Miami coaching, player news before Sun Bowl. One coach leaving program — then returning
The next University of Miami football game will not be coached by new head coach Mario Cristobal, but by the head guy until the New Year hits.
And he can’t wait.
Hurricanes interim head coach Jess Simpson said he and his assistants are “fired up” to coach in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 in El Paso. Simpson, who spent the past two years as the defensive line coach for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, was a well-respected, big-time head high school coach in Buford, Georgia, where he won seven state titles and compiled a record of 164-12 — a .932 winning percentage — in 12 years. But he’s not taking his first go-around as head coach in a college game, lightly.
“You say, ‘even just for one game,’ Simpson told reporters Friday during a Sun Bowl teleconference. “To me, man, if you’re a ball coach, you get 12 or 13 of these opportunities all year. Think about the amount of time. I always tell guys, we do 99 percent of the work for 1 percent of the result. So this is such a huge deal. If you’re a player or coach every Saturday you get to tee it up, you would never minimize that.”
Here’s the news out of Coral Gables:
▪ Miami offensive line coach Garin Justice on Friday posted on Twitter that he is joining former UM offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee at SMU as its new offensive line coach. But Simpson said Justice “will be back here next week and will be involved in bowl prep and will be coaching the game. Fired up to have Garin with us.’’
▪ The bowl game coaching staff includes Todd Stroud, who serves as UM’s senior football advisor after spending two seasons as UM’s assistant head coach/defensive line coach. Stroud will help coach the defensive line for the bowl. Also being added as the wide receivers coach for the bowl is graduate assistant Benedick Hyppolite.
▪ Hyppolite working with the wide receivers will allow usual receivers coach Rob Likens, who will be the offensive coordinator for the bowl, to prepare the quarterbacks.
▪ The bowl defensive coordinator will be defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson.
▪ Cristobal will attend the game but is expected to watch from the press box. His former Oregon Ducks defeated the Washington State Cougars 38-24 on Nov. 13, so Simpson said he expects Cristobal “will be more than glad to give us a couple of tips.’’
▪ Cristobal is deep into recruiting now, and after the three-day early signing period that begins Wednesday, he’ll likely be watching practices that continue after next week’s final exams, and just “observe” and “evaluate the roster,’’ Simpson said. “Obviously it’ll be whatever he would like it to be, but that’s the direction we’re going.’’
▪ Receiver Charleston Rambo already announced he will bypass the bowl game and enter the draft, and Simpson said defensive tackle Jon Ford also will not play in the bowl game and “move on.’’
▪ Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (shoulder) is doubtful for the bowl. “Obviously that last month really bothered him and we’ll have clarity here and probably announce something in the next couple weeks,’’ Simpson said.
▪ The Canes will practice Saturday, take next week off to study for finals (but will still run and lift) and then practice in Coral Gables until they’re expected to be given off for Christmas Eve and Christmas. Then they’ll travel and “have another good four days of prep when we get to the bowl site,’’ Simpson said.
