Miami Hurricanes
University	University of Miami
Conference	ACC
NCAA	Division I
Athletics director	Paul Dee[1]
Location	Coral Gables, FL
Varsity teams
Football stadium	Miami Orange Bowl (1937-2007) Dolphins Stadium (2008- )
Basketball arena	BankUnited Center
Mascot	Sebastian the Ibis
Nickname	Miami
Fight song
Colors	Green and Orange
Homepage	www.hurricanesports.com

The Miami Hurricanes are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Its traditional athletic rivals include the Florida State University Seminoles and the University of Florida Gators. However, since 1987, the Hurricanes have only played the Florida Gators four times (twice during the regular season and twice for bowl games in the 2001 Sugar Bowl and the 2004 Chick-fil-A Bowl). The Hurricanes and the Gators have not played since UM began ACC play in the 2004 season, but the rivalry will be renewed in 2008 when UM is scheduled to meet the Gators in Gainesville.

In order to comply with Title IX equality requirements, the university only fields 15 athletic teams. Men's teams compete in football, baseball, basketball, cross-country, diving, tennis, and track and field. Women's teams compete in basketball, cross-country, diving, golf, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Notably, the university does not field a men's soccer team and had to cut its men's rowing team and men's diving team (which had produced a number of Olympic medalists, including Greg Louganis), in order to comply with Title IX.

Team colors are green, orange, and white. The school mascot is 'Sebastian the Ibis'. The ibis was selected as the school's mascot because, according to university legend, it is the last animal to flee an approaching hurricane and the first to reappear after the storm, making it a symbol of leadership and courage.

The school's athletics logo is a simple green and orange letter "U." Nike is the official supplier of uniforms, apparel, and various athletic equipment to all University of Miami sports teams.

Football

Main article: Miami Hurricanes football

The University of Miami is the most successful Division I collegiate football program of the past quarter century, winning more national championships than any other Division I collegiate football program. During this time, the University of Miami has won five Division I national football championships (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001); the University of Nebraska is second during this period with three.

UM has produced two Heisman Trophy winners, Vinny Testaverde (in 1986) and Gino Torretta (in 1992). Four former UM football players—Ted Hendricks, Michael Irvin, Jim Kelly, and Jim Otto—have been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame following their NFL careers. Two other former UM players, Ottis Anderson and Ray Lewis, have been named Super Bowl MVPs (Super Bowl XXV and Super Bowl XXXV respectively).

On November 24, 2006, following one of the worst seasons in decades (7-6), UM dismissed its current head football coach, Larry Coker, who helped lead UM to its 2001 National Championship and came close to winning another one in 2002 but then stumbled greatly in subsequent seasons. Two weeks following Coker's dismissal, UM Defensive Coordinator Randy Shannon was promoted to the position of head coach.

Baseball

Alternate Ibis logo introduced in 2000

Main article: Miami Hurricanes baseball

In addition to its success in football, UM has experienced national success with its baseball program, winning four national championships (1982, 1985, 1999 and 2001) and reaching the College World Series 22 times in the 34 seasons since 1974. Five UM graduates are currently active on MLB teams.

The team is currently coached by Jim Morris, the former head coach of the Georgia Tech baseball team. Former coach Ron Fraser was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in July 2006. The team plays its games on the UM campus, at Mark Light Field.

Men's basketball

UM's men's basketball team has produced three players who are currently on NBA rosters. Rick Barry, who played his collegiate basketball at UM, is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Barry is the Hurricanes only consensus All-American in basketball and led the nation in scoring his senior year with a 37.4 average during the 1964–65 campaign.

The university actually dropped the program after the 1972 season, with the Board of Trustees citing inadequate facilities, sagging attendance, and serious financial losses as the reasons for the decision.^[2] The program was revived before the 1985–86 season, though UM would be minimally competitive over the next several years. The program's fortunes turned around in 1990 when Miami hired Leonard Hamilton as head basketball coach and accepted an invitation to join the Big East. By the end of the decade, Hamilton had turned UM into one of the better basketball programs in the Big East and had guided UM to three straight NCAA tournament appearances (1998–2000), including a #2 seed in the 1999 tournament and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2000. The 1998 tournament appearance was UM's first since 1960.

Hamilton left at the end of the 2000 season to become head coach of the NBA's Washington Wizards and was replaced by Perry Clark. Clark had some success in his second season (2001–02), leading UM to a school record 24 wins and a #5 seed in the NCAA tournament. The 2002–03 season saw Miami move into its newly completed on-campus arena, the BankUnited Center. Despite a win over powerhouse North Carolina to christen the new arena, Clark's teams performed woefully over the next two seasons, leading to his dismissal following the 2003–04 season (UM's last season in the Big East). Clark was replaced by Frank Haith, whose teams have proven competitive in UM's first two seasons as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

References

External links

• Official Athletics website

Sports teams based in South Florida
Baseball	MLB: Florida Marlins, FSL: Jupiter Hammerheads • Palm Beach Cardinals, GCL: Marlins
Basketball	NBA: Miami Heat, ABA: Palm Beach Imperials
Football	NFL: Miami Dolphins
Hockey	NHL: Florida Panthers
Soccer	USL-1: Miami FC, PDL: Palm Beach Pumas
College athletics (NCAA Division I)	Florida Atlantic University • Florida International University • University of Miami • University of South Florida

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