back to the NFL, revealed some new information during Thursday’s radio show about the possible circumstances surrounding the departure of Univ. of Miami football coach Randy Shannon.

Information that, to say the least, paints Gruden in an extremely negative light.

Excerpt from the interview: (more…)

Share This

(New MSU billboard at Louisiana/Mississippi border via I-55)

Jackson:

A high-level trustee fully aware of how the search was done said, “We were not going to get a star, and it wasn’t a money thing. Why would [marquee coaches] leave any of their great programs” to take another college job? “Florida didn’t get one either. We hired the best person that wasn’t in the top 20.”

UM thought Nebraska’s Bo Pelini had some interest, but he changed his mind. And UM was turned off by Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen’s big ego, with one trustee saying he acts like he invented the game.

Exhale Alabama fans, UM won’t be coming after your coach anytime soon.

While I think Golden was a reasonable hire by Miami, to think that UM would be “turned off” by a coach’s ego when its trying to resurrect a program from the dead tells you all you need to know about the people in charge in Coral Gables.

In other words, if I’m Golden, I’m renting.

And to justify the UM hire by claiming that Florida also didn’t land a”marquee” name is, well, embarrassing.

The reason UF AD Jeremy Foley hired Will Muschamp isn’t because Florida had no shot at bigger names. Muschamp got the gig because Foley clearly didn’t want a marquee coach.

Foley’s method in his last three hires has been to tab relative unknowns so he has more control over the coach and if things pan out, more personal credit for elevating the program.

That worked with Urban Meyer and failed with Ron Zook.

The only thing we know about Muschamp at this moment is that if he does well, Foley will once again be lauded as a master administrator. (That isn’t to say I agree with Foley’s approach.)

The Florida job is light years better than the Miami job, which you could make a case isn’t much different than where Al Golden just came from - save the rich recruiting territory and now-faded program prestige.

Meanwhile, wondering how Mississippi State feels about Dan Mullen right about now?

I’ve been told the school has plans for seven more billboards like the one above across the state. This one just went up two days ago.

So what about Ole Miss?

Best I can tell, the extent of its marketing efforts involves athletic director Pete Boone Tweeting about Yoko Ono.

Follow Brooks on Twitter for real-time updates.

Share This

(Credit: Bruce Feldman)

The note from Trump reads:

You made a big mistake when you did not take my advice and hire Mike Leach of Texas Tech … and you can now get him for the right price

Before Miami hired now-fired Randy Shannon in 2007, Trump sent a letter of recommendation on Leach’s behalf to Shalala.

The PALM BEACH POST reported on it at the time:

“In a letter sent this week to UM President Donna Shalala, Trump refers to Texas Tech’s upset victory of No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday and reminds Shalala that he strongly recommended that (Mike) Leach be given the Hurricanes’ job.”

Trump wrote in the letter, “You are my friend, but you should have listened to me. If you did, your team would be fighting for the National Championship.”

Shalala’s response: “I got the letter and I laughed.”

Leach was eventually granted an interview for the job at that time but was passed over. Shalala, along with Miami Athletic Director Paul Dee instead went with Shannon. Current school AD Kirby Hocutt is heading up the search for a coach this time around, with input from Shalala.

The PALM BEACH POST reported today that Leach, who was fired by Texas Tech in 2009, is once again interested in the job.

“It’s a great job and I think it would be a great fit,” Leach said. “We’d have an exciting brand of football. We’ll fill the seats and we’ll win games and we’ll win ACC championships.”

In the past 24 hours, it has been widely reported that Jon Gruden has met with Hocutt about taking the job.

A talent agency source with knowledge of the Miami search and Gruden’s situation told me today that Gruden will likely not take the Miami job, though his next job will be as a college - not NFL - coach. (more…)

Share This

The Miami athletic director said he and Chuck Neinas, a consultant the school hired to help conduct the search, have not compiled a list of interviewees yet.

Some names though have been bandied about as possible candidates, including Jim Leavitt, Tommy Tuberville and Mike Leach. Some NFL coaches are also in the mix.

Here’s another ASSOCIATED PRESS report on the vacant University of Miami football coaching position:

The Miami Athletic Director moved swiftly, already enlisting the help of Chuck Neinas — a consultant who specializes in finding the coaches for schools — and giving him an initial list of candidates. The school would not divulge who the initial targets are, and stressed that it will take as much time as it needs to make the right hire.

Speculation has centered on Mike Leach, Tommy Tuberville and former NFL Coach Jon Gruden — each of whom would be a splashy get.

Amazingly similar stories, considering they were written four years apart nearly to the day.

The first story was published Nov, 30, 2006. The second, Nov. 29, 2010.

In 2006, it was the same coach headhunter Neinas who eventually recommended Miami hire Randy Shannon.

On Nov. 30, 2006, the same day as the first story, the SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL reported of the Miami Athletic Director Paul Dee’s coaching search:

Dee said he’s been in contact with agents, and talks to consultant Chuck Neinas — who UM hired to expedite the process — two or three times a day.

Dec. 7, 2006, the Sun-Sentinel broke the news of the Shannon hire with:

Shannon was among a short list of candidates Athletic Director Paul Dee and a selection committee (including consultant Chuck Neinas) interviewed this week at the College Football Hall of Fame ceremonies. 

Four years later, Neinas is once again heading the Miami football coach search. But only after the Univ. of Miami forks over around $50,000 for his services.

Why go back to Neinas? Perhaps this snippet from a SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL profile of current Miami Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt provides a clue:

Hocutt took those lessons with him, learning at the feet of some of the giants in college administration. There was Chuck Neinas at the College Football Association and later Joe Castiglione at Oklahoma.

Neinas hired Hocutt for his first job out of college in 1995.

Hocutt is far from alone though in his questionable call of hiring the same search firm that recommended the coaching candidate the same school most recently fired. (Now that’s a business model.)

Neinas, who is based in Boulder, was working on Colorado’s behalf when he recommended the school hire Gary Barnett, who was later fired. CU went back to Neinas for Barnett’s replacement, who then placed Dan Hawkins in the job.

With Hawkins’ recent, unceremonious ouster, one guess who is leading the search for the next Buffaloes coach?

I’m sure you’ll be shocked to know that Neinas also placed current Colorado AD Mike Bohn at CU.  (Bohn is, not surprisingly, on the ropes now himself.)

Here’s an abbreviated list of some of Neinas’ greatest hits over the years.

Colorado (1999) - Gary Barnett
Texas A&M (2002) - Dennis Franchione
Baylor Football (2002) - Guy Morriss
Notre Dame (2002) - George O’Leary (whoops!)
Notre Dame (2002) - Tyrone Willingham
Colorado Football (2005) - Dan Hawkins
San Diego State (2005) - Chuck Long
Kansas State (2005) - Ron Prince
Washington (2006)  - Tyrone Willingham
Miami (2006) - Randy Shannon

Okay, Neinas has also made some good hires along the way, like Urban Meyer at Florida.

So maybe this time he’ll get it right at Miami.

And Colorado. And Indiana. And Minnesota. And North Tex… okay I’ll stop.

Share This

Hurricanes beat writer Manny Navarro of the MIAMI HERALD Tweeted Sunday evening, “Hearing Jon Gruden has agreed to $3.4 mil deal to become #UM’s next coach. Trying hard to confirm it officially.”

Earlier Sunday Steve Gorten of the SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL had reported, “According to a UM source, former NFL coach Jon Gruden initiated contact with the university to express his desire for the job and that the interest is mutual.”

Gruden agreeing to coach the Hurricanes would be a shocker, but if you believe Peter King, there’s virtually no chance it will happen.

King Tweeted Sunday night:

I’m hearing the Gruden-to-Miami rumors are fraudulent. But will keep you informed if I hear differently. Jon Gruden is not going to the University of Miami. Period.

To that end, the man who first broke Randy Shannon’s firing late Saturday, ASSOCIATED PRESS reporter Tim Reynolds, Tweeted Sunday:

Doesn’t sound like Miami expects an imminent signing: Jeff Stoutland to meet with reporters Tuesday morning.

But after his Tweet, Reynolds reported:

A person with knowledge of Miami’s search told The Associated Press on Sunday night that Jon Gruden received “parameters” of an offer from the Hurricanes. Gruden, the former Tampa Bay coach who now an ESPN analyst, is atop Miami’s wish list, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because university officials did not authorize the release of search details.

Sources familiar with the UM coaching search told me Saturday night that the school had contracted the coach placement firm run by Chuck Neinas to assist with the hire. Neinas charges a standard fee of $50,000 for his services, and with Miami Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt now on the record about having hired Neinas, the insta-hire of Gruden would be hard to believe.

So why then has Gruden’s name exploded in its association with the Miami job? (more…)

Share This

(Canes AD, OU Coach were K-State teammates)

After firing Shannon, Hocutt said in a statement, “Our expectations are to compete for championships and return to the top of the college football world. We will immediately begin a national search”

The PALM BEACH POST reports, “offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland has been told he will be named interim coach,” while UM Offensive Coordinator Mark Whipple has also been fired.

The Post reports candidates for the job may include former Univ. of Miami quarterback and current Georgia coach Mark Richt and perhaps current Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville, who served as a UM assistant under Dennis Erickson.

Former Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach actively pursued the Miami job in 2006 when Shannon was hired by University of Miami President Donna Shalala and then-athletic director Paul Dee. (more…)

Share This

Harris told the Herald and other South Florida media outlets Sunday that after Miami lost at Ohio State a week ago, he was “hurt” and “disheartened” by a Tweet directed to his Twitter account that claimed Hurricane fans “don’t want a black quarterback” at UM.

Harris:

“I guess that was the one I picked to read and it was just the wrong one.’ I told myself right after the game, I was like, `Don’t look at it.’ But you see some things and you get kind of hurt because sometimes it’s your fans that say the things and they’ll be the ones that probably just before the game wrote you some encouraging message, and then after the game say that they don’t want a black quarterback here. Stuff like that, so it’s cool.”

Today WFTL-AM sports radio host Andy Slater reported that he had found the account of the person who directed the aforementioned racist message at Harris on Sept. 11. (more…)

Share This