The Miami Hurricanes represent the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Their traditional athletic rivals include the Seminoles of Florida State University and the Gators of the University of Florida. However, since 1987, the Hurricanes have only played the Gators in football five times (three times 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 only played twice since UM began ACC play in the 2004 season, but the rivalry was renewed in 2008 when UM met the Gators in Gainesville.
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, color of an orange tree, letter "U." Nike is the official supplier of uniforms, apparel, and various athletic equipment to all University of Miami sports teams.
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. 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.
In the 2007/2008 after being picked to finish last in the Atlantic Coast Conference by many experts the Hurricanes proved competitive and started off the season 12-0. They eventually finished the year 23-11(8-8 in the ACC) and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to the second seeded University of Texas. This was the 'Canes first tournament bid since the 2001-2002 season.
Team Website: http://hurricanesports.cstv.com
School Website: http://www.miami.edu
