Job on Miami Hurricanes staff big breakthrough for OLB Coach Patke

Coaching for Mark Richt is a breakthrough for new Miami Hurricanes outside linebackers coach Jonathan Patke. He spent the last two seasons as the Miami Hurricanes Defensive Quality Control Analyst.

Patke was elevated to a position coach with the Miami Hurricanes when the NCAA increased the number of assistant coaches allowed from nine to ten for each program.

Patke came to Miami from Mississippi State in 2016 with Hurricanes Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz. He was a Defensive Graduate Assistant in Starkville.

Patke previously worked with Diaz at Louisiana Tech in 2015. He also worked with UM Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda at Incarnate Word in Texas. Patke played College Football at FCS Stephen F. Austin.

Patke spoke about the prestige of being on Richt’s staff.

"“It’s an unbelievable breakthrough [in my career],…That’s’ what you work for. For four years I was a graduate assistant, two as a quality control [coach], and all you work for is that first opportunity; and it was an unbelievable opportunity to be here at Miami with Coach Richt and Coach Diaz, so I’m so blessed that it happened here. The first job is the hardest and now that I have that on my resume, it’s unbelievable and that’s’ what you work for.”"

In his first job as a position Coach, Patke gets to work with two two year starters. Zach McCloud at the SAM or strongside linebacker and Michael Pinckney as the WILL or weakside linebacker are two-year starters.

They team with Shaq Quarterman to form one of the best linebacking corps in the country. All three have started their first two seasons in college.