Will Al Golden Leave Miami for Penn State?

Not since notorious job-skipper Lou Saban quit the Hurricanes for Army in 1978 amid controversy has any head football coach left the University of Miami directly for another school. They’ve all either been handed a pink slip or a head-coaching job on the pro level. It was for years one of the most coveted jobs in college football.

There is some irony, then, in the idea that Al Golden has not yet returned the position to a prestigious level but is still constantly eyed by other programs.

The latest news, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, is that his alma mater, Penn State, is seriously considering him for its vacant head coach position.

Bill O’Brien, the team’s first coach after Joe Paterno, was scooped up by the Houston Texans. Golden, a former Penn player and team captain himself, is on the program’s wishlist, according to Penn Live. The paper says Golden sits atop the list along with Vanderbilt’s James Franklin.

Golden’s Hurricanes have finally put their Nevin Shapiro mess behind them. Penn State, on the other hand, is still recovering from the far more serious Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Golden isn’t scheduled to talk to the media again until a year-end news conference Monday, when he’ll undoubtedly be asked about the rumors.

He was also mentioned as a possible candidate at Penn State in 2011 before O’Brien’s hiring. Golden flat-out denied interest in the job and instead signed a four-year contract extension with Miami. That contract now runs through the 2019 season.

At least Lou Holtz thinks Golden should take the Penn State job if he’s offered.

But leaving Miami without a national championship or an NFL offer is, at least historically, nothing short of failure.

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