Randy Shannon’s coaching resume reads like a road map of Florida with postcard stops along the way.
Shannon, 56, is the epitome of a journeyman coach.
For close to three decades, he’s traversed the coaching landscape while spending time at all three of the Power 5 college football programs in the Sunshine State: Florida, Miami and Florida State. He’s done everything from coaching linebackers to defensive coordinator to interim head coach for the Gators before later becoming head coach for his alma mater Hurricanes.
He most recently served as the defensive coordinator at UCF (2018-20).
“It’s unique,” said Shannon. “The players are the players, but you just get to see the different facilities or the different way things are done and you get to enjoy it.”
His latest adventure has taken him to the Panhandle and Tallahassee, where he’s gone from a senior defensive analyst to linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator at Florida State.
“Coach Shannon brings such a great dynamic to our staff,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said. “Last year, being in an off-the-field role, he did an extraordinary job in what he was asked to do and how it goes to a day-in and day-out approach with those players.”
Shannon found himself at a crossroads after three seasons in Orlando. UCF coach Josh Heupel left to take the head coaching job at the University of Tennessee on Jan. 27, 2021. At the same time, most of the coaching staff followed Heupel to Knoxville except for a few assistants, including Shannon.
Shannon found himself out of work after new UCF athletics director Terry Mohajir hired former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn as the Knights’ next coach on Feb. 15.
While there were other opportunities, Shannon felt a real connection when approached by Norvell to join his staff as a defensive analyst.
“There were some other places, but it always has to be the right fit for everything that you do,” said Shannon. “It’s got to be a right fit for me where I’m going and what I’m doing.”
Shannon was familiar with Norvell, having coached against him at UCF when he was the head coach at Memphis. Still, Norvell’s coaching philosophy inevitably convinced him that joining the Seminoles coaching staff was the right move.
“We had the same mindset,” Shannon said. “The same mindset, the same thoughts on how to staff, how to treat athletes, demanding of them and holding people accountable. That was all part of what I’m used to be in.”
As an analyst, Shannon could not participate in on-the-field coaching and his duties were like those of a graduate assistant. He watched plenty of film, scouting trends while providing additional insight for the defensive staff, notably defensive coordinator Adam Fuller.
“We clicked right away,” Shannon said of Fuller. “Like anything else, when you don’t know someone, it’s always about earning respect and trust and you get trust and respect by just doing the job and making sure that whatever demands he may have had or things he wanted to get done, it was done.”
When FSU found itself without defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson, who missed last season’s game against Louisville with a death in the family, Shannon was able to get NCAA approval to step in and help.
After Seminoles linebackers coach Chris Marve left the team in the offseason to become defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, Norvell felt it was the right time to promote Shannon.
“We were fortunate in being able to have that continuity of having someone on staff that players were accustomed to seeing,” said Norvell. “Randy and Adam — they work remarkably together and that was something that showed up last year, so it was a no-brainer when we had the opportunity to get coach Shannon on the field.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.
