Shalala infamously confessed to not even viewing the tapes of the incident. That was beneath her dignity and not worth her time. Instead, she let others watch and report back. When they did, she suspended 11 players for one game — against Duke. Two others were suspended indefinitely. This for one of the worst scenes major college football has ever witnessed.

Miami apologists told us that we shouldn’t hold the sins of past Miami teams against the current players. These are different guys and different times.

Maybe they are, but there’s no way to say that with certainty. And there won’t be a way until Shalala orders a complete review of the football program, including asking why it exists at all.

If Pata’s death is to mean anything, it is up to Shalala to make it so. No one else has the power to do so. No one else has more incentive.

The picture presented by Miami football is not worthy of a university, with or without pretensions. The president can say that the image isn’t deserved, but you don’t get to be known as thug school without doing something to earn it. And you don’t get rid of that image simply by telling people not to think that way.

Shalala herself can’t possibly know how the image grew and why it continues to hang over the team and the campus like a toxic cloud. If she did, she’d have done something about it. But to do that, she has to take it seriously. Her inaction after the FIU embarrassment proved she doesn’t.

College football How all 32 games are shaping up

She should now. She needs to know about the culture surrounding Florida high school football, a culture that too often includes gangs and violence and turf and guns. She needs to learn why that is allowed to happen and why her university doesn’t do more to change it. She needs to grasp that some of her players keep guns and aren’t shy about using them.

She needs to ask what this team is doing to advance the ambitious academic goals of a great school.

She shouldn’t cancel the season. That’s unfair to the sport and the opponents. But she should refuse to allow this team to go to a bowl game (if it wins one of its final three games to qualify). It hasn’t earned the right to celebrate.

And before Coker — or his successor — signs another recruit, Shalala should demand to know: How is this young man going to represent our school?