Randy Shannon routinely would hear the same question on the recruiting trail. Players and parents alike, they couldn’t figure out why Miami was winning more games, yet the coach wasn’t getting rewarded with a new contract. That’s not a problem anymore. Shannon has signed a new four-year contract to remain as the Hurricanes’ head coach, ending a back-and-forth negotiating process that began more than a year ago and included an undisclosed raise over the approximate $1.2 million he made last season. “I’m here, and it’s going to be for the long term,” Shannon said in an interview Thursday morning with The Associated Press. “For recruiting purposes, now people will see that instead of us telling them that.” The university announced Shannon had signed a new deal Wednesday night. The sides came to an agreement in principle last week. “We are very proud of the positive steps our football program has taken under the leadership of Coach Shannon,” Miami athletic director Kirby Hocutt said in a statement announcing the contract. “With a commitment to excellence in the classroom, in the community, and in competition, we are well on our way, once again, to the top of the college football world.” http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-miami-shannon
