CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes have fired head coach Al Golden.
Athletic director Blake James announced Sunday that assistant coach Larry Scott will take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2015 season.
"Coach Golden has led our program through some very difficult times and has done so with class, integrity and a true desire to see our students succeed on the field, in the classroom and in the community," James said in a statement.
Golden was 32-25 in his five seasons at Miami. He led the 'Canes to bowl games in 2013 and 2014.
The final straw for Golden was a 58-0 loss to Clemson, the worst in school history. After the game, several prominent Miami alumni and former players publicly called for his ouster on social media.
Golden's best season was in 2013, when the Hurricanes were 7-0 and ranked seventh in the country before their fall from grace after a 41-14 loss to Florida State. Miami finished 2-4 in its last six games, losing to Duke for the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division crown. The Hurricanes, who were once the envy of college football recruiting, have yet to even reach the ACC title game.
Miami ended last season on a four-game losing streak. The Hurricanes (4-3, 1-2 ACC) got off to a 3-0 start this season but have since lost three of the past four games.
"On behalf of my family, I want to thank the University of Miami for a tremendous opportunity," Golden said in a statement. "I believe in what we are doing and how we are doing it, and we have some outstanding young men in our football program. Though this moment is difficult, we wish the 'Canes the best of luck going forward."
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Golden came to Miami from Temple prior to the 2011 season. He guided the Owls to a 27-34 record, orchestrating an impressive turnaround from 1-11 in his first year at the helm in 2006 to consecutive winning seasons in 2009 and 2010.
Prior to Temple, Golden served as defensive coordinator at Virginia from 2001-05. He was also an assistant coach at Penn State (2000) and Boston College (1997-99).
Golden was a three-year letterwinner at tight end for Penn State under the late Joe Paterno.
Scott has served as the tight ends coach and run game coordinator for the past three seasons. He came to Miami in 2013 after spending eight seasons at South Florida, where he was an offensive tackle for the Bulls and a member of the inaugural recruiting class in 1996.
Jim Harbaugh returns to college with the task of rebuilding the once-mighty Michigan Wolverines. The Michigan graduate led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in his second season and a 44-19-1 record in his four seasons in the NFL. Harbaugh guided Stanford from a 4-8 record in 2007 to a 12-1 record in 2010.Jim McElwain led Colorado State to a 10-2 record and a berth in the Las Vegas Bowl last season before he left for Florida. The Rams were 22-16 under McElwain and improved in each of his three seasons at Colorado State. McElwain is no stranger to the Southeastern Conference, where he served as offensive coordinator at Alabama from 2008-11.Have Miami fans soured of Al Golden? In four seasons at Miami, Golden has compiled a pedestrian 28-22 record, but he's only .500 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Golden's best season was in 2013, when the Hurricanes were 7-0 and ranked seventh in the country before their fall from grace after a 41-14 loss to Florida State. Miami finished 2-4 in its last six games, losing to Duke for the ACC Coastal Division crown. The Hurricanes, who were once the envy of college football recruiting, have yet to even reach the ACC title game. Miami ended last season on a four-game losing streak. Another promising start that is soured by a poor finish could spell the end for Golden.Six wins in two seasons is all South Florida has to show for its hiring of Willie Taggart, who grew up in the Tampa Bay area. Taggart overachieved in three seasons at Western Kentucky, but he hasn't had the same success at USF despite having arguably a more talented crop of players. The Bulls will be tested early this season with non-conference road trips at Florida State and Maryland, so there won't be much room for improvement in the wins column. USF will need to win the games it is supposed to in order for Taggart to keep his job.Mike London was on the verge of leading Virginia back to a bowl game last season, but a four-game losing skid left the Cavaliers stuck at five wins. It was still an improvement upon what had been a downward spiral for London since leading Virginia to an 8-5 record and berth in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in his second season. The Cavaliers won three Atlantic Coast Conference games last season after a 0-8 record in 2013. Virginia's athletic director gave London a vote of confidence for the 2015 season, but if the Cavaliers can't become bowl-eligible, it might cost London his job.Frank Beamer is the longest-tenured coach in the ACC. Since Beamer arrived at Virginia Tech in 1987, the Hokies have amassed a 231-115-2 record and played in 21 consecutive bowl games. But after eight seasons of double-digit wins during which time Virginia Tech won four ACC titles, the Hokies have slipped to seven, eight and seven wins, respectively, the past three years. Beamer should be able to script his own exit, but the standard he set for the Hokies might doom him if he can't elevate Virginia Tech back to the upper-echelon of college football.Mike Riley built Oregon State into a Pacific 12 Conference contender during his two stints in Corvallis. His 93-80 record at Oregon State included eight bowl trips and four wins against rival Oregon. That may spell longevity at Oregon State, but the expectations are greater at Nebraska, which tired of Bo Pelini and his routine four losses each season. Unlike Pelini, Riley has experience as an NFL head coach, but that doesn't necessarily translate to success. Just ask Bill Callahan.Wisconsin has been left at the altar by its previous two coaches, both of whom bolted Madison for other jobs. Athletic director Barry Alvarez doesn't want to be embarrassed again, which probably played into his decision to hire Paul Chryst. After three seasons at Pittsburgh, Chryst returns to his alma mater, where he spent two stints (2002, 2005-11) as an assistant coach for the Badgers. Chryst has a 19-19 record as head coach, but he's arguably got more talent than he did at Pitt.It's never a good sign when a coach's record gets worse with each season. Such is the situation at Iowa State, where Paul Rhoads took the Cyclones from a 7-6 finish that included a bowl victory in 2009 to 5-7 in 2010, 6-7 in 2011 and 2012, 3-9 in 2013 and 2-10 in 2014. The Cyclones were winless in the Big 12 Conference last season. It can't get any worse at Iowa State, can it?Norm Chow was revered as an offensive coordinator at BYU, North Carolina State, Southern California, UCLA and Utah, but he is no doubt reviled by Hawaii fans unhappy about his 8-29 record in three seasons with the Rainbow Warriors. If Hawaii doesn't find success soon, it could mean aloha for Chow.
Jim Harbaugh returns to college with the task of rebuilding the once-mighty Michigan Wolverines. The Michigan graduate led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in his second season and a 44-19-1 record in his four seasons in the NFL. Harbaugh guided Stanford from a 4-8 record in 2007 to a 12-1 record in 2010.
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