Update on the Miami Hurricanes athletic director search and where Manny Diaz stands
The upper levels of the University of Miami football administration would like to hire an athletic director who understands the culture of Hurricanes football and is intimately familiar with the market, a source involved in the process said over the weekend.
That has narrowed the search to a fairly limited group.
Among those who have interviewed to replace former athletic director Blake James: former UM stars Gino Torretta and Alonzo Highsmith.
If Highsmith or Torretta is hired, either likely would receive considerable help from a career administrator. UM deputy director of athletics Jennifer Strawley is an option to assume a larger role in that scenario, and other career administrators could be considered.
It hasn’t been revealed what official title a football-intensive administrator, such as Highsmith or Torretta, would be given. Either could be given the AD job, with a No. 2 carrying more responsibility that is typically the case.
“This whole thing revolves around football,’’ a source close to the situation said. “Nothing else.’’
The situation needs to be resolved quickly because the Class of 2022 football players can begin signing letters of intent from Dec. 15-17.
Career administrators who are familiar with the South Florida market include, among others, Washington State athletic director Pat Chun, the former athletic director at Florida Atlantic; Texas Tech deputy director of athletics Tony Hernandez (who previously worked at UM); current FAU AD Brian White; and New Mexico athletic director Eddie Nunez, who grew up in Miami and has interest in the job.
It’s unclear if any of them have interviewed with Miami or Turnkey, the search firm that UM hired to assist in the process.
Nunez is a Cuban-American Miami native who played basketball at Miami High and Miami-Dade College and went on to play at the University of Florida under Billy Donovan. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sports administration at UF.
He spent two seasons as a graduate assistant under Donovan before beginning his sports administration career, which included early stops at Marquette in the men’s basketball program and Vanderbilt, where he managed games and events. Before joining New Mexico, he had a 14-year tenure at LSU, where he finished as deputy director of athletics and helped guide a $400 million facility renovation and 10-year multimedia rights deals.
Former Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich, whose name was raised early in the process, has not been contacted for an interview.
At least two of the candidates for the job likely would dismiss Manny Diaz, according to multiple sources.
There is strong support internally for pursuing Oregon coach Mario Cristobal, but UM president Julio Frenk wants the new athletic director to make the decision on Diaz’s fate and whether to pursue Cristobal, who would need to decide whether to leave Oregon to coach his former college team.
Both Highsmith and Torretta have strong support among different factions of the university, including key Board of Trustee members and high-ranking administrators involved in the process. One source said Torretta impressed in his interview.
One UM official said there’s interest in doing something “meaningful,” that would transform the Hurricanes football program.
But Frenk must be comfortable with hiring a former player who has never worked in a college athletic department.
Highsmith has worked more than 20 years as an NFL personnel executive and scout; he currently works in the Seattle Seahawks’ scouting department as an assistant to the general manager.
Torretta, the 1992 Heisman Trophy winner, has broadcast games and run his own business since his football career ended.
Football assistants
If Diaz surprisingly remains UM’s coach, he might need to replace other UM assistants beyond offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, who was named the SMU head coach Monday.
According to a source inside the UM program, the belief in the coaching staff is that Lashlee will take receivers coach Rob Likens, likely for a role as offensive coordinator, a position he held at four universities, including Arizona State. However, if Diaz remains, Likens could become the offensive coordinator at UM.
Two offensive quality control coaches (Jonathan Brewer and Kyle Cooper) also are expected to accompany Lashlee to SMU.
Diaz, who has not been told if he will be retained, took an in-home visit on Sunday with Miami Central linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, a key UM target for the 2022 class.
Van Dyke honored
Tyler Van Dyke on Monday earned his fifth ACC Rookie of the Week honor in six weeks. Van Dyke finished with 34 completions in 49 attempts for 381 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions at Duke. It was Van Dyke’s sixth consecutive game with at least 300 yards and three touchdown passes.
This story was originally published November 29, 2021 at 11:58 AM.
