‘Back in the 305!’ Miami Northwestern principal’s son returns from SEC to coach Canes
Miami Northwestern High principal Wallace Aristide’s immense joy upon learning that his son, Ishmael, had just been hired away from Texas A&M as the Miami Hurricanes outside linebackers coach, nearly equaled the emotions that seared through his body seconds after Ishmael was born Oct. 4, 1990, at Miami’s North Shore Medical Center.
“We didn’t know if he was a boy or girl because every time his mom and I went for an ultrasound, they could never get him to stay still,’’ Aristide, now 56, said. “This guy was all over the place.
“He comes out, he’s a boy and I grab him and start running around the hospital room with my baby in my arms,’’ said Aristide, a former head coach in the 1990s at North Miami and Miami Central and 1980s center for Bethune-Cookman under legendary Miami Dolphin Larry Little. “They must have thought, ‘This guy is crazy.’ But I was soooo happy. You know when you score a touchdown? I felt like I had scored one.’’
And that’s pretty much how he felt when his son called him late last month to say, “’I’m going to sign with UM in a couple hours,’’’ Aristide said. “I’m like, ‘Is this a dream? Is this really happening?’ I wanted to scream.’’
Like father, like son. The newest UM assistant coach, widely known as “Ish,’’ said last week that he was “on fire’’ knowing he had returned to his roots.
SEC to ACC
UM’s Aristide is back in his home city from the Aggies’ College Station, where he served for two years as a defensive analyst for Jimbo Fisher’s program that beat North Carolina in the Orange Bowl and finished the 2020 season with its lone loss to eventual national champion Alabama — the same team the Hurricanes will face Sept. 4 at Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta to open 2021.
“When you work at Northwestern and you see [Alabama coach] Nick Saban pull up to campus, it’s always a treat,’’ the dad said, chuckling. “But UM is coming. UM is knocking on the door. The Canes will be ready.
“And, of course, I’ll be there.’’
Before Texas A&M, the younger Aristide (pronounced Aristeed), who told reporters last week that he “came out of the womb’’ wearing a “Miami bib,’’ worked at Ole Miss as a senior player personnel analyst and at Auburn as a grad assistant, after playing for Purdue as a reserve safety and Academic All-Big Ten.
“Ish” grew up in Liberty City before eventually moving with his mom to Orlando, where he played at Maynard Evans High in Orlando. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Purdue in 2013 in technology leadership and innovation, and gave up a six-figure job, Wallace said, as a consultant at Deloitte in Atlanta from 2013-16 before joining the Auburn coaching staff.
“Let’s do it, baby!’’ a beaming Ish shouted, throwing up the U at the end of his introduction to the Miami media during a Zoom video conference last week. “Back in the 305!”
Recruiting is strength
Although this is Ish’s first coaching job, his strength, for now, is believed to be his recruiting ability, refined at A&M, where he exclusively was in charge of Miami and the South Florida area. He grew up watching his father deal with teenagers as both a school administrator and high school coach, tagging along wherever dad went, whether that be the living room of a concerned parent or the sidelines at practice.
“This is what Ish was born into,’’ said Wallace, who lives in Biscayne Gardens. He said his son, as a child, was constantly referred to as “the little guy.’’
“He sat there and probably felt like a little celebrity because everyone was enamored of him. There were a lot of challenges with the young people I worked with, and Ish took everything in.’’
Ish was the main recruiter of Aggies’ defensive end Donell Harris, an Army All-American and four-star prospect from Miami Gulliver Prep’s Class of 2020. He also recruited running back Amari Daniels, another 2020 four-star from Miami Central, as well as Central wideout Yulkeith Brown.
He now will also be able to work the Orlando area as well, as his ties there are deep.
Ish said his family connection — his Uncle William, Wallace’s brother, is the former Booker T. Washington principal — will help his “credibility” in being “a South Florida guy,’’’ as well as someone who knows Orlando. “I’m going to know somebody that knows somebody that knows somebody. Somebody’s aunty, uncle, sister, cousin, I know from somewhere— trust me.’’
‘Very intense’
Wallace described his son as extremely competitive and focused. “He’s going to be a very intense coach,’’ the principal said. “He wants to do well and he’s going to be good for student-athletes because he’ll push them academically. ‘You’ve got to get to class,’ he’ll tell them. “He’s animated. And he’ll motivate them to get their UM degrees.”
Ish will help groom the UM strikers, the linebacker/safety hybrid position that UM added to its defensive scheme during coach Manny Diaz’s tenure. Former strikers coach Jonathan Patke will now be coaching the inside linebackers in addition to his special teams role.
“Believe me,’’ Wallace said, “when Ish inspires the strikers, they will strike.’’
Born a UM fan
Ish said he’s always been a Miami Hurricanes fan.
“My entire family is from here,’’ he said. “Growing up in Florida, no matter where you’re at and what environment you’re in, everybody was a fan of the Miami Hurricanes. How they played, the style they played with, the swagger, the confidence.”
He said it’s great to be back home.
“I moved away from Miami as a teenager and now he’s got me back,’’ Ish said of his father. “This is a family thing, because we operate that way. Most of my family comes from the academia world. [Dad] is thrilled and I’m excited.”
Don Bailey Jr.
One instant fan of UM’s new outside linebacker coach is former UM center Don Bailey Jr., 59, a UM broadcaster and former Canes star who was the center for quarterback great Jim Kelly, as well as former Canes head coach Mark Richt.
“Don Bailey Jr. was my hero,’’ said Wallace, who played for Archbishop Curley High. “I wanted to be him.’’
Bailey joked to the Miami Herald that the only people who would watch a center play would be Aristide and Bailey’s parents and wife. “That apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,’’ Bailey said of Ish and Wallace. “They’re more like twins than father and son. Identical personalities, energy and drive. They’re great role models and success stories from our community.
“Ishmael and Wallace Aristide don’t fail. Their hearts are about making their students and everyone around them better.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 4:14 PM.
