Getty Image / Streeter Lecka
Coaches just keep leaving Miami’s staff.
The team saw defensive coordinator Kevin Steele leave for the same job at Alabama.
Charlie Strong then left the program after the Hurricanes hired somebody else to replace Steele.
The Hurricanes also fired Josh Gattis after he had been their offensive coordinator for one season and their quarterbacks coach, Frank Ponce, left to take the same job at Appalachian State.
Now they’ve had another member of their coaching staff choose to leave.
Today, ESPN’s Chris Low reported that former NFL running back and Miami Hurricanes running backs coach Kevin Smith has decided to leave the program to take the same job at Ole Miss.
Kevin Smith is finalizing a deal to reunite with @Lane_Kiffin at @OleMissFB as RB coach, sources tell ESPN. It’s been an exodus from the @CanesFootball staff this offseason. Smith was with Kiffin at FAU and then went with him to Ole Miss and helped recruit Quinshon Judkins.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) February 14, 2023
Smith was a star running back for UCF during his college career. He racked up an unbelievable 2567 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2007 to earn All-American honors. That performance led the Detroit Lions to draft him in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft.
He spent 5 years there and a year in Canada before moving on to a coaching career.
He has been working as a running backs coach since 2017, starting at Florida Atlantic before following Lane Kiffin to Ole Miss. He left Ole Miss for Miami for a year before deciding to take the same job again.
Miami had just brought in a new offensive coordinator today to seemingly bring an end to their coaching issues. Now they are back in the market for a coach after losing their running backs coach.
Mario Cristobal’s 2nd offseason as the head coach at Miami has been a tough one.