No one, and we mean no one, can argue with the fact that the Miami defense kept the Hurricanes out of the College Football Playoff last campaign. Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, put up historic numbers for the Canes, but the defense was abysmal.
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Lance Guidry was fired as defensive coordinator in late December of last year and Minnesota's Corey Hetherman was brought in. At the time, the move was viewed as questionable by head man Mario Cristobal, as not many people were too familiar with the rising coach.
Fast forward to present time and Hetherman has completely turned things around on that side of the ball for Miami. There's no question Hetherman taking over the defense has played a massive role in Miami reaching the College Football Playoff, with a date against Texas A&M coming next week.
Corey Hetherman is a Broyles Award semifinalist! 🙌
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) December 2, 2025
Canes Family, help push him into the Final 5 by voting once every 24 hours at https://t.co/gFM1myvqnC pic.twitter.com/88xDbq0IAh
Miami DC Corey Hetherman has proven to be gold for head coach Mario Cristobal
This week, Hetherman was named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, an honor given to the top assistant in the country. Miami fans are not surprised by this, as they've been showering him with love for a while now.
Under Guidry's guidance, the Miami defense was in shambles, with things reaching a low point last year. Again, with even a mediocre defense in 2024, maybe the Canes would have reached the College Football Playoff. Instead, Miami had to watch things from home, with Ohio State winning it all.
That's not the case this year, as despite controversy surrounding the decision, Miami was able to sneak in over Notre Dame. A first-round dance in the CFP is set against Texas A&M, with Miami hoping to post an upset in College Station.
When Hetherman was first hired by the Canes and Cristobal, plenty of people made it seem like it was a giant mistake. That hasn't been the case, though. Hetherman has been a gift from the Football Gods and he's one of the main reasons Miami is still in the hunt to win the natty. He's been a home-run hire for Miami, no doubt.