Snark Sharks

He's even dressed for South Florida

Despite laying down for Wisconsin in the (irrelevant sponsor here) bowl Miami’s 2010 could not have gotten off to a better start. Sure star running back Graig Cooper may miss next year due to injury, the ‘Canes will say good-bye to seniors like Randy Phillips, Daryl Sharpton and Eric Moncur and the god-awful white-on-white uniforms with the half green/half orange numbers could be re-used to scare the living daylights out of fashion editors the world over but if you haven’t been paying attention to the situation in Lubbock, Texas then you probably are unaware that the coach Da U has been looking for ever since Dennis Erickson left is now unemployed and waiting for an offer.

Prior to their bowl game against Michigan State Texas Tech decided to 1) suspend head coach Mike Leach from coaching in the game and then 2) unceremoniously fired him mere days before the game due to a he said/she said situation involving Leach and Adam James, the son of former SMU running back Craig James, now an announcer for ESPN. James is claiming improper handling due to a concussion Leach says the University just wanted him gone.

Either way it leaves one of college football’s most unusual, intriguing and arrogant personalities in need of a team and with Miami listing in the waters of mediocrity at the hands of Randy Shannon the time has come for Miami to stop playing nicey nice with guys like former head coach Larry Coker and teams like Wisconsin and get back to the glory days of attitude, taunting, 50-point wins and at least one damn ACC title.

First off, I can’t stand Leach. Just the same I couldn’t stand Jimmy Johnson or Dennis Erickson but the fact of the matter is they knew how to get teams to win consistently and took home their fair share or trophies and rings. Following their reigns Miami was forced to clean house and with it went the disposition that made the ‘Canes such a force during the golden years of the 1980’s and early ’90’s; primarily their fuck-you attitude to the rest of the NCAA. Miami broke every rule, smashed every tradition and put programs like Notre Dame and Nebraska on their heels with blazing speed, bravado and trash talk.

Of course those days are buried and many will say it can’t be dug up but if anyone can revive a dormant bully it’s Leach. My first choice was Steve Spurrier but after watching the lousy job the Ole Ball Coach has done at South Carolina it’s not clear weather his visor turned into blinders in the twilight of his career. This isn’t a knock on Shannon or any of his assistant coaches but except for a few impressive wins at the beginning of this season the ‘Canes didn’t show much improvement and that loss to Wisconsin was a frightening return to the Coker ‘by golly we tried” days which is great if your coaching youth league but not exactly the legacy of Da U.

Let Jacory fly

In 10 years Leach took a near dead program at Texas Tech, turned them into legitimate contenders for the Big 12 title, won as many bowl games in his tenure (5) then the school had done in 75 years before him and gave Tech an attitude that made it possible to upset Texas in 2008 and make the state take notice of the rebel Red Raiders out in west Texas. Leach is no saint and he isn’t leaving Lubbock without his share of detractors, law suits and bitter memories but the point is if he can win with mid-major talent at Tech imagine what he could do with the all-star recruiting classes of Miami and a seasoned Jacory Harris under center next year. Scoreboards couldn’t keep up with the dazzling lights.

New Super Hero... Lame-O!

Miami is no stranger to controversy and to the school’s credit they’ve tried very hard to change the image of camouflage wearing, helmet swinging, police blotter fodder that tattooed a black eye on the school. But that black eye is what Miami is, always was and always will be. This isn’t dag gum Florida State or the sniffling god-squad of Florida (can someone get Tebow some tissue already)… this is Da U and though he may be ornery, arrogant, heartless and cold Mike Leach is the only coach right now capable of making Miami a feared national title contender again. Think it over, Miami, as the ‘Noles and Gators celebrate more January wins and the ‘Canes sit home in stunned silence watching replays of their loss to Wisconsin in some of the most hideous uniforms since Nike took over the Oregon wardrobe.