6 Reasons Miami (FL) Should Get the Band Back Together and Hire Butch Davis
October 26th, 2015| by Jim Weber
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Now that Al Golden is officially out at the University of Miami, the rumor mill for who will replace him in Coral Gables has hit warp speed.
So let me cut straight to the chase and list six reasons why my list for Miami’s next head coach begins and ends with Butch Davis, who has done everything but fly a banner over Sun Life Stadium begging for the job.
1. Chip Kelly, Jon Gruden and Chuck Pagano are pipe dreams
Stop it. Just stop it.
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Miami is a small, private school without a national fan base or even its own football stadium that simply can’t afford coaches like these despite the program’s history and fertile recruiting ground.
That’s why the list of realistic candidates for the position are guys like Rob Chudzinski, Mario Cristobal, Greg Schiano, Mark Stoops and maybe Houston’s Tom Herman or Memphis’ Justin Fuente (while Matt Rhule has done a great job, there’s no way in **** Miami would hire Temple’s head coach a second-straight time).
While I think some of those coaches could turn Miami’s program around, I think Butch Davis is clearly the best candidate for the job given that…
2. He’s taken “The U” from rags to riches before
People forget the mess Davis inherited in Coral Gables the first time around in 1995. The program was coming off the turbulent Dennis Erickson Era, was banned from the postseason in ’95 and lost 31 scholarship over several years. Davis endured and by 2000, had a dominant team that went 11-1, won the Sugar Bowl and included the likes of Ken Dorsey, Santana Moss, D.J. Williams and Ed Reed — to name a few.
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3. Davis recruiting is like fishing with dynamite
Whether Davis was at Miami or North Carolina, the man knows how to recruit. At UNC, he reeled in future NFL players like Hakeem Nicks, Marvin Austin, Robert Quinn and T.J. Yates. As for “The U,” the 2001 team Davis left to Larry Coker after he bolted for the NFL is only the most talented team in college football history:
Davis recruiting back in South Florida would just be unfair.
4. At 63 years old, he’s same age as Nick Saban
The biggest reason why people say Miami shouldn’t hire Davis again is his age. But Davis isn’t actually that old. Davis just feels older than he actually is because he’s been around so long. At 63, Davis is the same age as Nick Saban, who is still doing a pretty decent job at Alabama. What Miami should do is hire Davis and then bring in some of the other candidates like Cristobal and/or Chudzinski and groom them to become Davis’ successor when he does decide to retire.
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5. He was never implicated in North Carolina scandal
No, the North Carolina grades scandal that cost Davis his job with the Tar Heels was not a good look. But Davis was never personally implicated by the NCAA in the scandal and it’s easy to agree with Davis’ assertion that he was “scapegoated” when you consider that he was fired by the school while men’s basketball coach Roy Williams — who is royalty in Chapel Hill — has been unscathed by it.
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6. He’s family at “The U” and beloved by fans and former players
As a program outsider, Al Golden never had the support of former Miami players and fans upon his arrival. That’s a huge impediment to succeeding at any college football job. Not only is Davis a “Miami guy” through and through — he was also there as an assistant in the 1980s under Jimmy Johnson — he’s close with many of the program’s legends such as Dorsey, Moss, Reed and others, and is still beloved by fans of “The U.”
Just imagine Davis bringing some of those players back as position coaches (Ed Reed for defensive backs coach? Yes, please!)
6 Reasons Miami (FL) Should Get the Band Back Together and Hire Butch Davis - Lost Lettermen
One of Miami’s biggest selling points to recruits is the pipeline the university can be to the NFL. Unlike Golden, Davis can build a community of former players as the first step to making Miami “The U” once again.
No one knows if Davis can turn Miami into a dynasty anything close to the program that went 46-4 from 2000-2003. Maybe the whole thing will be a bust and serve as further proof you indeed can’t go home again.
But given his success the first time, it’s sure as **** worth finding out.
View image | gettyimages.com
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October 26th, 2015| by Jim Weber
View image | gettyimages.com
Now that Al Golden is officially out at the University of Miami, the rumor mill for who will replace him in Coral Gables has hit warp speed.
So let me cut straight to the chase and list six reasons why my list for Miami’s next head coach begins and ends with Butch Davis, who has done everything but fly a banner over Sun Life Stadium begging for the job.
1. Chip Kelly, Jon Gruden and Chuck Pagano are pipe dreams
Stop it. Just stop it.
View image | gettyimages.com
Miami is a small, private school without a national fan base or even its own football stadium that simply can’t afford coaches like these despite the program’s history and fertile recruiting ground.
That’s why the list of realistic candidates for the position are guys like Rob Chudzinski, Mario Cristobal, Greg Schiano, Mark Stoops and maybe Houston’s Tom Herman or Memphis’ Justin Fuente (while Matt Rhule has done a great job, there’s no way in **** Miami would hire Temple’s head coach a second-straight time).
While I think some of those coaches could turn Miami’s program around, I think Butch Davis is clearly the best candidate for the job given that…
2. He’s taken “The U” from rags to riches before
People forget the mess Davis inherited in Coral Gables the first time around in 1995. The program was coming off the turbulent Dennis Erickson Era, was banned from the postseason in ’95 and lost 31 scholarship over several years. Davis endured and by 2000, had a dominant team that went 11-1, won the Sugar Bowl and included the likes of Ken Dorsey, Santana Moss, D.J. Williams and Ed Reed — to name a few.
View image | gettyimages.com
3. Davis recruiting is like fishing with dynamite
Whether Davis was at Miami or North Carolina, the man knows how to recruit. At UNC, he reeled in future NFL players like Hakeem Nicks, Marvin Austin, Robert Quinn and T.J. Yates. As for “The U,” the 2001 team Davis left to Larry Coker after he bolted for the NFL is only the most talented team in college football history:
Davis recruiting back in South Florida would just be unfair.
4. At 63 years old, he’s same age as Nick Saban
The biggest reason why people say Miami shouldn’t hire Davis again is his age. But Davis isn’t actually that old. Davis just feels older than he actually is because he’s been around so long. At 63, Davis is the same age as Nick Saban, who is still doing a pretty decent job at Alabama. What Miami should do is hire Davis and then bring in some of the other candidates like Cristobal and/or Chudzinski and groom them to become Davis’ successor when he does decide to retire.
View image | gettyimages.com
5. He was never implicated in North Carolina scandal
No, the North Carolina grades scandal that cost Davis his job with the Tar Heels was not a good look. But Davis was never personally implicated by the NCAA in the scandal and it’s easy to agree with Davis’ assertion that he was “scapegoated” when you consider that he was fired by the school while men’s basketball coach Roy Williams — who is royalty in Chapel Hill — has been unscathed by it.
View image | gettyimages.com
6. He’s family at “The U” and beloved by fans and former players
As a program outsider, Al Golden never had the support of former Miami players and fans upon his arrival. That’s a huge impediment to succeeding at any college football job. Not only is Davis a “Miami guy” through and through — he was also there as an assistant in the 1980s under Jimmy Johnson — he’s close with many of the program’s legends such as Dorsey, Moss, Reed and others, and is still beloved by fans of “The U.”
Just imagine Davis bringing some of those players back as position coaches (Ed Reed for defensive backs coach? Yes, please!)
6 Reasons Miami (FL) Should Get the Band Back Together and Hire Butch Davis - Lost Lettermen
One of Miami’s biggest selling points to recruits is the pipeline the university can be to the NFL. Unlike Golden, Davis can build a community of former players as the first step to making Miami “The U” once again.
No one knows if Davis can turn Miami into a dynasty anything close to the program that went 46-4 from 2000-2003. Maybe the whole thing will be a bust and serve as further proof you indeed can’t go home again.
But given his success the first time, it’s sure as **** worth finding out.
View image | gettyimages.com
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