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Friday, May 14, 2010

Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon: ‘This is a joyous time’





By Jorge Milian

May 13, 2010

Randy Shannon just concluded a telephone news conference with reporters regarding his new four-year contract. Here is what Shannon had to say:

Opening statement:

”I’m really excited about the signing of my new contract. I can’t wait to get started and finish out this recruiting month of May. The coaching staff and myself are very excited about the [direction] we’re going in. We’re very excited about that we have the opportunity to continue the progress that we’ve done over the last three years of building this program and we feel like we’ve established some very strong pillars with the upperclassmen we’ve developed through this process. I’m just so excited about today and can’t wait to get started. I wish August was here today, but it’s not. We still have a couple of months to get back on the football field and coach.”

Can you discuss the financial terms of the contract?


“I respect the question but it’s something personal to me. It’s a confidential matter. I’m just excited that the deal is done. I’m excited about to get back recruiting. I’m excited about coaching this season. I’ve been getting calls all morning from the coaches on the team. They’re getting a lot of feedback. Recruits have been calling since last night and also this morning. A lot of coaches throughout south Florida and the state of Florida have been calling myself and the coaches because they’re excited for me.”

How nice is it not to have to deal with this subject any longer?

“It’s a great thing. Now I get to build. My first three years here were a building process, 5-7, 7-6 and 9-4. Now I get the opportunity to see another class through. I’m probably one of the few coaches [at Miami] to see another class through. If you look at over the years, the most that somebody has been here has been 5 or 6 years over the last five coaches. So this gives me an opportunity to build on and coach guys that I’ve recruited. And I’m excited about it.”

Did the process ever become frustrating?

“I got to give a lot of credit to my attorney, Neil Cornrich. He said the one thing when we started this process, ‘This is a business, Randy. This is nothing personal. This is a business.’ Me and Kirby (Hocutt) have had a great relationship throughout this process. That’s the one thing that really, really shows you what kind of character Kirby had and what character I had. We would talk, not even about contracts. We would talk just about things in the department, things we need to improve on, things he could help me with. It was always, what can we do at the University of Miami to get better. It was a business, nothing personal. It was a great situation for all of us.”

Did any recruits or parts tell you they couldn’t commit because of the contract situation?

“It was part of it. Nothing I’ve never gone through before. What can anybody say about the University of Miami now? They have stability, they have a coaching on a second tenure. You know and I know that there hasn’t been a coach that’s stayed more than five or six years. That’s one of the things the university showed – that they’re dedicated to me and dedicated to what I’m doing at the University of Miami. It showed that everybody has confidence in what we’re doing. That’s the one thing that’s great about being at the University of Miami.”

How does this compare to when you were hired as UM coach in 2006?

“This is a joyous time, a happy time. This is one of the greatest times to be around at the University of Miami. I’m excited because it shows what dedication the university has in myself and the coaching staff. It goes a long ways when you get [high school] coaches from all the way from Jacksonville over to Tampa to Orlando all the way down to south Florida and Fort Myers. I’m thrilled. This is a great time.”

How difficult would it have been to enter the season without a new contract?

“There’s always distractions. I’m glad it’s behind us. I’m excited about where we are right now. I’m excited about the contract, thrilled. It could have been a distraction, but I knew it would get done. Now we look forward to doing some great things at the University of Miami and continue to build on the things we’ve accomplished over the last three years.”

How bad did it get on the recruiting trail?

“It’s part of it. Anytime somebody can use things against you, that’s part of it. I always say this and I think this is the one greatest thing about me is that I would never bad mouth a school or use anything toward another coach. I know some coaches do that toward the University of Miami. We just sell our program. That’s what has helped us turn the corner because we sell what we have at the University of Miami. Not to be cocky or anything, but we don’t worry what other people say.”

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