The Miami Hurricanes football program is enjoying pre-season hype from the media. Coach Mario Cristobal has “hometown roots.” and has had success as a head coach. The entire college football world wants the program to be a success. But, the school hasn’t found the right combination after the glory era of the 80’s and 00’s. It won’t be with a new coach. Manny Diaz engendered the same optimism from fans and players with his success as a defensive coach and “hometown roots.” In 2008, Randy Shannon engendered the same optimism when he took the job because of his recruiting skills and success as a defensive coordinator. He also grew up in Miami. Mark Richt took the head coaching job in 2015 after success at Georgia. Richt was a “father figure” to former players, a Hurricane alumnus and was a great recruiter.
Current Miami Hurricanes football program is haunted by the past
In short, neither Coach Cristobal, pre-season hype won’t change the course of the program. In the 2019 article, “So you want to build a college football program…,” writer Raul Rodriguez categorizes what makes football programs great. The Hurricanes created a pipeline in a talent rich area (Miami-Ft. Lauderdale) and were “somewhat academically prestigious.” This formula worked until it was copied. Alabama, USC, Oklahoma and Ohio State(Tier 1 — traditional powers) became successful again and Miami lowered in prestige. The Miami Hurricanes football program has tried to become successful with gimmicks (turnover chain, removing last names from jerseys), hiring former players, installing new offenses, improving graduation rates, etc.
What does Coach Cristobal do to make the program successful?
All the above has resulted in seven or eight wins a year consistently. Coach Cristobal won’t do anything different on the football field. He won’t create a new offense like Howard Schnellenberger or change the defensive scheme like Jimmy Johnson did when he became coach in 1984. The new era of “Name, Image & Likeness” could allow Miami to exploit college football and be successful. This article in the National Law Review covers a three part series on the NIL decision and ramifications. This article by J.Allen on the “Weirdest NIL deals.” goes into more detail. The NIL issue is new and the NCAA is trying to figure it out.
Hurricanes football will be successful by playing the “villain”
Until that time, Rodriguez’ answer for the Hurricanes football program is simple: “Punch your way up.” The “college football world” has needed the Hurricanes program to return to winning because they were the best villain. The Hurricanes football program must forget that they are a prestige program and play with “a chip on their shoulder.” As Michael Irvin famously said on the Dan LeBatard radio show in 2013, that although the UM teams were brash and flamboyant, they were successful because “each man to the other made a promise–I will get my job done.” That was made the glory era so special–athletes with high football intelligence playing loose and for one another.
