Posted by: Pete Roussel on February 3, 2012

Right now, if there is one school that's an easy target for coaches to negatively recruit against, it would probably be the University of Miami (FL).

The Miami (FL) athletic department has yet to receive the official NCAA sanctions stemming from an ongoing investigation of illegal benefits to players centering around former booster Nevin Shapiro.

Al Golden is well-aware that his staff is getting pounded from anyone and everyone that's coming into Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties to recruit the top talent.

On Wednesday, Golden said, "Look, guys took a shot at us.  It's ok.  They did.  (pause)  Get your licks in now.  That's how I feel about it."

"Maybe if I was at that school, I would take that approach, but we don't feel like we have to take that approach.  We take the high road."

So what can the Miami (FL) coaching staff do to combat the negative recruiting?

No, Art Kehoe doesn't call up the opposing assistant coach that is negatively recruiting against the Canes.  (Although an audio tape of Kehoe undressing, dog cussing, and threatening another assistant coach would be THE audio tape of the decade.)

Rather, Golden explained, "We just take the high road.  We just like to deal with the facts."

"Here are the facts.  Here are the graduation rates.  Here are our guys in the NFL, the average class size. Here's what is cost to go to our school.  All those things are that are facts, we lay it out for them, and let them make a decision."

Remarkably, Golden's staff was able to sign a Top 10 overall class, according to both Scout.com and Rivals.  Apparently, he wasn't kidding when he made the very direct statement minutes after the Hurricanes' final game of the season that, "We are going to work on Monday!"

Think about that.  A Top 10 class under these circumstances.  That's a heckuva job by Golden and his assistant coaches if you ask me.

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