Toledo head coach Jason Candle who has emerged as a top candidate to be the offensive coordinator for the Miami football program is a proven talent developer. In seven seasons as the head coach at Toledo Candle has a 54-32 record. Candle recently signed a contract extension and turned Miami down last year as OC.
Candle is a proven talent developer at the Division III level with his alma mater Mount Union and in 14 years as an assistant and head coach with Group of Five program Toledo. Twenty-eight players who Candle coached at Mount Union and Toledo have played in the NFL. Ten of those players were selected in the NFL Draft.
Candle has been particularly productive in developing wide receivers. Pierre Garcon and Cecil Shorts became NFL stars from Mount Union. Garcon had 628 career receptions for 7,854 receiving yards and 38 touchdowns in 11 seasons. Garcon led the NFL with 113 receptions and 1,346 receiving yards in 2013.
Shorts recorded 229 receptions for 2,979 receiving yards with 14 TDs in six NFL seasons. More recently, Candle led the development of multiple NFL draftees that includes running back Kareem Hunt and WR Diontae Johnson. Hunt led the NFL in rushing as a rookie in 2017 with 1,327 yards and has 4,025 career rushing yards.
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Candle has also proven himself as a recruiter. Five times during his tenure at Toledo the Rockets have signed the top class in the Mid American Conference. As an assistant coach Candle was named the top recruiter in the MAC in 2011 and 2012 by Scout.Com. Toledo signed the second-best class in the MAC in Candle’s first season.
Miami has competition to hire Candle with Notre Dame also looking for an OC with Tommy Rees recently leaving for Alabama. Mario Cristobal and the Miami football program will also be searching for a defensive coordinator after it was reported on Sunday night that Kevin Steele is leaving for the same position at Alabama.