How many wins does Miami need to save Al Golden’s job?
Miami head coach Al Golden is on the hot seat to start the 2015 season, so how many wins do the Hurricanes need in order to keep him around?
Heading into his fifth season with the Miami Hurricanes, head coach Al Golden knows he has a lot of proving to do if he wants to keep his job.
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Three mediocre seasons in four years has people close to the program worried about the future. Can Golden seriously turn things around and bring the ‘U’ back to the college football spotlight? Time will tell, but he will have a steep hill to climb in 2015.
How many wins does Golden seriously need to get to in order to retain his job as head coach? In my opinion, he will need to string together another nine-win campaign like he did in 2013, possibly adding a 10th win in a bowl game.
Soon-to-be sophomore quarterback Brad Kaaya was an absolute stud for the Hurricanes during his freshman campaign in 2014, making Golden look like a genius for recruiting him.
While Kaaya might be a godsend, he will have his work cut out for him this season as the offense is losing seven starters, including three offensive linemen, an all-conference running back and a NFL-caliber wide receiver.
Targets for the young quarterback will be very unproven and his blocking might take a while to really strengthen up. However, the Hurricanes’ 2015 recruiting class landed a handful of offensive linemen and that’s a good look for the future.
As for the running back situation, Duke Johnson has moved on to the next level and those are some big shoes to fill.
True freshman Mark Walton may become the conference’s best newcomer as he has an opportunity to battle sophomore Joe Yearly for the starting job. Senior bruiser Gus Edwards is also in the mix as the 230-pound back will primarily be used in goal-line and short-distance situations.
The 14th-best defense in the nation returns seven starters and will be solid once again, so there should be no worry on that side of the ball.
When looking at the schedule, there are a couple key games that stick out, potentially playing out as “must-wins” for Golden.
First, there’s the Nebraska contest at home on Sept. 19. If the Hurricanes win that one, which will be tough, they could begin the season 3-0 heading into yet another crucial game at Cincinnati.
If Miami wins at Cincinnati, two of their next three games are at Florida State and at home against Clemson. Win one, and they’ll be in great shape for the final five games of the year. In my opinion, the home game against the Tigers is the more important game as they could take down the conference’s top team.
Best case scenario this year, the Hurricanes go 9-3 in the regular season and make a decent bowl game. That will be enough to keep Golden around to see his elite 2016 recruiting class take the field and watch some of his current players mature — only one senior on offense.
However, I believe Miami will finish 7-5 once again and Golden’s time as head coach of the ‘Canes will be up.
The Hurricanes need someone who will restore the excitement that was once at Miami.
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