Recruiting At the Forefront of Miami's Next Coaching Hire
Miami's next coaching hire will be big for recruiting.
Every Hurricanes coach is expected to pull his weight along the recruiting trail. Whether recruiting inside the state of Florida, in the South, or even out West, Mario Cristobal holds his coaches to a high standard with recruiting. He should. It's the lifeblood of the football program overall.
With running back coach Tim Harris, Jr. taking the UCF co-offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach position, there's another opening. Cristobal now must replace one of the staff's most effective recruiters. There are good reasons Harris did well for Miami, especially in South Florida.
He's a Miami guy. An All-American in track and field for the Canes, Harris is also a former FIU coach for six years, and even coached Miami Booker T. Washington to the 2014 state title. In short, Harris knows the territory that the Canes must always hit the hardest.
Harris finds his way around the greater Broward and Dade County schools well. His contacts are all but endless. He's also a coach who went on the road to help the Canes reel in players from out of state with his efforts during in-home visits that are crucial during the final steps leading up to this past National Signing Day. Here's an example of his local exploits.
The Canes were able to flip elite running back Jordan Lyle. That process came with the help of Harris and the rest of the UM staff working together. Flipping a prospect from Ohio State is not easy. It's also a testament to what the next Miami running back needs to be able to accomplish in recruiting.
What exactly does the next UM running backs coach need to have on the resume?
Yes, it would be ideal if it is someone with natural ties to South Florida like Harris. It's not an automatic no if the next running backs coach does not, but Cristobal understands that Miami's recruiting is likely going to be better with as many coaches that possess South Florida ties as possible.
The other key, be a coach willing to put in the long hours on the phone, on the computer, and traveling frequently. Here's another way to describe it, as Canes Warning writer Alan Rubenstein wrote.
"Cristobal will expect the replacement for Harris Jr. to be a relentless recruiter."
This means adjusting to the task at hand. For instance, Miami has four running back signees from the classes of 2023 and 2024 who each hail from a Broward County high school. It's been a tremendous two years for South Florida running backs and Miami hit the motherload.
If there's soon a down year in South Florida, however unlikely, the next running back coach needs to be able to land a player from Virginia, Illinois, Texas, or wherever the Canes might land a top running back.
Additionally, just like with Harris, the next coach needs to be a team player looking to go on the road and make a concerted effort for the roster to get better no matter the position of the recruit he's visiting at a high school.
That team-first mentality is currently permeating throughout the UM coaching staff and it's a major reason why the Canes are coming off back-to-back elite recruiting classes.
The next running back coach will be a big hire for Miami.
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.