The most successful defensive coordinator Mario Cristobal ever had was Alex Avalos. Avalos was his DC at Oregon for two years. As per Mike West, writer for Fishduck.com, Avalos' base was a "five-man front," where he played offenses alternating down linemen (listed as a 3-3-5 scheme). No other defensive coordinator lasted longer with Cristobal.
Corey Hetherman was introduced as the third defensive coordinator for the Hurricanes under Cristobal's watch. Lance Guidry and Hetherman had similar resumes before coming to Miami. Guidry was touted as an "aggressive" defensive coordinator. Hetherman said, "We'll be aggressive" in his press conference, which has fans excited.
Coach Hetherman arguably inherited the defensive unit of former coordinator Joe Rossi. Hetherman became DC in 2023 at Minnesota. The Gophers were ranked as high as third in the NCAA in the 2021-2022 season, then took a nose dive to No. 50 in 2023 before getting back up to fifth this past season.
As per Matt Shodel, although Guidry and Hetherman run the same 4-2-5 defensive scheme, "he'll (Hetherman) do whatever suits his personnel and the opponent/game situation." Shodel infers that Guidry made his defense too complex with multiple reads and responsibilities, while Hetherman sharpens the defense to maximize their talents and abilities.
Corey Hetherman is ready to bring an aggressive mindset for Miami's defense
Every UM fan since Randy Shannon was coach has wondered the following question, "Does the team do bad because of the coaching or the players?" The Hurricane defense has an average ranking of No. 47 since 2007. Denzel Perryman, Calais Campbell, Jalean Phillips and Gregory Rousseau have been the only standout players that were drafted high and had good NFL careers.
Although Hetherman doesn't have a long resume as a defensive coordinator, it may be for a reason. Kevin Steele had a long resume as a defensive coordinator and is now the DC at Alabama. Manny Diaz has gone from the defensive coordinator at Penn State to the head coach at Duke less than four years after leaving Miami. Coaches with resumes seem to be a short-term answer.
Hetherman could be successful, but since his resume isn't long, he may stay at Miami longer than a couple of years to build said resume. Miami has not had stability at defensive coordinator since Manny Diaz (three years) and Mark D'Onofrio (five years.) Hetherman's possible flexibility is a strength since Guidry showed terrible aptitude to adjust to opponent's attacks.