Ah really? What planet were you on?
Plenty of people were arguing that.
I love Art and have defended him often, but by that time I don't remember anyone yelling for his retention. Art also coached under JJ and Dennis, was he bad then also or just got bad when he started turning Butch's recruits into NFL lineman? Just curious is one, two, no three HC's on their way to the top of the mountain, NFL HC jobs could be that bad a judge of coaching talent. We must have had horrible running game those years and our QB must have been beaten to death. I have gotten old but I just don't remember it that way. I was in OB for every game and attended almost every way game, even got beaten up by a nun in South Bend, and don't remember it that way. I attended every NC game, won or loss, except the first(sold that ticket to Cornhusker to get more money bet on Howard and the boys winning that one.), and I don't remember it that way.
I have no problem with Mark firing his old roommate. But Art has ALL FIVE NC rings and nobody else can say that. Maybe game passed him by. Maybe nobody could look good under Golden. Heck maybe all those NFL HCs didn't know their rears from an whole in the ground and you are right about Art just sucking. But the man deserves his respect for all he has been to THE U. A ring for every finger on one hand says it all. Not JJ, Dennis, Howard, Playmaker, Ray, Ed, or any other of our heroes can hold up a hand covered like that. This is THE U and those rings are what matters.
Under Erickson and Johnson he was basically a paid male cheerleader. He was like a quality control coach or similiarly useless assistant before such a thing became common.
The only good or even decent lines he coached were in 00-01. By 2002 look at what happened to his OL in the Fiesta Bowl.
Look at the position he was in when Golden rehired him. He could only get a volunteer job. There were 3 different guys he had connections to in 07 who got head coaching jobs. None hired him. Dennis Erickson didn't hire him at ASU. Butch didn't hire him at UNC. And Shannon (not to compliment his coaching skills) didn't hire him back at Miami. There's a reason for this.
Butch supposedly was planning on firing Art before he left for the NFL. Coker should have fired Kehoe after the Fiesta Bowl but unfortunately he let him stay on for 3 more years.
Let me understand your position here. A Hall of Fame NC, winner of NC and 2 Super Bowls, who's assistants went on to numerous NFL HC jobs, promotes Art to Oline coach from a leftover staff(Howard) that hated him, and keeps him for fives years. You, in your limitless intellect and football experience, have deemed that HC an idiot. Then the next HC, who wins NC is first year and follows with a 2nd before also leaving for NFL HC job and later wins major conference titles after returning to college also keeps him and adds TE coaching to his task, is also in your book a fool(Mind you that said hopeless assistant coach is packing 4 NC rings(one he won under probably our greatest coach). This coach also is a fool and YOU know better. Then along come the a coach with the greatest ability to evaluate talent in college football history, who actually coached said hopeless coach, and keeps him on again. Now that HC heads to NFL HC job, but you have special knowledge that he wanted to fire said hopeless assistant but for some did not. Next HC, who we all agree sucked, keeping Art is not much of a defense, but interestingly, this was the best oline in Miami history--but you deem coaching had nothing to do with that.
In short, you have declared every Miami HC from Howard on to be incompetent. Wait, I guess Randy can't be included since he had a different Oline coach, and a very good one at that. So by your shape analysis, Randy should be declared greatest coach in UM history. Perhaps you could share with us your experience that give you this sort of above and beyond insight. I happen to know Howard from both his Fins and Canes days and I sure he would love to hear how he started this disaster in coaching -- but I need a little support from your resume. Start with your playing years, skip HS please because we all played HS football, and then move on to college and maybe NFL experience. Then your coaching experience, you can include HS here if you were paid and not a volunteer.
For me, Art's sin was he got old. Oline play this time around was not good and that must fall on him. The fact that he was not working at some nice college job is some evidence that I might have rose colored glasses about him. But, looking for a job when you are over 40 and unemployed is not so easy these days. I was a executive and time between jobs last job and current was measured in years not months. Heck, my daughter had to get me in. Was that a reflection on my skill? Most would say yes. But with 18 months, I was working M&A at one of the 15 largest companies in the world and still at it 8 years later while many others have been cut. Art has all five rings and in Miami HOF. What you got? I'll take a shot and bet he would not change lives with you even if you are a young stud with $$$$.
