The 2019 Miami football season was the second disappointing one in a row. Miami finished 6-6 in the regular season following a 7-6, 2018 season. In his postgame, Manny Diaz said he is focused on changing the culture of the team, not the coaching staff.
There is a lot to be answered following a season where five of the six losses by the Miami football team came in games that the Hurricanes were favored to win. Four of those games the Hurricanes were favored by at least eight points and three by 14 or more. A lot of questions are being asked about what happened in 2019.
There are no easy answers. Miami improved their play at quarterback but it was still inconsistent. Miami was unable to move the football against below-average defenses in losses to FIU and Duke in the last two weeks of the season. That came after 52 points and six touchdown passes against Louisville three weeks ago.
There has been a sizeable portion of the Miami football fan base that wants another coaching change or for at least one of both coordinators to be fired. Any changes that are made will likely not be until after the Hurricanes bowl game next month. Diaz will need some time to analyze what worked and what did not this season.
He will undoubtedly meet with his coaching staff after the season and go over what did and did not work this season. Asked in the postgame if he would be making any coaching changes following the season Diaz said it’s too soon to focus on that. He then discussed the changes in culture that need to occur.
"“That is not something that at this moment I am prepared to think about. We have to change the way that we are playing. Now there is a lot of things that go into how that happens.As you get through the year and you step back and you look at the entirety of the year, you evaluate your staff and you evaluate anything in your program. You have to look at yourself with an honest eye in everything you set out to accomplish. I am proud that our attitude and effort was what it was tonight.I am proud that the leadership, guys gave their all after all of the negativity a week ago. Some times it just comes down to ball. You just have to play football better than the other guys play football. I think it showed signs that the guys do want to come together, but we have to play football better than we did tonight.”"
Diaz has been transparent all season. He is not stating anything that anyone who follows the Miami football program doesn’t know. The Hurricanes showed signs this season of being a good football team. The loss to Duke on Saturday was the first of the season by more than one possession.
The six Miami losses in 2019 were by a total of 37 points or just over six per game. The Hurricanes fought hard in every game. There was never a sign of giving up o giving in like the 2018 Miami football team seemed to do. Time will tell if Diaz was the right hire. The Hurricanes need time to completely change the culture.