Golden Gone from Miami

Published on 26-Oct-2015 by CJ

Football - NCAA    NCAA Football Daily Update

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Golden Gone from Miami

The famous line spoken by Johnny Cade in the novel and film The Outsiders is “Stay gold, Ponyboy.”

Conversely, the great poet Robert Frost once wrote a poem titled Nothing Gold Can Stay.

Looks like Miami athletic director Blake James is more a fan of poetry, as the Hurricanes have canned Coach Al Golden.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

The firing comes after the worst loss in Miami football history, as the 'Canes were savagely destroyed by Clemson, 58-0. 

Miami hired Golden in 2010 amid hopes that he could rebuild them in the same fashion that he built Temple into a football contender.

Unfortunately, Golden’s tenure at Coral Gables wasn't granted an easy start. His first season saw the university embroiled in a scandal connected to Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro. The team would ultimately only lose nine scholarships over a period of three years, mainly due to the fact that the school self-imposed a two-year bowl ban.

Even through this program-shaking scandal, Golden was able to keep the 'Canes relevant. He led them to two straight bowl games after the ban ended, although they'd lose both of them.

Golden was never able to take Miami to that proverbial next level. They'd get to bowls, but none of the big-revenue events.

Of course, it didn't help his case when ex-players and fans were against him.

Fire Al Golden

It probably was Al’s time to go.

The dude isn’t a bad coach; he just wasn’t able to get the job done under the circumstances in Miami.

Still, moments like the one where he comforted the badly injured Malcolm Lewis let his human side come through:

So he might be out of a job for now, but nothing will keep Al from staying gold.

At least the $2.54million he’s due won't.