The departures of cornerbacks coach Chevis Jackson to Wake Forest, defensive line coach Joe Salave'a to Arizona and linebackers coach Derek Nicholson to Missouri allows new Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman to bring in his own coaches entering the 2025 season.
Defensive line coach Jason Taylor, who focused more on edge rushers, is the lone remaining coach on defense for Miami entering the 2025 season. Salave'a primarily coached the defensive tackles for Miami before departing for Arizona. Hetherman has a lot of flexibility in creating the 2025 Miami defensive coaching staff.
Taylor could remain coaching primarily edge-rushers or be the sole defensive line coach for Miami in 2025. Previous Miami defensive coordinator Lance Guidry coached safeties for Miami in his two seasons with the Hurricanes. Hetherman was the linebackers coach at Minnesota and that is his primary background.
College defensive coordinators usually double as position coaches. If Miami goes that route, Hetherman would be likely to coach LBs. That would leave three position coaches open on the Miami staff. Mario Cristobal could also decide to use one of those other open staff positions for offense or special teams.
Mario Cristobal always tries to allow departing coaches to find new destinations rather than be terminated. Three open spots now for new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman to form a new team to take Miami defense back to competitive level. pic.twitter.com/ue0GPrzNmJ
— CaneSport Miami Hurricanes (@CaneSport) January 16, 2025
Miami could choose to use one of the three open coaching positions on a special teams coordinator. Isa Ferras and Danny Kalter currently serve as the special teams analysts with Miami. It seems likely Miami will use the open positions to replace the departures on the defensive coaching staff.
If Hetherman coaches the linebackers and Taylor is the sole DL coach, Miami could choose to bring in one CB coach and one for safeties as they had last season. There are multiple directions Cristobal and Hetherman could go with the new hires. Minnesota and Rutgers are the coaching staffs to watch.
Cristobal coached under Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano in the early 2000s and Hetherman was LBs coach for the Scarlet Knights in 2023. The name to watch in the secondary could be Nick Monroe of Minnesota. Monroe was the CBs coach and co-defensive coordinator with Hetherman last season.
Minnesota reportedly promoted safeties coach Danny Collins to defensive play-caller. How that affects Monroe could have an impact on the direction Hetherman chooses to go in hiring a CBs or secondary coach. Who is available could impact the direction Miami goes in filling out its defensive coaching staff.