Bye-bye turnover chain! It has been fun, but Miami coach Mario Cristobal makes it official
Bye-bye turnover chain.
We knew the famed turnover chain wasn’t going to be implemented during the 2022 University of Miami season, even though University of Miami coach Mario Cristobal never committed when asked about it after he arrived at UM.
But on Thursday at the ACC Football Kickoff media days in Charlotte, North Carolina, Cristobal confirmed to three Miami Hurricanes beat writers that the Canes would not be using the chain, tweeted on Wednesday night by @ActionNetworkHQ’s Brett McMurphy. McMurphy said Miami was “dumping the turnover chain,’’ and that Cristobal told him, “It’s not part of our culture.’’
Here’s what Cristobal told three local UM beat writers about the subject, when the Miami Herald asked about it, in a private interview session early Thursday: “We’re not using it No. 1, but I’d never use a word like ‘dumping’ because I believe that disrespects things,’’ Cristobal said. “I don’t judge. It’s just really not part of what we’re doing — not good, bad or indifferent.
“Everything we do unrelated to any turnover chain or any external motivation, our focus has to be on working to get better in every facet of football. We’re not using it. But that’s kind of been known for a while.’’
Added Cristobal: “It’s no knock on anybody or anything, it’s just not our way. Let’s have a turnover celebration on the sideline, where you don’t get a penalty.’’
It was pretty obvious that the turnover chain, created in 2017 when Manny Diaz was defensive coordinator, was not going to be part of the no-nonsense Cristobal style. And when it was reported months ago by rivals.com that Miami offensive line coach Alex Mirabal told then-recruit and now UM offensive line commit Francis Mauigoa that the Canes were not using the chain, it became even clearer.
“We got rid of the turnover chains and stuff like that,” Mirabal reportedly told Mauigoa during Miami’s Elite Prospect Day. “We’re here to play football.”“
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 10:05 AM.
