Miami Hurricanes narrow coaching search

The University of Miami has narrowed its choices for its football head coaching job.As of Friday night, the following names had emerged as leading candidates: Temple University coach Al Golden, Connecticut coach Randy Edsall and Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman.UM also has been considering Texas Tech coach and former UM assistant Tommy Tuberville, who is still a possibility. Tuberville told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal he is not a candidate but did talk to Miami. However, friends said he has expressed interest in the job.Multiple sources said Miami went into Friday evening considering those candidates, with a decision expected in the next few days. If UM president Donna Shalala, athletic director Kirby Hocutt and top trustees do not agree on a choice, it's possible other names could be considered.Trestman, 54, has coached Montreal of the Canadian Football League for three consecutive years, and won the Grey Cup -- the equivalent of the NFL's Super Bowl -- in 2009 and 2010.Trestman was a UM assistant coach from 1981 through 1984. He coached Bernie Kosar to UM's first national championship in 1983 and is respected for his offensive mind and his ability to develop quarterbacks.Trestman received his law degree from UM. He has remained close with Kosar, who is a UM trustee.Trestman also was an assistant in the NFL from 1985 through 2004. In 2004 he coached the Dolphins quarterbacks.Golden, 41, has resurrected a Temple University football program that was known as the doormat of the Big East, before it was kicked out of the league for not being competitive enough. Temple was 1-11 in Golden's first year in 2006, 4-8 his second year, 5-7 his third year, 9-4 last year and 8-4 this season.Golden -- known as intelligent, passionate and driven -- played as a tight end at Penn State under Joe Paterno and has been considered a future candidate to replace Paterno when he retires.Golden was also the defensive coordinator for Virginia in 2001 and also served as an assistant at Boston College and Penn State.Edsall, 52, has coached 12 years at UConn and led the Huskies this season to an 8-4 record and first Bowl Championship Series berth in the Fiesta Bowl. He was just named the co-Big East Conference Coach of the Year.The Huskies, who were a low-profile Division I-AA program when Edsall took over, were 3-4 before rallying to win their final five games of the season.``When I got here I wanted to build a program that would stand the test of time and do it the right way,'' Edsall said earlier this week in a teleconference to discuss the Fiesta Bowl. ``. . . I think it is hard to comprehend all the things that we've accomplished in such a short period of time with this program.``It's what happens if you do things the right way.''Tuberville, 56, was a highly respected assistant at Miami from 1986 through 1993, taking over as defensive coordinator his final season there. Tuberville directed a UM defense which was ranked No. 3 nationally in scoring defense and No. 5 in pass defense.His head-coaching career has taken him from Mississippi (1995-'98) to Auburn (1999-'08) to his present job at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were 7-5 this season and will play Northwestern in the Ticket City Bowl at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Jan. 1.Tuberville's career record at Auburn was 85-40, with three seasons of 9-4 records, a perfect 13-0 season in 2004, 9-3 in 2005 and 11-2 in 2006. He was fired after his 5-7 record in 2008.On Thursday, Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said he wasn't aware that Tuberville had talked to UM. Friday, Tuberville said he had talked to Miami to help give advice in its search.Miami Herald sports writer Manny Navarro contributed to this report.

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