The Miami offense made significant leaps this past season, Fisch’s second as offensive coordinator. Under Fisch, UM quarterback Stephen Morris, now going into his senior season, improved greatly. He threw for a career-high 3,345 yards and set a single-season total offense record with 3,415 yards.

The Hurricanes finished the 2012 season 37th nationally in total offense (440.1 yards per game), compared with 70th (377.7) in 2011.

They were 49th in scoring (31.4-point average) this past season compared to 63rd in 2011 (26.5).

“I’m sad about the news,’’ said Ed Thompson, whose son, David, will be a redshirt freshman quarterback this season. “We just really enjoyed him as a person. He was very kind not only to David but our entire family.

“Secondly, he’s just such a darned good coach. I think the results speak for themselves what he’s meant to the program. His pro-style offense has been spectacular.’’

Added Cassandra Mitchell, the mother of freshman All-American running back Duke Johnson: “Jedd Fisch is the one who sealed it for me as a mother. He could have lied to me and said, ‘We’re going to run the ball down their throats,’ when I first met him and asked him what type of offense he planned to run. He could have said, ‘Duke is going to run till his tongue falls out.’ But he was straight up from Day One.

“As a mother, honesty is all we can ask from anybody. I can’t do anything but respect him.”

Fisch, who came to UM from the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, spent nine years in the NFL as an assistant and has coached prominent NFL players such as quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and receiver Brandon Marshall.