First off, let me say I have a lot of respect for the type of coach and CEO Al Golden is. He revived a moribund program at Temple to phenomenal results. So much so, that you could his tenure in Philadelphia likely spurred two head coaching promotions (himself and Steve Addazio) into the ranks of the ACC.
And, hey ... if Andrew Dice Clay is a fan of your work, what's not to like?
However, I've found his recruiting methods quite curious at Miami. SB Nation team site State Of The U took an interesting look at Golden's first full recruiting class following their first year on campus. The results of that 33-man recruiting class, as many pundits projected in February of 2012, have been predictably mixed.
Golden assembled a group that was headlined by a few South Florida stars (DB Deon Bush, DL Jelani Hamilton, DB Tracy Howard and RB Duke Johnson) along with one from Georgia (Raphael Kirby). Golden's staff also showed some savvy scouting by nabbing several other diamonds in the rough from around the state (notably OL Ereck Flowers, OL Danny Isidora, DB Rayshawn Jenkins and WR Herb Waters).
But then, the Jekell and Hyde nature of Miami's recruiting under Golden rears its ugly head. Already, nine members of the 33-man recruiting class have left the program. In just a year. That's more than a quarter of the guys they signed in February of 2012, gone within 18 months. And there appear to be a handful of other players (at least five, by my count) who probably aren't too far from hitting the door as well.
So, here's my question. What's the future of Miami going to be like if Golden is going to continue bringing in classes like this? If he takes the Nick Saban approach, and signs 30 guys every year, I'd say Miami is probably in good hands, personnel-wise (even if they probably could use a few tweaks on the coaching staff). However, if Miami's largely disappointing showing in the Class of 2013 is any indication (just 19 signees, only 16 of which made it to campus), then Hurricanes fans are going to be in for a roller coaster ride during the tenure of Al Golden.
For those who will counter with the Nevin Shaprio stuff ... yes , I get that Miami has the pall of NCAA sanctions hanging over their heads. Surely, that is not helping matters on the recruiting trail any, I get that. But with the feast-or-famine duality of Al Golden's recruiting methods, I still think the jury is out on whether or not he will be able to really turn the Miami program around. Regardless of what the NCAA decides on the future fate of the 'Canes.
8/24 UPDATE: Not even 48 hours after I posted this, the announcement that WR Jontavious Carter is transferring was made public by the SID. That's now 10 players out of 33 (nearly one-third of the class) who are not a part of the roster just over 18 months after signing with Miami. And, as I wrote on Thursday, there are still a few other guys who very likely will not be a part of this program by the time year three begins next fall. Here's a list of the players, and the reasons they are no longer a part of the 'Canes, listed below:
DT Jacoby Briscoe (transfer)
WR Jontavious Carter (transfer)
DB Vernon Davis (transfer)
RB Danny Dillard (transfer)
DT Dequan Ivery (transfer)
WR Angelo Jean-Louis (failed to qualify)
WR Robert Lockhart (transfer)
DE Gabriel Terry (dismissed from team in April)
QB David Thompson (baseball)
LB Josh Witt (concussions)
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