There are still plenty of people who have been left stunned by the fact that Matt Merritt is saying goodbye to Coral Gables. In case you missed it on Thursday night, the stud running backs coach is headed to the NFL, joining the Arizona Cardinals staff.
ESPN analyst names Miami among teams that improved its CFP chances
It's an offseason twist that no one was ready for, as Merritt has done incredible work to help lead the ground game for the Canes. There's no time to waste for Miami in finding a replacement, and names are starting to pop up as potential candidates. Enter Tony Alford? His name has been brought up by new Miami reporter EJ Holland, but this is going to be TOUGH for Cristobal to pull off:
Tony Alford makes A LOT of sense for Miami's RB coach vacancy. Elite developer and recruiter with strong ties to the state of Florida.
— "EJ Holland" (@EJHollandOn3) February 6, 2026
Why I would love for the Hurricanes to steal him away from Michigan #GoCanes. https://t.co/v9UCGuVvy1 pic.twitter.com/VBXWqwZXeP
Miami losing Matt Merritt comes at a tough time for Mario Cristobal and the Canes
On paper, yeah, Alford making the move from Michigan to Miami would be a dream come true. He's a fantastic position coach and he's known as an ace recruiter. However, new Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham is keeping him in Ann Arbor for a reason.
There's no way that Alford is going to leave without getting a blank check - Michigan won't allow it. Alford stunned plenty of people not too long ago when he left Ohio State to join the Michigan staff under former coach Sherrone Moore.
Funny enough, Ohio State ended up winning the national title right after Alford left. However, Michigan indeed retained him and Whittingham knows how important he's going to be for the Wolverines moving forward.
So, where will that leave things for the Canes in terms of the program's search for a new position coach? It's hard to say. Due to the timing of this, it might be tricky for Cristobal to make a splash hire. With that said, Mark Fletcher Jr. is back and Miami is going to have one of the best RBs rooms in the country. It's going to be an attractive position for someone who wants to join Cristobal in trying to get back to the CFP next season. Hopefully not too much time passes before a hire is made here.