New Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain continues to fill out his first staff with impressive hires and has come to an agreement with Arkansas associate head coach and linebackers coach Randy Shannon to join his staff as an assistant.
As first reported by 247Sports.com, Shannon will take over as Florida’s linebackers coach, a position vacated when McElwain decided to not to retain Gators defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin. It is not known whether Shannon will have other responsibilities, though the positions of associate head coach and recruiting coordinator are both believed to be open on UF’s staff. A source confirmed Shannon’s hiring to OnlyGators.com early Wednesday afternoon.
A Miami, Florida, native and veteran coach who spent the first 20 years of his career in Miami (17 with the Hurricanes, three with the Dolphins), Shannon served as a defensive coordinator (2001-06) and head coach (2007-10) of the Canes before being let go. He took over as linebackers coach at TCU in 2012 and moved over to Arkansas in 2013, adding the role of associate head coach.
There were some talks that Shannon would be a hot name as a defensive coordinator hire this offseason, though a move to Florida certainly makes a lot of sense, especially if Gators defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator Travaris Robinson leaves the program to reunite with Will Muschamp at Auburn, as expected.
Shannon is well-respected both as a coach and a leader of young men, and his recruiting chops – especially in South Florida – are unquestioned.
Along with McElwain, Collins and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, Shannon makes up the third member of Florida’s revamped coaching staff with more announcements expected in the coming weeks.
Shannon went 28-22 as head coach at Miami and was responsible for much of the Hurricanes’ recruiting successes. He earned more than $400,000 as an Arkansas assistant last season.
An announcement is expected to come from the Gators on Thursday due to terms of Shannon’s buyout, which reportedly gets reduced by 50 percent once the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1.
Intersting to note: Shannon's Arkansas contract has a $100,000 buyout that runs through today. It drops to $50,000 tomorrow.
— Robbie Neiswanger (@NWARobbie) December 31, 2014
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Great hire!! Go 2015 Gators!
Believe it now MJ nole troll? Bwahaha. You’re not so smart after all.
I can just feel that McElwain will succeed.
I’m very excited what the next 4 years will bring.
I never felt this under Muschamp.
Muschamp can talk all he wants about leaving this program in a better place, but he’s wrong. He left it in the gutter.
The only thing he improved in 4 years was our players off-field issues.
Muschump is an excuse maker. He WAS PAID TO WIN GAMES AND HE DID NOT DO THAT.
I think you’re in the wrong thread.
This one is about McElwain hiring Randy Shannon to his staff.
I’m guessing he was replying to me.
Didn’t mean to bring Muschamp up, but these hires excite me. When McElwain talks it excites me.
I felt this under Meyer too. I never felt it under Will.
Not saying McElwain is going to be another Meyer, but I feel like he has us headed in the right direction and he hasn’t even coached a game yet.
Shannon is an outstanding hire btw, just like getting Collins was outstanding.
Assistant coaches are very important. Now if we could just throw a huge dollar figure at Dan McCarney to get him to come back I would be elated(I realize this is not going to happen)
What’s certain is that he left our offensive line in abysmal shape.
I like the hire, by the way. Solid addition, IMO.
Great hire! Everything back that we lost recruiting-wise when Joker left, but arguably with an upgrade. Not a minute too soon either with the dead period about to end and NSD looming in the very near future. Hard not to be excited.
I like our new coach.
Go Gators!!!
I guess he let bygones be bygones from the umbrage he took following his UM team’s 26-3 loss to UF in 2008 with the last minute field goal. I think it’s a great hire! Look out Dade county! If Mac can somehow retain Robinson to go along with Shannon, getting commits now from those powerhouse Miami HS’s should become much easier. Way to go Mac! Go Gators!
With Shannon on board UF will be a mayor player in Dade county, just in time for the end of the dead period.
Big Mac is doing a great job in putting his staff together.
Go Gators!
That will affect recruiting more than you know.
Funny, when he was with UM he’s the devil, with UF now a great hire! I too like the hire, we need that Miami pipeline.
On a side note, and even though 1 game does not a season or a career make, Ole Miss looked unbelievably out-coached today. The scary part is that it looked like Ole Miss had the better athletes.
It was pathetic, unimaginative, and uninspired play by the Rebels as Gary Patterson and TCU mopped the floor with an alleged SEC powerhouse. If that’s the way he prepares his team for a New Year’s Eve bowl game, then I am very grateful that we did not hire Freeze.
And it’s a shame we didn’t wait to hire Patterson.
We would be in far worse shape for recruiting them we are now. Waiting this long would not have been an option in my opinion.
Great hire, should really help this year and maybe next, but I really have to wonder how long he will stick around. He has jumped from spot to spot since Miami fired him, and when some DC or HC job opens up, if he is successful at UF as well I am sure he will have lots of opportunities
Huge pick up here! If T-Rob stays, even better, if not, Randy will still be able to control Dade and Broward I think.
No matter who the coaches are on staff the biggest thing for long term success under Mac will be the product displayed on the field and winning. Shannon is a credible hire but if anyone thinks that because he is on board that recruits from the Miami area will now flock to UF is buying in on a bit of fools gold. Shannon as LB coach and maybe recruiting coordinator lends credibility and some familiarity to kids who remember him being the one time head coach of UM. Good hire but nothing is guaranteed when it comes to recruits who are looking at the depth chart, the system they will play in, development at their position for the next level, and winning. Good get for Mac but everything hinges on having success on the field. I am optimistic about UF closing strong and bringing in a great class this year but I am also realistic in realizing that Mac and the staff he assembles faces an uphill battle at this stage of the game in recruiting this year.