Miami football positive responses with Charlie Strong LB coach hire

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.