What happened to Miami Football National Search for new DC?

The Miami Athletic Department released a statement Thursday from Head Coach Mark ` that a National Search would be conducted for Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz’s replacement. About 24 hours later the Miami football named Co-Defensive Coordinators.

The naming of Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda and Outside Linebackers Coach Jonathan Patke as the new Co-Defensive Coordinators for the Miami Football program surprised most that follow the Hurricanes and were very polarizing choices.

The question is why did the Miami Athletic Department release a statement saying a national search would be conducted and then about 24 hours later hire from within? There are a number of theories that could be conveyed about what happened in that short period of time.

The early signing period for high school Seniors to sign National Letters of Intent is December 19. The announcement of Banda and Patke as the new Co-Defensive Coordinators came five days before National Signing Day.

After talking it over with the staff and administration, Richt could have decided to keep the continuity and hire from within. The Miami football team’s sideline reporter Josh Darrow who also has the podcast Five Rings: A Canes Thing that has thus far been all about the football program sent out Tweets discussing Diaz’s successors.

Darrow sent out a multitude of Tweets that validates the theory that keeping Banda and Patke was partially about the continuity of Diaz’s and the importance of their connection with recruits.

While keeping promoting Banda and Patke will maintain continuity and help immediately with recruiting the decision seemed hasty. The promotions especially seemed rushed after the press release that a national search was going to be conducted.

Banda and Patke are professionals and have done a great job learning from Diaz as part of his defensive staffs at Miami, Mississippi State, Louisiana Tech and Texas.