Miami Hurricanes switch the script for spring football practice, which begins Monday
Time to switch the script and exit the huddle.
University of Miami spring football practice begins on campus Monday morning at Greentree Field, and there’s no place to focus but forward.
The Hurricanes, who finished 6-7 last season with a dreadful offense, have plenty of reason to be hopeful in 2020. They also will have plenty of work ahead of them as new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee installs a completely new no-huddle, spread offense.
“Practice will be different for our guys,’’ Lashlee told the Miami Herald. “First of all they never return to a huddle. Everything is just faster in terms of tempo, not just the way we run our plays but just from drill to drill. A lot of coaching on the run.’’
The Canes, coached by Manny Diaz, will be without former starting quarterback Jarren Williams, who announced his transfer after former Houston star quarterback D’Eriq King announced he would transfer to Miami.
Miami also will be without some key former veterans, such as linebackers Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney; cornerback Trajan Bandy; defensive ends Jonathan Garvin, Trevon Hill and Scott Patchan; running back DeeJay Dallas; and receivers K.J. Osborn and Jeff Thomas.
Besides Lashlee, UM hired new receivers coach Rob Likens to replace Taylor Stubblefield; and new offensive line coach Garin Justice to replace Butch Barry.
The Canes were ranked 98th of 130 FBS teams last season in total offense, averaging 367.2 yards a game. They were 90th in scoring offense (25.7 points a game), 129th in third-down conversion percentage (27.2 percent) and 127th in sacks allowed, averaging nearly four allowed a game.
Lashlee knows it will take time to grow. The Canes, like every other FBS team, are allotted 15 spring practices, including the spring game April 11 at Traz Powell Stadium.
“Spring is spring,’’ Lashlee said. “It’s for fundamentals and teaching and improving. When we come out of spring we need our guys to have an understanding of our style of play, the tempo and everything else we want them to buy into.
“Just as long as they have a good understanding of the standard and expectations and an understanding of our base system in the run game and pass game, then they can go into summer on their own and really continue to improve.’’
UM practice is closed to the public.
This story was originally published March 1, 2020 at 1:36 PM.
