Miami hit rock bottom on Oct. 24, 2015. Clemson crushed the Hurricanes 58–0 in their own stadium, a loss that expunged any remaining optimism that the Al Golden era could be extended beyond ’15. Accordingly, Golden was fired the next day, and aside from a controversial win over Duke involving an eight-lateral touchdown, Miami retreated from the national conversation. The uncertainty that hovered over the Hurricanes while under the charge of interim coach Larry Scott bore a destructive potential every program looking for a fresh start hopes to mitigate: How could Miami compile a decent recruiting class?
Hiring one of the best candidates available in a robust coaching market—former Georgia head man Mark Richt—was a good start.