After considerable hype in the 2019 offseason for the Miami football program, the season fell far below expectations. Head coach Manny Diaz was roundly criticized as the Hurricanes staggered to a 6-7 finish.
Manny Diaz was hired to replace Mark Richt as the Miami Hurricanes head coach three days after the U lost 35-3 to Wisconsin in the 2018 Pinstripe Bowl. Diaz created a buzz around the Miami football program with the phrase “The New Miami” and the #TNM hashtag to accompany it during the 2019 offseason.
The Miami Hurricanes won the 2019 college football offseason. That brought positive publicity to the Miami football program but Manny Diaz and his team were unable to turn that into a successful season on the gridiron. Diaz began the 2019 offseason by replacing the entire offensive coaching staff that was employed by Richt.
The Miami offense was abysmal and appeared uninspired in the loss to the Badgers. The Hurricanes had a championship-level defense in 2018, but an offense that often stalled led to a 7-6 and second straight bowl loss to the Badgers. The overhaul of the offensive coaching staff by hiring Dan Enos as offensive coordinator and QB coach.
Enos was extremely successful tutoring Tua Taigaovailoa and Jalen Hurts as the QB coach at Alabama in 2018. Taigovailoa was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Alabama lost to Clemson in the national championship game. Miami was bringing a highly successful and respected coach to lead the offense.
"122. Manny Diaz, Miami2017 Final Coach Ranking: Not Ranked2018 Final Coach Ranking: Not Ranked2019 Record: 6-7Considering the talent that was in place, the experience on defense, the high-end transfers to help the overall cause, and the excitement from the hiring of Diaz, coming up with a losing season with a shut out Independence Bowl loss to Louisiana Tech was a total disaster.Losing to FIU, Georgia Tech and Duke made it even uglier for a team that should’ve been in the ACC Championship."
The above ranking and summary for Manny Diaz and the 2019 season came from College Football writer and publisher Pete Fiutak from the College Football News. By any measure, Miami vastly underachieved in 2019. Diaz replaced nearly the entire offensive coaching staff for the second straight offseason.
Enos was replaced by former Auburn and SMU offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, offensive line coach Butch Barry is being succeeded by former UNLV offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Garin Justice and wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield who left for Penn State is expected to be replaced by Rob Likens.
Likens was the offensive coordinator at Arizona State the last two seasons. It is difficult to call the second year of a coaching tenure critical, but that is where we are at in 2020. Willie Taggart or Florida State and Chad Morris of Arkansas were both fired in the middle of their second season in 2019.
Diaz needs to have Miami get off to a good start in 2020. Unlike 2019 when Miami began the season with Florida and North Carolina, the Hurricanes begin 2020 with games against Temple and Wagner. Temple will not be a pushover, but the FCS Seahawks who finished 1-11 in 2019, will not indicate where Miami is.
Those games are followed by UAB and Michigan State. Miami has a much more traditional schedule this season. Their ACC opener will be at home against Pittsburgh October 3. The two games away from home to begin the 2019 season made the young Miami team grow up quickly. Miami will be able to ease in 2020.