In evaluating “2021 College Football Hot Seat Rankings: Evaluating the job security of all 130 FBS coaches.” CBS Sports stated that Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz improved from the level of four with the “need to start improving now” to level two of “all good…for now” entering the 2021 season.
Miami has improved by almost every measure in the 2.5 years since Diaz succeeded Mark Richt as the Hurricanes head coach. After finishing 6-7 during his first season in 2019 and the “need to start improving now” Miami improved to 8-3 in 2020 with Diaz’s job status is “all good…for now” entering the 2021 season.
The lowest rating for coaches on the hot seat as ranked by CBS Sports is five which is defined as five and the need for a coach to “win or be fired. Only three coaches fit need to win or be fired in 2021 according to CBS Sports. Level four by CBS Sports is “start improving now” which has six coaches on that level.
Level three which is the middle of coaches is defined as “pressure is mounting” for 14 coaches. Diaz is part of “all good…for now” are 52 coaches whose jobs are “safe and secure.” The highest level of coaches is 22 who have jobs that are “untouchable.” Several ACC coaches and Miami opponents are listed as “All good…for now.”
Geoff Collins of Georgia Tech, Scott Satterfield of Louisville, Mel Tucker of Michigan State who Miami plays in non-conference and Pat Naduzzi of Pittsburgh need to have their programs improving to avoid their seats getting hotter entering the 2022 season. Miami needs to win the games they are expected to in 2021.
The Hurricanes begin the 2021 season against Alabama. Miami will be favored in subsequent non-conference games against Appalachian State, Michigan State and Central Connecticut State before hosting Virginia in their ACC opener. The Hurricanes should be no worse than 4-1 entering its game at North Carolina on October 16.
In addition to the improvement Miami had during the 2020 season, Diaz has improved the Hurricanes recruiting and taken the initiative to make changes to the coaching staff during all three of his offseasons. Diaz inherited the 27th ranked signing class in 2019. Miami has improved to 17th in 2020 and 11th in 2021.
After being hired as head coach in December 2018, Diaz fired the entire offensive coaching staff shortly after. When the Miami offense did not improve in 2019, coordinator Dan Enos was fired and wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield left for Penn State. Diaz made significant defensive coaching changes for the 2021 season.
Miami Hurricanes players out to introduce themselves to campers. Manny Diaz asked how many previously participated in Paradise, and most of them raised their hands. pic.twitter.com/lOzxBGIrr6
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) June 26, 2021
Co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda left to run his own defense at Utah State. Blake Baker who called defensive plays for the Miami Hurricanes during the first two seasons in the Diaz regime had that responsibility taken away from him following the 2020 season. Baker left Miami for LSU after last season.
Diaz also reassigned defensive line coach Todd Stroud and cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph to administrative and recruiting jobs after the 2020 season. Jess Simpson returned from two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons to replace Stroud who he preceded as Miami DL coach. Miami replaced nearly their entire defensive staff.
Travaris Robinson was hired as the defensive backs coach and DeMarcus Van Dyke has been elevated to cornerbacks coach from the recruiting staff. Miami also hired Ishmael Aristide as the strikers’ coach. Jonathan Patke who is the Miami Hurricanes special teams coordinator moved from strikers coach to linebackers coach.
With Diaz continuing to make the changes necessary and the improvement Miami has shown his job being “all good for now” is accurate. Miami has to continue winning the games they are expected to in 2021. The Hurricanes’ next step is to win big games in 2021, Miami lost three times on the big stage in 2020.