It is my suspicion Manny knew that sooner or later he would be shoved into the Herd's XYZ coach sucks barrel. He experienced this last season and most probably concluded his brand would be significantly diminished down-line if he even had one bad defensive game for the Canes.
I had hoped he would take a longer view believing over the next several years or so he would be the likely successor to Coach Richt. Also, I think that taking the Temple job is a significant risk to his head coaching future if he doesn't hit it out of the park. Having a cursory understanding of who surrounds and advises him my aforementioned concerns, amongst others, must have been considered. It appears his cost/benefit analysis came down to...get the **** out of Dodge while the gettin' is good!
You see this when a fan-base burns a football program to the ground in their quest to get a head coach fired. It has been proven time and again that the Herd becomes dispirited after a Canes win and inexplicably ecstatic after a loss. The number of posts immediately after the Canes beat Virginia Tech and then Pittsburgh (a get even game) were far lower than the posts following a Canes loss. Although, during the following days after those wins, the Herd attacks on Coach Richt intensified along with various facets of said games. The goal was to discredit those wins, thus discredit Coach Richt.
I have loved the Canes Football Program since the tender age of 8 years old, and as has been said by others in my station of life, I no longer buy green bananas. Yet, if I were a young, talented coach or for that matter a seasoned, successful coach not looking for a place to retire, based on the fact that the Canes Football Program has been hijacked by those not rational or knowledgeable enough to recognize the damage they have done, is currently doing and will almost certainly continue doing, I would not accept a job with the program under any circumstance. Miami Hurricanes football has become a place for football coaches futures to die.
Mark Richt will be the 5th head coach in a row (I count Butch Davis) that the Herd tore to shreds one time or another during their tenures with the Canes. Mark Richt will also be the 5th head coach to exit the program after learning that when you have a fan base who for 24 hours, 7 days a week publicly claim that every aspect of the Canes football program is pure garbage even while winning 10-straight games, winning the first ACC Coastal since joining the ACC and being picked to play in a major bowl. This little 'golden nugget of truth' will not be lost on other potential head coach hires (or defensive coordinators) knowing that in today's social media, which recruits heavily rely upon when deciding the school they are going to commit too, makes building an enduring, winning program an impossibility.
Now, this post will give the Herd members the joyous opportunity to post negative comments, insulting names, derogatory memes, online temper tantrums, downvotes, etc. directed at Coch Richt and yours truly. But, for those who stop to thoughtfully consider my words, I ask you to read those comments as they will bolster my case. Oh, before I forget, blaming Coach Richt for Manny's departure is convenient and follows the normal pattern around here, but is complete and utter nonsense!
As has been said; All things must come to an end, and in this case, it simply did not have to end this way.
