When Maryland hired Randy Edsall to be their football coach, there were a lot of people who were upset. But they felt a lot better about it when Edsall chose to keep Don Brown on board as part of his staff. But now Brown is gone, and there are a lot of fans who aren't thrilled about it. But if they can get Randy Shannon on board, that should help.
Meanwhile, this is a very good thing for a lot of reasons, if it comes through. Shannon doesn't provide the continuity that Don Brown did, but with Brown gone, searching for that was a lost cause. Shannon does provide some insane recruiting connections in Florida (just not Plant), a ridiculous DC pedigree, a great reputation, and a huge name, as far as coordinators go.
His defenses at Miami have always been top-of-the-line and pretty aggressive, which he's been able to afford with the masses of talent signing up for him. Maryland's not quite as athletic, so the scheme may require some rejiggering, but Brown has been moving toward that type of offense anyway, and the talent is starting to come together.
I am in total agreement on this one. I was bummed when Don Brown left, as I'm sure many of the Maryland football players on the defensive side of the ball were. But bringing Shannon board should help them cope. He has enough coaching history that he should be able to win people over. In terms of actual on the field production, he is a good recruiter and an excellent defensive coordinator. It isn't done yet, but this would be a big get for the Terps.