Miami football shouldn’t make Alonzo Highsmith wait for potential hire

Reports that University of Miami Sports Hall of Famer member Alonzo Highsmith could be added as what athletic director Blake James called the chief of staff should be conducted quickly and let the legendary Miami football player know.

The Miami football program owes it to one of the greatest players to ever play football for the U on what their plans on. Miami Athletic Director Blake James told Hochman and Crowder on WQAM on Monday afternoon that he and head coach Manny Diaz were more focused on hiring a new offensive coordinator.

If the reports about the theoretical chief of staff position from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald are accurate it would seem that hiring Alonzo Highsmith before hiring the offensive coordinator would make more sense. Jackson reported on Monday night that the Hurricanes are going to delay a decision on Highsmith for now.

Highsmith has spent the last 20 years in the NFL as a scout and front office executive. He was the senior personnel executive for the Green Bay Packers from 2012-17 followed by being the Cleveland Brown Vice President of Player Personnel since 2018. Highsmith would be an amazing addition to the Miami football program.

Jackson reported that James and Highsmith spoke Monday about what he deemed“a high-level football administrative job” but that the decision would be delayed. Jackson heard from two different sources to confirm that James and Highsmith spoke. The Hurricanes will speak to other candidates for the yet to be named position.

James spoke on the Hochman and Crowder show on Monday afternoon about the genesis of potentially adding a high-level administrative job to the Miami football program. The idea surprisingly came from Diaz. Diaz often does not receive enough credit for innovation and how bad he wants to build a winner in Coral Gables.

"“Manny talked to me about a chief of staff position when he got the job. That is something that might happen in the future, yeah it is something Manny has brought up. But in the bigger picture we need to get an offensive coordinator. We aren’t going to win many games if we can’t score points…The number one thing right now is to get the right offensive coordinator in here and get this offense being productive. When you look at the numbers where we were offensively and where we were defensively it is at two ends of the spectrum. Our defense is in the top 25 in every major category.Our offense is in the bottom third and in some cases bottom 10 in the country in terms of some statistical categories…I am going to do whatever needs to be done to put Manny in the best position possible. If it is helping our program, I am fine having the finger pointed at me. We have some work to do.I am going to do what I can do to support Manny and make sure we are operating at a much higher level next year. We can’t be a 6-7 program. I get it that people want heads to roll.”"

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Highsmith is the 18th leading rusher in Miami history with 1,873 yards and 12th in Hurricanes history with 18th rushing touchdowns. Highsmith’s performance in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl would be one of the most legendary in Miami football history if the Hurricanes would have won the national championship.

Highsmith ran for over 100 yards and yet Jimmy Johnson continued to throw the football with Vinny Testaverde tossing five interceptions. The Hurricanes outgained Penn State nearly 3-1 and lost the Fiesta Bowl and the National Championship 14-7.

James continued to discuss the idea of adding a director of football operations and the potential impact that could have on the football program. Arizona State has taken a similar direction with Herman Edwards as the head coach and adding a professional style staff around him as coaches and what would be deemed the front office.

"“Someone who will work with Manny that’s the key. You have to have an alignment that’s the key. If that’s what’s right for Manny is to have someone in there. If it’s something that he feels will be helpful to him than I am going to be fully supportive of making that happen. It’s important to find the right person.I will work with him on if this is a position he’d like to fill. Who he feels the right person would be and why. You don’t necessarily want it to be a person who is going to look at things the same way you do.”"

There are many qualified candidates if Miami decides they need a director of operations type person to assist Diaz in running the football program. That includes Highsmith and others with ties to the Miami football program and even alums. A name to watch to have some capacity with the Hurricanes is former QB, Ken Dorsey.