The Miami football program has received positive responses for hiring former Louisville, Texas and South Florida head coach Charlie Strong as linebackers coach late on Friday night. Strong being hired by head coach Mario Cristobal continues the high profile staff being assembled in Coral Gables.
Cristobal recently hired high-profile coordinators. Kevin Steele who has been the defensive coordinator at multiple SEC programs was hired earlier this month for the same position with Miami. Cristobal pulled a coup hiring top offensive coordinator Josh Gattis away from Michigan.
Strong working with Steele gives Miami a lot of experience on its defensive coaching staff. In 10 years as a head coach, Strong was 74–53. Strong was a defensive analyst at Alabama in 2020. In 2021 Strong was the Assistant head coach and inside LB coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars under Urban Meyer,
Hiring Strong continues the trend of Cristobal adding coaches to the Miami staff who have coached under Saban. Gattis and Steele have also been on the Alabama staff. All of the hires by Cristobal have been successful during their careers as recruiters. Recruiting is an extreme priority for Cristobal.
Mario Cristobal continues to assemble an impressive staff at @CanesFootball. Sources tell ESPN that Charlie Strong, the former Texas, Louisville and USF head coach, is finalizing a deal to coach LBs at The U. Strong has deep recruiting ties in South Florida.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) February 19, 2022
Low originally broke the story that Strong was joining the Miami football staff. Cristobal has been patient in filling out his coaching staff. That patience has paid off this month after previously being criticized for taking what has nearly been 2.5 months to fill out his staff. Miami potentially has two more open positions.
For the first time in literally ever, Miami has paid its HC top dollar AND given him carte blanche to do what is needed to hire a staff. It’s as stunning a philosophical turnaround as any I can remember and one that’s been long overdue. The hard part comes next … https://t.co/ZFWwIuHkgh
— Andrea Adelson (@aadelsonESPN) February 19, 2022
The financial commitment that Miami has made to the football staff is unprecedented. It was speculated prior to Cristobal being hired as head coach that a financial commitment to the coaching staff was going to be required to lure Cristobal from Oregon. Cristobal has a staff full of award winners.
The staff Mario Cristobal has now lined up at Miami is impressive. From the Broyles Award winner (OC Josh Gattis) to a top SEC DC (Kevin Steele) to a bunch of guys with great reps as teachers and have deep local recruiting ties, it’s already loaded: https://t.co/ozvdaItgJo https://t.co/xCw3g1vyLN
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 19, 2022
The staff assembled by Cristobal is the best for Miami since at least the early 2000s. Cristobal has put together a good balance of experienced coaches on the defensive staff with the exuberance of a younger offensive staff with Gattis, quarterbacks coach Frank Ponce and running backs coach Kevin Smith on offense.
Quite a staff being assembled https://t.co/yxjxpICzvC
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) February 19, 2022
This is a hell of a hire. Cristobal is forming one excellent unit down in Coral Gables https://t.co/J0yleiByad
— Antwan V. Staley (@antwanstaley) February 19, 2022
Strong was highly respected during his time as the defensive coordinator at Florida. The Gators won two national championships with Meyer as the HC and Strong as the DC. Strong is highly respected as a developer. The success Strong had at Florida led to being hired by Louisville as their HC.
I know a lot of it is fans being fans on social media, and I'm not talking about the Xs and Os side of it. From the standpoint of having a coach that you want in your building & around your players, it's hard to do better than Charlie Strong. No need to @ me, I feel how I feel.
— Inside the Gators (@InsideTheGators) February 19, 2022
One of the most amazing things through all of his hires has been the ability for Cristobal to keep the new members of his staff quiet until the decisions were close to being finalized. Cristobal is an old school HC. The time Cristobal spent under Saban was like a self-described PH.D. Miami will be more efficient under Cristobal.
What I love is your not hearing any news of these potential hires beforehand. Mario is working behind the scenes along with the AD etc. I mean Charlie Strong LBs?? Thats just the ultimate “we aint f’n around” anymore hire I’ll ask AGAIN! Who gonna b wit me at Hard Rock Sept 3!!!
— Miami Mando 🙌🏝🏈⚾️🏀🥊🏒⛳️ (@LakersCanes305) February 19, 2022
The two positions that Miami could hire are tight ends coach and an unnamed position on defense. Stephen Field seems likely to remain as the TE coach for Miami. The defensive position was reportedly going to be added as an ends coach. Joe Salave’a is currently the Miami defensive line coach.
Demarcus Van Dyke who was the cornerbacks’ coach last season remains on the Miami football staff. No announcements have been made about the futures of Field or Van Dyke. No matter who Cristobal anoints to the final two positions on the Miami coaching staff, the commitment to elite coaches is competitive.