All good things must come to an end. For as great of an offensive coordinator as Shannon Dawson has been for the Miami Hurricanes since he came over from Houston to be part of Mario Cristobal's staff in 2023, he could potentially be on the move this offseason. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic and FOX Sports reported that Dawson is a top-tier candidate to replace Jon Sumrall as the face of Tulane.
Dawson has been in the coaching profession for the better part of a quarter century how. He hails from Clinton, Louisiana originally, having coached at Southeastern Louisiana early on his career. Not only that, but Dawson's two most recent jobs prior to coming over to Miami were in the Gulf Coast region in Houston and Southern Miss. At 48 years old, Dawson might be getting his big opportunity.
While Dawson could conceivably stay put at Miami for another year, Cristobal would be lucky to get a fourth or fifth year out of him in Coral Gables. Keep in mind that he has been a huge catalyst for the Hurricanes' turnaround in recent years. Cristobal's first offensive coordinator back at his alma mater in 2022 was a complete disaster in Josh Gattis. Dawson knows quarterbacks, so Tulane will want him.
The question is if Tulane chooses to go with the local guy as their top choice to replace Sumrall here.
Shannon Dawson leaving Miami for Tulane actually makes perfect sense
While Feldman listed off several other candidates for the Tulane gig, including LSU linebacker Blake Baker, who played linebacker for the Green Wave, Dawson feels like a coach who is ready to take the next big step in his career. His track record speaks for itself. Although he could conceivably hold out for a Power Four gig, Tulane is one of the best Group of Five jobs in the country, a launching pad, too.
If you want proof of that, look at what Willie Fritz has done in two years at Houston since he left New Orleans. Sumrall was on the fast track to being a Power Four head coach, but has carefully picked his two previous jobs in Tulane and Troy. As for Dawson, this just kind of works. Baker may have stronger ties to the school than him, but Dawson is the best candidate for the job if Baker opts to stay at LSU.
Overall, luck happens when timing meets preparation. Dawson has a choice to make. Does he want to be a career coordinator, or see if he can be something special as a head coach? He is at that stage of the game where it is worth taking his shot. Yes, Miami fans will be sad to see him go, but his potential departure would only make the offensive coordinator post he may be vacating even more attractive.
Ultimately, when a team wins at a prolific level like Miami has the last few years, these sort of things are bound to happen. Teams in need of a new head coach may want a slice of what has made you so successful. The one concern here with Dawson potentially leaving for Tulane is who Cristobal would go about replacing him with. He is an elite recruiter, but is a former lineman who does not call plays.
Potentially losing Dawson to Tulane may be a bitter pill to swallow, but it would be a sign of the times.