B1G spin on Miami situation-- Is Penn St in play?
Per a story from the front lines (http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/caneswatch/2011/08/17/al-golden-um-had-responsibility-to-tell-me-about-shapiro-situation-if-it-knew/), Da U coach Al Golden is basically saying he had no idea about the Shapiro situation from U officials when he took the job. If true, this may give him an out from the coming carnage to Coral Gables. How this relates to the B1G is that in the past 3 years, Golden has been mentioned as much as Greg Schiano as a replacement for JoePa (http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-football-al-golden-eyed-as-potential-joepa-successor-bound-for-florida-601675/). When Golden took the Miami job, it was assumed he'd stay there through a Penn St coaching search, but with JoePa showng continued signs of failing health and Schiano's "Rutgers rebirth" showing to be a bit of a facade, would this situation perhaps allow Golden to save face and Penn St admin's to grab him or tell him to cool his heels while they work out the JoePa transition this season?
August 17th, 2011 at 3:06 PM ^
RR TO MIAMI TO HELP REBUILD
-They won't mind his minor offenses and he'll go because he can start from the ground-up
August 17th, 2011 at 3:30 PM ^
Convenient that he's "retiring" from FAU, ain't it?
August 17th, 2011 at 4:02 PM ^
I'm amazed this has not been posted until now. Even I thought it soon after reading the Yahoo article last night.
August 17th, 2011 at 3:09 PM ^
But I have heard rumors from Nits faithful, some who park really close to Beaver Stadium (wink wink), that for several years now there is signed paperwork between Penn State and Tom Bradley.
Could be all smoke and mirrors, but it's hard not to think there's some sort of hidden succession plan already in place.
August 17th, 2011 at 3:13 PM ^
Would not surprise me a bit if Bradley was secretly making a head coach's salary right now. He does a head coach's work, so why not?
August 17th, 2011 at 3:47 PM ^
August 17th, 2011 at 3:56 PM ^
There is some loophole in PA laws where they don't have to release the salaries of coaches. Trust me, JoPa's salary has been veiled in mystery for a long time now...
August 17th, 2011 at 9:09 PM ^
There is no way that's his total compensation.
August 17th, 2011 at 4:52 PM ^
the fight to keep JoePa's salary, and that of his staff, private was eventually lost by the state several years ago.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:36 PM ^
How else has PSU been able to continue to attract as many top recruits as they have without some assurances that the current staff isn't going to change when Paterno is gone? I'd think with that kind of uncertainty a lot of top players wouldn't have pulled the trigger to commit to Happy Valley.
August 17th, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
It's amazing that nothing was known about this in insider circles that Pretty Boy Al may have been privy to. Shapiro had been talking to Yahoo! for months when he took the job. If he didn't know, I bet other (better) candidates probably did before spurning them.
Penn State will hire a new coach when Paterno dies. I am completely convinced by now that he is never retiring.
August 17th, 2011 at 10:10 PM ^
I have it on good authority that Joe Pa has been dead since 1997.
August 17th, 2011 at 3:18 PM ^
I would be floored if the Penn State job has not be guaranteed to Tom Bradley once JoePa retires or, well, you know.......
August 17th, 2011 at 3:20 PM ^
never came for Jerry Sandusky... and so he left. I agree with you and even implied it above, but hypothetically it is possible.
August 17th, 2011 at 9:28 PM ^
Sandusky didn't leave PSU for another job, though. JoePa (who actually coached Sandusky when he was a player) outlasted him and Sandusky finally retired.
August 17th, 2011 at 3:34 PM ^
Lately it seems like the "coach in waiting" thing has not worked out. If the assitants are that highly sought after schools are going to come knocking.
August 17th, 2011 at 3:23 PM ^
that 2012 is being referred to as the "Rutgers Afterbirth"
August 17th, 2011 at 3:36 PM ^
Srsly though, the Prez of the U definitely lied to Golden as she can be seen cackling with glee while pawing a check from Mr. Ponzi himself.
August 17th, 2011 at 3:51 PM ^
Golden would be crazy to stay in Miami, a doomed program that evidently deceived and undermined him. He should quit now, enjoy a season off, then grab the first good job opening (although, now that I think of it, that opening could be in Columbus). If he leaves Miami now, he'll remain a clean and desirable candidate for many schools.
August 17th, 2011 at 3:57 PM ^
He'll look like a douche if he resigns now based on one (albeit damning) article before having coached a single game, but he would be wise to get out of Coral Gables after this season, when the extent of the catastrophic sanctions Miami likely faces becomes clearer.
August 17th, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^
If I were Golden, I would stick it out one season so I can emphasize the "can coach under adverse conditions" bullet point on my resume.
August 17th, 2011 at 4:51 PM ^
Except for the possibility that it all swirls down the drain and the team goes 1 - 11 or something. (which would be fine with me as long as the one win was against Ohio)
August 17th, 2011 at 5:42 PM ^
Looks like I didn't do a very good job
August 17th, 2011 at 6:38 PM ^
for the decade's "Most Incompetent University President" award.
August 18th, 2011 at 8:58 AM ^
That last subject ended with the word competition not the letter y, but i still have an image in my head I don't want.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
for one minute that the Miami program was clean before he took the job. It was rotten back in Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson's heydays, and it's never changed.
He has nobody to blame but himself if he ends up inside an overturned Porta-potty called Miami football.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:37 PM ^
In fairness, Randy Shannon appeared to have cleaned up Miami football. Arrests were down, but so were wins and attendance. I wonder how much Shannon knew about this; he seemed like a good guy who was genuine.
August 17th, 2011 at 6:42 PM ^
written to the effect that Shannon had cleaned things up as you note, but if I were Golden I wouldn't have touched that program for anything regardless. If I were a big-time coach right now there's no way I'd come anywhere close to Columbus. Which is why Urban Meyer would be crazy to take that job.
Of course, Shapiro could be lying in an effort to sweeten his own deal, but I gather he's got plenty of paperwork to support his allegations.