[ot-caption title=”The Al Golden Era, a time of disappointment for football at the University of Miami, has come to an end. (AP Photo/Joe Skipper)”]

10/26 CORAL GABLES, FL The University of Miami fired head football coach Al Golden last Sunday following the Hurricanes’ worst loss in school history at home to Clemson.

The game on Saturday featured another lackluster crowd and a “Fire Al Golden” plane banner. Clemson destroyed Miami, making it look like a high school team in a 58-0 romping.

As all coaching changes do, this one leads us into a state of reflection over Golden’s time at the U.

Al Golden was hired to take over the struggling program ahead of the 2011 season. At this point, the glory days of the Hurricanes were already a distant memory, offset by mediocre, losing seasons. He became known for his game-day attire which included a white, dress shirt and orange tie. He stepped in for Randy Shannon in Miami after five seasons at the helm of the Temple Owls program.

Golden came in at a tough time for Miami. He was expected to bring the team back on to the map, but he could never really get over the hump despite having an abundance of talent on both sides of the ball. After his first full season, Miami announced that they would withdraw from bowl game eligibility due to ongoing investigations for association with criminal Nevin Shapiro.

The following year, despite a 7-5 record, Miami withdrew from bowl contention again amidst investigations.

The university was ultimately stripped of nine scholarships as a result of association with Shapiro. Miami’s appeal has taken a significant hit from the continuous investigation.

The team has not finished in the Top 25 since 2009. All in all, things haven’t been going so well. Golden’s best season came in 2013 when the Canes began at 7-0. But, they lost three straight as well as its bowl game to finish at 9-4. It seemed that Miami might be back, but they still did not have that one signature win that would legitimize Golden’s reputation.

While that win never came, Miami had its best chance in 2014 when rival Florida State came to town.

The Seminoles were fresh off of their national championship campaign and still had stud quarterback, Jameis Winston.

The game was in Sun Life Stadium, and it was sold out; the energy of the stadium was unreal. For a brief moment in time, it felt as if the Canes were back in the Orange Bowl.

Miami led 23-10 at the half, but the third ranked Seminoles surged back and knocked the last breath out of what was now a 6-4 Hurricanes team. Although they were clearly talented and picked to win a weak ACC Coastal Division, Al Golden’s team had the life sapped out of them after the FSU loss. They ended 2014 at 6-7.

Al Golden’s run in Miami was certainly a disappointing one. But looking at the big picture, did he really have a chance? Will Miami ever be back?

Miami is an odd program. It was elite for all of the wrong reasons from the 1980s through 2005. Constantly being labeled “punks” and “thugs,” they were either hated or loved around the country. Their teams were vicious and merciless and did not care what the public thought of them.

But that era is gone. Those players are in the stands now, and in order for new coaches and players to succeed at the U, they need alumni backing. Golden clearly never had that, demonstrated by the celebrations after Sunday’s announcement. This school is a tough place to succeed and a tough environment to take a patient approach.

Al Golden might have failed, but it’s not fair to say it was all his fault.  An indoor training facility is a necessity (especially in south Florida) for recruiting, and a coach can’t bring that to the program.

Ultimately, Golden was not going to get it done in Miami. He did have a fair chance, but yet again, the program’s problems are much deeper than a coach. They must move on from the 80’s. The players, coaches, fans, stadium, and atmosphere are all not what they used to be.

Playing in a market where attendance will depend solely on the team’s success and in a stadium that is almost an hour away from the campus is a tough place to survive for any coach. If they want a real coach, then the answer is simple. They have to pay real money. However UM is a private school, the money is tough. Another solution to the stadium problem could be to potentially cut a deal with the Marlins to play at the old Orange bowl site (what is now Marlins Park). The city of Miami would take it. Parking revenue alone will regain some of the money lost in that place.

The university is too invested on the old days. Its stadium, facilities, and attitude are all in the past.

Now, Larry Scott will take over as interim head coach.  The team opened his campaign on one of the most illegitimate blessings a program will ever see, a 30-27 road victory of #22 ranked Duke after a last second lateral bonanza.  At a program with so much history, the talent is going to be there.  How Coach Scott and other long term options choose to handle that talent will determine whether the U returns to its past prestige and glory.

The U is not and will never be what it used to, no matter how hard alumni try to restore the glory days.