Toledo's Jason Candle Would Be A Home Run Hire For Miami Hurricanes OC
Frank Tucker of Canes County reported on Saturday morning that Toledo head coach Jason Candle is one of the leading candidates to replace Josh Gattis as new Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator.
Per the report, Candle has met with Mario Cristobal and is in negotiations for the job.
Tucker's report caught the attention of Hurricanes fans on social media when John Ruiz offered a reaction on his twitter account:
🙌🙌🙌 How about them Canes! 🙏🙏🙏 https://t.co/lTx5UEvF3R
— John H. Ruiz, CEO LifeWallet and Attorney at Law (@JohnHRuiz) February 4, 2023
Ruiz clarified in a followup tweet that he's not trying to break any news (or confirm any news) about Candle getting the job. He was simply reacting to the report:
Not a hire- simply my favorite! https://t.co/I8lnWOQ9nq
— John H. Ruiz, CEO LifeWallet and Attorney at Law (@JohnHRuiz) February 4, 2023
This isn't the first time Candle has been linked to Miami. A year ago, Cristobal reportedly offered him this same role, with Candle ultimately deciding to stay in Toledo.
Mario has good reason to want Candle in South Florida. The offenses he's overseen in Toledo since becoming their head coach in 2015 are renowned for their balance.
In 2022, Candle's Rockets passed for 3,144 yards with 31 touchdowns and rushed for 2,487 yards with 23 scores. 16 different receivers caught passes while 10 rushers got carries, with seven of them scoring at least one rushing TD. In a Candle offense, everyone gets their touches.
Candle is known for having good relationships with his players and collaborating well with other coaches... things Gattis reportedly didn't excel at.
I like the fact that Candle has never failed to this point in his coaching career. He hasn't been fired from a job. He began coaching as an assistant at his alma mater of Mount Union before departing for greener pastures at Toledo and working his way up from tight ends coach, to receivers coach and offensive coordinator, to head coach.
In my eyes, the only question mark for Candle comes from his lack of experience at the power five level. We haven't seen him recruit or coach at a big program.
My hope would be that Candle, if hired, can bring balance back to Miami's offense. If the passing attack can play a larger role in 2023, it could help Miami enjoy better luck with 2024 wide receiver recruits. Players like 5-star receivers Jeremiah Smith and JoJo Trader will want to know they can thrive and develop at Miami.
Something I wonder about Candle is his willingness to leave his head coaching gig in the group of five for a lesser role in the power five. You wouldn't necessarily consider the OC job at Miami to be a promotion, but you can expect Miami to offer him more money than the $1.1 million he makes annually at Toledo.
If Mario Cristobal can get this negotiation over the finish line, this is one that should make Hurricanes fans very happy.
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