Decisiveness hiring Manny Diaz saved Miami football future

The turnover since the Miami football team’s loss to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl has been significant. The changes on the Miami Hurricanes staff and player roster have been dramatic since then.

The changes to the Miami football program since the loss to Wisconsin have been exponential. They reportedly began when Mark Richt was implored to make changes to the offensive coaching staff by Athletic Director Blake James and the Miami Board of Trustees. Instead of making those change Richt chose to retire from coaching on December 30.

Less than 12 hours after Richt gave his resignation former Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz was hired as the 25th coach in Miami Football history. Diaz returned to Coral Gables 18 days after being hired as Head Coach at Temple.

The Hurricanes 35-3 loss to the Badgers was devastating. It was the second year in a row and third time in ten seasons that Miami lost to Wisconsin in Bowl game. The Hurricanes previously lost to the Badgers in the 2017 Orange Bowl and 2009 Champs Sports Bowl.

After Miami took a 14-3 lead in the first quarter of the Orange Bowl, the Badgers have outscored Miami 66-13 over the last seven quarters. A 21-0 s second quarter by Wisconsin in the Orange was decisive in the victory.

The upheaval in the Miami football program began earlier in the season before the loss to Wisconsin. The Hurricanes four-game losing streak in the middle of the season cost them in recruiting. Miami’s Surge ’19 Class plummeted from the top ten to its lowest point at 33rd in the 247 Composite rankings in December.