Golden hasn't lost me. He also NEVER had me to begin with.
Ive always taken it all with a grain of salt. I have kept an open mind and tried to be fair.
I blame him for the things I think he's failed at, other things I think people have unrealistic expectations of.
I said I would give him this season before I made my final call. So far its not off to a great start. I think he may have made a FATAL error in hiring Coley. Donofrio is bad enough, but you cant have two bad coordinators.
For me the bigger problem is how UM fits into the modern era of college football and the big money being thrown around now.
This is not the 80s anymore. I just don't think its as simple as "plug and play" and we are going to be winning MNCs again. UM cant afford to hire the big name top flight coaches. So regardless of what happens with Golden, my fear is that we are just going to be stuck in the same cycle of mediocrity, bringing in another unproven, "up and coming" HC, with a limited budget, who will take another 4-5 years to develop things and learn, and then maybe he can get us back, or maybe we have to scrap it all and start all over. All I know is we are on our 3rd HC in the last decade, and I don't have any faith that the administration is going to go out and hire the "right" coach.
This season will tell a lot about Golden's future here. If this team can improve, and exceed expecations, obviously he's not going anywhere. If we implode, there is a chance he could get the boot after this season, but with his contract and buyout, I don't think its likely. What may happen, is another middling mediocre season, where the defense improves, but the offense struggles under Coley and a True Frosh QB, and we are left with more questions than answers.
Im sure many will scream the "AG sucks" "Fire his @ss" "Get this fat greaseball out of my face" etc... but none of that is going to influence the administration. Alumni, ticket sales, donations, boosters, the media, and the BOT is what will influence the administration. So the LIKELIEST outcome, is that we are still going to be here next season, having this same discussion.
I will say that regardless of what happens THIS year, IF he is still here next year, he has to win the Coastal or I think he's legitimately gone. He has NO excuses left with anyone. As fans, I understand there is impatience here, and that he has little to no excuses left with much of the FANBASE, but that doesn't mean that he's all out of time with the powers that be.
Barring a total meltdown this year, next year is his Do or Die year.