Miami safeties coach Ephraim Banda taking job as Utah State defensive coordinator
Popular Miami Hurricanes safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda, who has been with the Canes since 2016, has accepted a job as Utah State’s new defensive coordinator, sources told the Miami Herald on Sunday.
The news was first reported by The Athletic.
Utah State, which had one of the worst defenses in the nation in 2020, named former Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson its new head coach on Dec. 12.
The Hurricanes’ defensive coordinator is Blake Baker, who calls the plays on game day and is assisted throughout the week by UM head coach Manny Diaz and Banda.
Banda will also to take with him UM senior quality control analyst/defense Mike Zuckerman as Utah State’s inside linebackers coach, a source told the Herald, first reported by The Athletic, as well as Utah State’s addition of UM assistant director/player development/defense Alex Devine.
The Herald also confirmed through a source Sunday evening that former UM cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke, now serving as Canes assistant director/recruiting, is heading with the group and will become Utah State’s cornerbacks coach, as first reported by the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Miami’s defense played well for part of the season but horribly in other parts, including the last regular season game against North Carolina, when it allowed 778 total yards, including 554 rushing in a 62-26 UM loss.
The Canes also gave up 198 yards and 21 points to Oklahoma State in the first quarter of the Cheez-It Bowl before mounting an intense but ultimately unsuccessful comeback in a 37-34 loss on Dec. 29. Oklahoma State ended that game with 418 yards.
In 2019 as the co-defensive coordinator, Banda’s UM defense ranked 13th nationally in total defense and 12th in yards-per-play allowed. The Canes also ranked No. 4 nationally in tackles for loss, No. 6 in sacks, No. 10 in run defense, No. 16 in red zone defense and No. 18 in pass defense.
Miami now ranks 67th in total defense, allowing 408.4 yards a game, and 51st in scoring defense (27 points allowed a game). The Canes are still No. 4 in the nation in tackles for loss and are 33rd nationally in sacks. Their run defense is 76th and they have dropped to 65th in passing yards allowed. Red zone defense is No. 54.
Now, Banda will get his shot as a play-caller.
This story was originally published January 3, 2021 at 12:37 PM.
