GREENSBORO, Ga. -- Last year at about this time, new University of Miami football coach Randy Shannon stood in front of a packed crowd of 3,000 and promised to deliver a winning program.

''We've made a commitment to get it done,'' he said last July at CanesFest. ``. . . This is going to be a great year, where all we're thinking about are championships -- not ACC championships, the national championship!''

On Monday at the ACC Football Kickoff, Shannon was a bit more realistic during an interview with The Miami Herald and later in a group session with journalists who cover the Atlantic Coast Conference.

His prediction for 2008? ''That we'll be better than we were last year,'' he said. ``We have a foundation that we've been building on. We have a nucleus of guys we're building depth with.''

NO ADDED PRESSURE

In Shannon's first year of coaching, the Hurricanes finished 5-7 -- UM's worst season in 30 years.

But with a top-rated signing class and some talented veterans who have bought into his ''team-first'' culture, he insists UM is on course for improvement. He said he feels no added pressure after last year's misery.

''I put enough pressure on myself to win games,'' he said. ``We know we have to improve off of last year's experiences. It was a learning process for everybody, and we're excited about the upcoming season.''

Shannon was asked if it mattered to him that UM was projected by ACC writers to finish third in the Coastal Division behind projected No. 1 Virginia Tech and No. 2 North Carolina -- led by former UM coach Butch Davis.

``No, it doesn't matter, because it always changes, and different people [believe] different things. It's just hard luck for us where we're at and what people think about Miami, so it's a starting block.''

Shannon said the most significant lesson he learned last year was ``that you have to make sure you look at the overall picture of your football team. Last year, it was unexpected that we'd have to play 10 freshmen at one point.

``We have a lot of players coming back, and on [paper] they're young. But game experience? They should be a lot older.''

Not quarterbacks, of course. All four of UM's quarterbacks have never thrown a pass in a college game. What will determine who wins the starting job?

''Don't know yet,'' Shannon said. ``Seven to 10 days from the first game, whichever quarterback that does a great job, he'll be the starter, and the other quarterbacks are going to play during the season.''

SHANNON SPEAKS

Other Shannon comments:

• On the status of standout freshman defensive end Allen Bailey, who injured his pectoral muscle: ``He's running full speed now. He's moving his shoulder. We just have to take it slow with him. When he's ready to play, we'll play him -- maybe the first game, maybe the second. He's ahead of schedule, but we're not going to jeopardize his life and his career by being selfish as coaches.''

• On talk that wide receiver Sam Shields might lose his eligibility because of grades: ``I don't know anything about that. I can't discuss academics.''

• On whether he's concerned that coaches might feel uncomfortable talking with him about the progress of his son, Xavier, a center who transferred from Florida International: ``I don't talk about him to the other coaches. I let the coaches discuss him. I will go strictly with what I see him doing on the field. As for playing time, the offensive staff will sit and talk about that with him.''

• On the kicking situation: ``If today were the start of the season, Matt Bosher would do both [punting and place-kicking]. Jake Wieclaw will come around.''

• On whether six incoming players might not qualify for admission: ``I didn't say they're not qualified. I said they're going through NCAA Clearinghouse issues. The new thing with the Clearinghouse is they're making sure the kids had the proper core courses, because the NCAA changed its standards from 14 to 16 core courses. It's just paperwork. I have nothing to do with the Clearinghouse.''

Join the discussion

Note: If this is your first time using our NEW commenting system, you will have to LOG OUT and then LOG BACK IN.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@