Harris believes that bringing in Highsmith or anyone else in a general manager type role could set a dangerous precedent for the future. Harris tweeted about it over the weekend and discussed it last week with Navarro on the Wide Right podcast. A flock of Miami football fans and the media support hiring Highsmith blindly.
Hiring Alonzo Highsmith to oversee the entire football program in a general manager-type position in college football is extremely complicated. Harris is correct that it having someone above the head football coach or at least on equal power could make the Hurricanes a pariah with agents and head coaches.
ICYMI - @WideRightPod 🎙 Kelvin Harris @Ebonylifestyles and I discuss the latest rumors surrounding Miami's Chief of Staff hiring process. Is Alonzo Highsmith a legitimate candidate? Plus OC and Lorenzo Lingard talk https://t.co/zHWRzHRIiF
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) January 3, 2020
A college football coach is essentially the general manager of his football program. He wants to be able to oversee all the aspects of growing that program. Even in Tempe, Edwards still has control over the hiring of his staff. Give that power to someone else and coaches will likely go elsewhere.
If Miami was going to make this move it would have been much better a year ago when Diaz returned from Temple to truly start his first position as a head coach. Diaz is frequently criticized for not having head coaching experience. Highsmith has not been a general manager nor worked in college during his post-playing career.
No one on the Miami coaching staff has been an FBS head coach other than Diaz. Bringing in an experienced head coach looking to wind down his career might be a better solution than Highsmith. If Diaz and athletic director Blake James can bring in Highsmith for the chief of staff position that will help the Miami football program.