Randy Shannon to Florida (Rumor this is not official)

WOW this may be happening:

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/fl...become-florida-gators-recruiting-coordinator/

Sounds to me like we will not be keeping any coaches from the old regime. Fine with me. We have sucked at most coaching positions for a while now, especially recruiting.

Agreed. With Coach Shannon (If this happens), Coach Geoff, and Coach Doug and of course Coach Mac, we will recruit evenly across the board.

The problem with the previous regime, was the inability to see and recruit offensive talent IMO.

One example of that, was taking Jeff Driskel and not even looking at Blake Bortles; I know systems are systems; but I feel like these 4 guys know how to find talent outside of what rivals.com says.

IMO the best recruit from the Muschamp era was Vernon Heargraves III, and of course a few other defense players; but on offense we have had no one memorable from that regime.

...Tried to tell you about what was coming re a "coaching clearance"...and yes, it IS a good thing.
As for Shannon, can't say I saw (or heard) that THAT was coming--but as far as recruiting Fla. (especially down south, of course) is concerned, it's a big, bold move, bound to help us--soon and for the foreseeable. Gotta figure Foley "had a talk" with McElwain, if not Shannon himself, before signing off on it, as I assume he did. Randy wasn't responsible for the Shapiro mess which, along with certain other dirty deals and a general culture of "rolling in the muck", went back more than 20 years and multiple head coaches before he took over, but he had to hold his nose and operate in the middle of all that as an assistant at LEAST. Still, from everything I've heard and am hearing, he understands and appreciates the differences at UF, now more than ever--in fact insists he did his best to hold certain standards for HIS guys when he was "da EEEWWW's" Head Coach. Between those AND actual strength and speed tests coming in, Shannon DID acquire (among 'Canes fans most of all, apparently, I'm happy to report--they're STILL bitching about it, all the more now that he's a Gator) a reputation for rejecting a lot of "types", prep-level prima donnas from the South Florida hoods who had heard of and come to expect "scratch my back"/"free-ride-to-the-pros" promises and scholarships from that "fine institution" up til then.
As for his on-field coaching responsibilities, well, Miami's best defenses in a generation were under him, and Arkansas improved dramatically in that regard (starting from less-than-zero, let's face it, thanks to "The Horny Bike Rider" and Co.) during his time there...As with everything else, "We'll see", both in terms of what he accomplishes and how it dovetails with those of a still far-from-complete staff, but I feel good about this hire, right across the board so far.

@Dale J. Rodriguez Blake Bortles was barely a 3-star QB out of Oviedo. He was not even ranked by the recruiting services. Nobody recruited him, so he went to the closest school to him that would give him a scholarship. Jeff Driskel was a military BRAT like me, who grew up following the Gators (like me). He could have gone anywhere as the #1 QB (as rated by many recruiting services), but he did not even visit any other school. The point here is that recruiting is more of an art than a science -- nobody really saw that Bortles would blossom and that Driskel would regress. Note that I am not defending the past few coaches and recruiters at Florida. They did whiff on a lot of in-state talent. Louisville, TCU, Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, and FSU have taken advantage of Florida's inability to recruit the state, but I think we will see a turnaround in a couple years. It will not happen this year.

@DRU2012 I am not yet sold on Randy Shannon. Miami has always been a crooked school, so I can only hope that he does not bring unethical recruiting to Gainesville.

Escambia94 said:

@DRU2012 I am not yet sold on Randy Shannon. Miami has always been a crooked school, so I can only hope that he does not bring unethical recruiting to Gainesville.

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@Escambia94,
Points well taken re Shannon. As for the talent question, still say I'm feeling good about that part--think he'll be part of a general improvement there in fairly short order, though NOT so sure how much ANYONE can do to retrieve the picture before NSD this time around. Trying to be upbeat, hope for the best as far as the "ethics and integrity" question, as I said...but as I also said, "We'll see". Same for the actual coaching part--though I'm even more confident there. In fact, it is my hope that if he can match his energy, skill, talent and drive in this last with respect to the first two duties, this hire could turn out very well indeed. I have to see it that way--or else fear we're headed for a decline in our defense, deteriorating depth all over the field, PLUS a plunge PAST the worst of the Meyer-era excesses down to full-on embarrassment in the next few years when it comes to character and public image of our team and program. This is one of those times I am absolutely glad that J. Foley is our A.D.: I know he is aware of and sensitive to these questions, ever-vigilant when it comes to that image as if it were synonymous with his own (which to him, and I suppose in some very real ways, it is), and would have fought this hire tooth-and-nail (if not outright refused it, were it in his power to do so) if HE weren't pretty damn comfortable that this would NOT come to pass.
OK, here's where I say something that hardly sounds like "me" TO me as it comes out, but there it is:
Time for us to grab onto what "hope" we can, see the up side, "Have a little faith", E-: You, me, ALL of us remain "clear-eyed", "realistic", yes, but for now, flexible and generous in our own outlook and thinking, too. Give benefit of the doubt where possible here at what amounts to a new start for every Gator--and damn well better be a successful one.

Escambia94 said:

@DRU2012 I am not yet sold on Randy Shannon. Miami has always been a crooked school, so I can only hope that he does not bring unethical recruiting to Gainesville.

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Agree not a big fan of him

To "reservations" re Shannon:
AGAIN, of course I totally understand a cautious, conditional approach to this hire--but as I said, I figured coming in that McElwain HAD to take some chances, make some bold moves if he wants to see this thing turned around, headed in the right direction and FAST--before we "lose what we've got" talentwise here at UF, for one thing. That especially includes recruiting in our own state, which we all agree has been falling off last few years. Acceleratingly so: we've missed on a NUMBER of kids, all over the field, and it's showing, not only in the gaps and weaknesses on our team but (at least as frustratingly) the resulting improvements to our instate and regional rivals' getting them instead. Shannon-hire a risk, true, but one that definitely qualifies as one of those "bold moves": He can coach, do a decent job I think with the football-end of things, so it is his recruiting "skills" that comprise the "gamble" here--and like any gamble presumably has the inherent potential for major gain. I mentioned the important assumption that Foley undoubtedly having ultimately signed off on this hire being a good sign, but let's face it: We ALL have been coming around to the idea of late that determined as Muschamp rightly was to "clean things up", restore a certain amount of order, trust, and self-discipline to the Gator Football program, and successful as he was in that regard, we lost something during that time as well...Not sure to what degree that was "certain kinds of highly-talented players with a certain inherent attitude", or a certain general level of "look the other way" flexibility and freedom that has to be allowed in this day in order to get, keep and have the best group of young men loose and playing at a certain level of relaxed confidence come game day, but this is a different world than a scant generation ago. The Gators under Muschamp played TIGHT, with resulting screw-ups all over the field and a consistent tendency to start slow, fail to adapt well to curves thrown at them by teams that they were in fact superior to in talent and had begun to overtake, even dominate as the game wore on--and all too often tired and/or finally broke down the stretch.
It's a tough, dark world, these kids (certainly the best of them, the ones we are all after) have grown up in and been catered to, told they were "special" etc. long before WE got 'em. Shouldn't come as a complete shock that a Coach can only "influence" them, teach them some things--and even that only so much. He CAN'T "impose" a new set of values and ethics, not one that will change them OR the world around them in any fundamental way, after all. So the trick seems to be to somehow have standards, certain requirements inherent in a general "vibe" and attitude that surrounds, defines and embraces the whole team--while at the same time dealing with each on an individual basis, letting them BE that "individual" that this society (and, lets face it, all the girls, fans, media folks, and yes, to varying degrees EVERY COACH they've had since peewee/Pop Warner) has seemed to promise and encourage them was their "RIGHT". Just have to somehow accomplish all this without too far flouting "the rules", most of all getting CAUGHT--or losing our OWN souls in the process.

I think Randy Shannon will have no choice but to behave at Florida, since Florida does not tolerate anything close to what other schools tolerate. Heck, Joker Phillips and Aubrey Hill might have even gained a pay raise if they were at any other school.

Escambia94 said:

I think Randy Shannon will have no choice but to behave at Florida, since Florida does not tolerate anything close to what other schools tolerate. Heck, Joker Phillips and Aubrey Hill might have even gained a pay raise if they were at any other school.

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...But don't you somehow at least have that "sneaking suspicion" maybe even Foley, aware of the dangers and as vigilant/protective as he is of our image and "doing things right", onboard with this hire may even be acknowledging, well, the "gray" if not the "dark side" of what's required to win now in the SEC, and beyond? It's talent AND coaching: you just gotta have a damn good share of both.

DRU2012 said:

...But don't you somehow at least have that "sneaking suspicion" maybe even Foley, aware of the dangers and as vigilant/protective as he is of our image and "doing things right", onboard with this hire may even be acknowledging, well, the "gray" if not the "dark side" of what's required to win now in the SEC, and beyond? It's talent AND coaching: you just gotta have a damn good share of both.

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RE: "the dark side". Jeremy Foley got to Gainesville just before the dark ages of back-to-back NCAA sanctions, and he has made it a point to not let that happen again under his watch. He will make sure that Coach Mac keeps Randy Shannon on a short leash. If you do not believe me, then read Will Muschamp's contract that I posted earlier. Academics and a clean program are priorities for Florida, which is why someone like Rich Rodriguez, Chip Kelly, or Bobby Petrino would never, ever be head coach at Florida.

RE: "talent and coaching". Exactly. This is where Foley has no input. Foley does not coach players. He is not allowed to by NCAA rules. Foley hires coaches and manages talent on the coaching side, not the player side. There is absolutely no dark side allowed on the coaching side.

@Escambia94,
As I said, this is exactly when and why I am glad to have Foley as our AD right now--and yes, I am DAMN glad we can rest easy knowing he's got his "eyes-wide-open"--but also again, I suspect (would go so far as I actually HOPE) that this particular hire is also a gamble he understands HAD to be made, or something like it, as part of an effort to play the game a bit closer to "the line", ie. in that "gray area" I mentioned. We've GOT to get that top-talent-supply-line going again, win the State of Florida (at least challenge for the unofficial "title"), and in general find a more relaxed balance between "character and self-discipline" on the one hand, and "go out there and have some fun" on the other.

DRU2012 said:

@Escambia94,
As I said, this is exactly when and why I am glad to have Foley as our AD right now--and yes, I am DAMN glad we can rest easy knowing he's got his "eyes-wide-open"--but also again, I suspect (would go so far as I actually HOPE) that this particular hire is also a gamble he understands HAD to be made, or something like it, as part of an effort to play the game a bit closer to "the line", ie. in that "gray area" I mentioned. We've GOT to get that top-talent-supply-line going again, win the State of Florida (at least challenge for the unofficial "title"), and in general find a more relaxed balance between "character and self-discipline" on the one hand, and "go out there and have some fun" on the other.

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I keep thinking of your "fire Foley" post. You will miss Foley a lot more if he takes over as SEC commissioner next year.

The next Florida athletic director will not have a history with UF under NCAA sanctions like Foley. The next AD may not be as careful with coaching hires. Can you imagine a world where an AD would sacrifice a clean program for dirty wins by hiring someone like Chip Kelly, Bobby Petrino, or Rich Rodriguez? Gainesville would never allow someone like Jimbo Fisher to get away with his crap. Having Foley as AD is better for Florida than many of us realize.

Foley is an excellent AD; when you look at Florida SPORTS and not just Florida Football, you will see that he is the best AD in the last 25 years.

The guy is amazing, and I hope he stays with us forever.

Escambia94 said:

I keep thinking of your "fire Foley" post. You will miss Foley a lot more if he takes over as SEC commissioner next year.

The next Florida athletic director will not have a history with UF under NCAA sanctions like Foley. The next AD may not be as careful with coaching hires. Can you imagine a world where an AD would sacrifice a clean program for dirty wins by hiring someone like Chip Kelly, Bobby Petrino, or Rich Rodriguez? Gainesville would never allow someone like Jimbo Fisher to get away with his crap. Having Foley as AD is better for Florida than many of us realize.

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Sigh...KNEW you were thinking this. Wondered when you'd actually play this card--though HOPED you wouldn't make it necessary for me to return to this once more:
First, as I explained at the time (or somewhere fairly early on, anyway), I wasn't so much seriously arguing for his firing back then, I was merely putting him in our cross hairs--voicing seemingly "unsayable" questions, above all reminding everyone that not everything he did or said was sacrosanct, that he could and SHOULD be held accountable for his own mistakes...Above all, seemed to me at the time that in Foley's case, it was time to readdress a danger that has arisen before, in other cases: "NO one is bigger than the program."
It strikes me as especially ironic that we should return to this point on this of all mornings--when Yahoo home-screens and front pages of Sports sections across the land are showing pictures of Urban Meyer, his (in my view sickly arrogant) grin pasted predatorily onto that frozen mug of his, with its cold, NEVER smiling eyes...Do you remember how many of us once looked the other way, made excuses if we acknowledged any question at all at the "gray-to-dark" forces gathering around us? How many Gators refused to see it even as it poured forth OUT of the shadows and corners, no longer "out of sight, out of mind"? Hell, even with some of us here, people who rode the same roller coaster with us, folks I liked and "spoke" to almost daily who were seeing and discussing everything the rest of us were, it took only the final set of crashing revelations, those of phony cover-stories and sleazy backdoor dealings at the very end, along with his subsequent blatant betrayals on his way out and over to O$U, to see them change their angry tunes--to focus that anger on him, instead of those in the growing chorus of alarm (talk about "killing the messenger"!). NOT saying here that Foley is in Meyer's league, or even the same kind of animal at all: Though I have questioned at times his own judgement and associations, and especially his blind spots when it comes to these (Muschamp-case was just the latest), my main point when I raised it was that in Foley's case, in the case of ANYONE we invest with so much of our hopes and plans for the future, we need to remember to step back from time to time, certainly at times of crisis if not sooner and more often, and look closely at what such a man is doing in our name--even question why he's doing it, what the consequences are or could be. That's all. We place too much power and trust in his hands NOT to.
SECOND (yep--way back up there was a "First..."), I was ANGRY myself at the time. Geez, E-...Any ONE of us (yourself at LEAST as much as any of us, man) has taken positions here born-of-anger or disgust--and not always just fleetingly felt and blurted out once, either. If I stridently overstated my views and/or argued them longer and more extremely than I really felt, well, I do tend to play "Devil's advocate" here (not just "here", in fact) sometimes...I long ago discovered the degree to which it can provoke thought and discussion. If it seems I also sometimes forget that that's what I was doing, well, that's MY "cross to bare". "Let he who is not stoned cast the first sin."--or something like that (lol).

As of Birmingham Bowl game day, McElwain has hired the following coaches:

• Doug Nussmeier - offensive coordinator
• Geoff Collins - defensive coordinator
• Randy Shannon - linebackers and recruiting
• Mike Kent - strength and conditioning
• Tim Skipper or Greg Nord- running backs
• Terrell Williams - defensive line

Mike Summers is expected to stay with the team next year.

Note: the University of Florida has not formally acknowledged any of these hiring actions.

I see why Florida has not made official announcements on coaching hires. It is hard to tell what is rumor and what is leaked fact.