Miami football fans obsession with Butch Davis needs to end
The frustration with Manny Diaz and the current state of the Miami football program is understandable. The obsession with Butch Davis 19 years after he left the Hurricanes is baffling.
In spite of the victory by Florida International over the Miami football program in 2019, the Panthers and Hurricanes had very similar seasons. Both programs finished the season 6-7 after losing their bowl games. The Hurricanes finished the season with three straight losses and Panthers lost their final two games.
A brash segment of the Miami football fan base is proclaiming that current FIU and former Miami head coach Butch Davis can make the nearly 10 mile trip from the Panthers campus to Coral Gables and ride in on the white horse and fix what ails the Miami football program. It’s short-sided and not going to happen.
Many of the problems with the Miami football program are parallel to the issues facing Davis and FIU. After the classless performance of faking injuries in their victory over the Hurricanes in November Davis is fortunate to still have a job. Manny Diaz took control of his program and sent a clear message to Davis after the loss to FIU.
Diaz correctly called the tactic to flop and feign injury by FIU players turning the game into a farce. It took away from the greatest victory in FIU history. There are bigger problems and issues within the FIU Football program than what happened at Marlins Park. The FIU season was eerily similar to Miami.
Miami Hurricanes Football
The Panthers 2020 recruiting class is ranked only ninth in Conference USA and 88th overall nationally. Davis is 23-16 at FIU. This season was a disappointment for the Hurricanes crosstown near rival after finishing 17-7 in his Davis’ two seasons. The first three recruiting classes under Davis were 10th, fifth and first in C-USA.
Davis and Diaz both come from defensive backgrounds. As a defensive coach in 2019 Miami’s defense was far superior facing better opponents. Miami did lose to FIU but that’s a one-game sample. Over the course of a 13 game season against better opponents, Miami was far better. The Hurricanes are 12th in total defense, FIU 67th.
Miami was 24th in scoring defense, 62nd. The Hurricanes finished 19th against the run and the pass. FIU 105th and 18th. Miami needs to clean up other elements like third down defensively, but they were far superior on defense to FIU in 2019. Diaz has also done a better job with his two recruiting classes compared to Davis.
Diaz was already hired with the majority of the 2019 class already joining the Miami football program about a week before his hiring during the early signing period in December 2018. The Hurricanes 2019 signees were ranked a disappointing 27th overall and fourth in the ACC. Diaz salvaged that class.
Miami did have many defections that part of the fanbase has focused on in the nearly two weeks since the early signing period commenced. The Hurricanes 2020 recruiting class is currently 17th overall and second in the ACC. Compared to the peers of their conference Diaz and his staff have outperformed Davis and FIU.
Next. Manny Diaz sends clear message to Butch Davis. dark
The crying for Davis is based on his accomplishments 20 years ago. He has upgraded the FIU football program but been dominated by Lane Kiffin and FAU. Time will tell if Willie Taggart can continue the Owls’ success. The clock is also ticking for Diaz and his staff to turn the Miami football program around, Davis is not the answer.