Why do all fan bases, including our #CanesFam, always resort to the “fire the coach” solution as the cure-all? Sure, there are some cases where a move has to be made, but in most cases the firing of a coach or coordinator isn’t the answer to the problem, but regarding Miami’s defense, calling for the head of Mark D’Onofrio isn’t the answer.
There’s no doubt that the defense is playing horribly right now. The Canes are ranked 97th against the run and 82nd in total defense and unfortunately that shouldn’t be a surprise.
For starters Miami is playing with a brand new scheme. D’Onofrio’s defense uses multiple fronts and multiple coverages, so it’s not a shock that guys – especially the upperclassmen – are having problems picking up the new defense. When you’re talking about guys playing in old system for three to four years, it’s going to take time to break old habits.
Head coach Al Golden is always preaching his mantra, “bring your training to the game” and right now the defense isn’t doing that. Guys are getting it done in practice – staying in their assignments and playing the right coverage – but come game time, in the heat of battle, they’re resorting back to old schemes, old techniques and are “freelancing”.
On top of transitional difficulties this team hasn’t had the same defensive line-up since the season kicked off. Continuity is king and five games in Miami hasn’t had that.
Ray-Ray Armstrong returned against Virginia Tech and and by all accounts played a sub-par game, which makes sense in his first game of the season and in a new system. Armstrong practiced with his teammates while suspended, but in football at this level there truly is no simulation for in-game speed.
Beyond the line up changes there have also been a slew of injuries. Losing Marcus Forston, Curtis Porter and Ramon Buchanan was a huge blow. Luther Robinson and Jalen Grimble have also been nicked up, which has coaches at the point of pulling the redshirt off Corey King.
If there was any kid that appeared to be a gimmie for redshirting it was King, who arrived late due to Clearninghouse issues. Now he’s on the two-deep due to injuries. Shayon Green, who moved from linebacker to defensive line, got forty-plus reps last week after not playing a down the previous two years, while JoJo Nicolas looks like he’ll finally get some time back at corner this week – after spending the offseason at corner, but moving to safety due to depth woes.
Coach Golden talks about symmetry a lot and what he means by symmetry is proper depth by class. In other words, Miami currently has seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshmen and redshirts all out of position. The Canes aren’t close to having symmetry right now and that too is killing this team defensively.
Miami isn’t blitzing a lot right now, nor are they playing a ton of bump and run – but again, can you really take chances if your guys are unable to keep plays in front of them when they’re in base? Coach D’Onofrio isn’t and it’s hard to disagree.
The defensive coordinator isn’t the issue here. Coach D’Onofrio had his Temple defense ranked sixteenth nationally in Total Defense and Scoring Defense last season, so again, the man knows how to coach kids up. What it comes down to is the simple fact that change takes time and Coach D’Onofrio needs the right personnel in there to accomplish what he’s trying to do.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither are championship football teams. Time for everyone to take a step back, starting with any “Fire D’Onofrio” nonsense. Seriously.
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O.K., I was one of the ” fire D’Onofrio ” henchmen. But my notion was he had to go at the conclusion of the season.
And yes D’Onofrio and staff are playing with a short deck and injuries have take their toil and D players are playing out of position and trUe freshmen are playing significant minutes and what not. However, Miami has become absolutely WORST on defense since the start of the season. Even MIGHTY Bethune- Cookman went off on the Hurricane defense. By the way, MIGHTY B-C currently has a losing record.
Now, IF the Cane defense CONTINUES to be the Achilles Heel that they currently are, then The Golden One seriously needs to evaluate his college buddy. No if’s, and’s or but’s. In other words, all I’m looking for is SOME BLOODY IMPROVEMENT from the D-unit. That’s all.
Playing the see-R card. IF, and only IF, A.C.C. squads such as Duke or Virginia or lowly Boston College GO OFF on Miami’s defense later this season. Then what Mr. Beast!?
Because it seems, with the exception of AN AVERAGE Ohio St team, every O-unit the Hurricanes has faced so far, has had absolutely spectacular offensive numbers.
Again, all I want is to see SOME IMPROVEMENT from D’ Onofrio’s unit. It’s the middle of the season for freakin’ sake.
Is that being to selfish and asking too much from Miami’s defense. Just asking. That’s all.
Nonetheless, I still see Miami coming away with a win this Saturday in Chapel Hill.
firing someone after 1 season?
why are people so unwilling to wait these days?
If you look at how his Temple teams played against teams that implemented a read-option offenses with passes into the flat..
Things look awfully similar.
Dude seems to have an issue with defending it or scheming against it. Just literally look at some of the games he had at Temple.
Firing the D-Coord will do nothing. The problem is that the quality of UM athlete is so mediocre that a defensive genius like Buddy Ryan couldn’t do much. Until UM gets much better athletes to “coach up” to UM standards, there won’t be much production.
Coach Golden and staff will turn this around!!!!
Lets go Canes!
Lack of football intelligence, age, or intelligence in general are the answers to your question Joven. Same people who boo collegiate players and dont show up to any games but the large, primetime games. PATHETIC! I really wish those people would find a new team to root for. Guess what? If D’Onofrio goes then so does Golden. I just ask one favor, in several years when his D is implemented along with HIS players and we dominate like we used to that you “fans” go back in your cave. Thank you, that is all………..
I disagree that firing the coach isn’t the answer. At least for the Dolphins. Ash canning that entire staff would be damn fine way to start fixing that disaster. But at The U? No. Considering the pressure from thin talent, suspensions, injuries, NCAA bullying, new staff and schemes no one should be saying “Fire The Coach!” for a considerable time yet.
I’m patient ,usually. BUT IF COACH ‘D’ were working a regular private job he would have to do something in a hurry to get the job done right(make improvements) or else. I mean that if NC A&T held Bethune-Cookman to a total of 108 yards and most other teams aver. 400 plus,then i say we have a real problem.By the way,i am by no means looking past VIRGINIA either.GO CANES!!!!
… understood, but this isn’t a regular private job. By that rationale a lot of coaches and players would be out of work.
Nice article! I agree with the new scheme and shuffling players due to suspension and injurycausing most of our problems. Coach D got it done at Temple, he surely can get it done in Miami! Give it time, and the selfish players will be moving on soon enough.
GO CANES!!!
I’m not one of the fans who have called for Coach D to be fired, however, everyone has the absolute right to put the heat on his ass, because he is not getting it done right now. Opposing QB’s have all day in the pocket, with no pressure whatsoever. The DLine can’t get off blacks at all and the DBs are giving guys 10 yards and then giving up uncontested completions. LBs are shooting wrong gaps leaving wide open running lanes for some huge gains. It’s just ugly all the way around. It’s about want-to. Do your job and get off the field. It has to get better and everyone has a right to demand more. That being said, the staff needs time to implement their system with their guys, but it should not be this bad with the current guys.
Kind of hard to play defense when so many guys are hurt. Their defense was so basic last Saturday(this Sat. to) that if they are run over and passed over and are still out of position, play the young guys and learn under fire. Won’t be pretty, but probably the best approach.
How many offensive coordinators did Randy Shannon go through in how many seasons? How well did that work out for him? Not too well from what I remember. Golden will have to let him stick around for at least 1 more season if not more.
Shannon tried to get Dirk Koetter year one and when he struck out, he went after a few others before settling on fourth choice Patrick Nix. Nix lasted two seasons and Mark Whipple was brought in. Defensively Tim Walton was hired year one, as few wanted the job. Walton was canned after a year and Bill Young was brought in. A year later his dream gig at his alma mater opened up (Oklahoma State) and there was more money (T. Boone Pickens money) so he went back to Stillwater. John Lovett took over and was the DC until the majority of the staff was let go after 2010.
Walton was a defensive backs coach who was promoted from within and got a shot. D’Onofrio is a long-time defensive coordinator, who not only succeeded at Temple, but was offered the head coaching gig when Golden was hired at Miami. He has the credentials, but simply lacks the talent and personnel. As soon as the sun will come up tomorrow, D’Onofrio will absolutely be UM’s defensive coordinator for next year and beyond, so people need to can all that “Fire D’Onofrio” bullshit. Never gonna happen. Nor should it.
As a coach you do as what a coach should do….Call the plays!!! You coach players during practice and hope it translate during the game. I never been a fan of blaming the coaches because the coaches don’t miss the defensive assignments nor do they get caught looking into the backfield. But more importantly, the defensive coach and the players had to have done something right to get Miami back into the game. Remember that Miami took the led, so the Defense figured something out during the game.
What made Miami the team that America Loves to hate is that you never could count the Canes out of the game….and that is how they are playing this year (without the wins). I say it again, Miami is a much better team than in years past. The players are fighting to the buzzer and there is no on the field arguing and negative body language.
If it was that easy to coach then these guys wouldn’t get paid like they do….
I understand the frustration for Miami fans with the poor defense. We need to give our coaches some time (not 5 or 6 games). Temple, from which coaches came, defeated Maryland 38-7 in weeks past. Does that not tell you something? The system will work after the “free lancing” on defense stops. Miami needs to play assignment football.
Do you all remember a few years back, Georgia Tech demolished us, then the next season, we played “assignment” defense and got a pretty big win against GT.
Please give the coaches some time, it is sickening to watch us lose the close games. We are in all the games that we played, and a few lucky bounces(or defensive stops) we could easily be 5-0 or at least 4-1.
No, that just tells us that our team is absolutely pathetic because we are the ONLY D1 team that Maryland has beaten this year. And they didn’t look that impressive in their other win, AGAINST TOWSON.
We made O’Brien look ALL WORLD. He went 1-6 against GT with an interception.
… understand the frustration. That said, if Miami and Maryland played tomorrow, who wins? Golden’s first game, Shapiro nonsense, best defensive players out, J12 out, night road game, season opener, etc.
If Morris hits Miller on the third down wheel route, that games ends either 30-26 / 32-26 (go for two and make / miss) or at worst, UM is settling for FG and goes out 27-26.
It’s a big IF game … but UM is truly a handful of plays from being 5-0 right now. The defense has still dropped the ball, but the offense – which gets better every week – has been right there and has been a score or two away from having gotten it done. The Kansas State and Virginia Tech losses were by a combined seven points and the Canes hung 519 yards on the Hokies.
Random tidbit of information in regards to the “it’s not his scheme” crowd..
Micanor Regis leads the team in passes defended.
Maybe that has something to do with playing a prevent-style defense all game?
It won’t matter, this staff will be gone in the next year or 2. Anyone who thinks Golden has unpacked his bags, is delusional. I’ve always thought he was bad hire. Jo Pa only has a few years left and the way the university went about keeping him in the dark about Nevin-gate doesn’t help our cause. As for coach D, we always have “injury issues”, difference is old teams had players ready to actually step-up, instead of a stupid motto. UNC will be the next team to have another “career high” kind of day against the “basic” defensive scheme they practiced all week. What will be the over/under against GaTech? 600 yard of total offense?
… truly disagree that Al Golden winds up at Penn State. No one wants to roll in there to follow a legend like Joe Paterno. No solid coach on the fast track, anyways. You have to believe that after Paterno they promote from within and when that guy fails, someone else then comes in to take over.
Golden looks like a guy with NFL aspirations. He came to Miami because he knows it’s a high risk / high reward job. Succeed at UM and you write your ticket anywhere.
As for being “kept in the dark” about Shapiro, seems everyone was in the dark. Shapiro first spoke out in August 2010 and threatened to “tell all” and then went on to NOT cooperate with UM, instead giving his story to Yahoo! Sports. Golden, his attorney and his agent all did their due diligence and knew SOMETHING was coming down … and even to this point, no one still has any clue what’s coming.
Penn State isn’t the desirable job it once way. Look at the Big Ten these days. Ohio State. Michigan. Michigan State. Nebraska. Wisconsin. Even “lesser” programs like Northwestern and Illinois aren’t all that bad. There are some big time football programs in the conference. Beyond that, Pitt is becoming a better program and is competing for in-state recruits. PSU took a huge step back keeping Paterno around as long as it did and Golden also knows he won’t sniff the talent in Happy Valley that he’ll reel in at The U.
Golden can turn it around and knows he has a good opportunity in front of him. He’ll ride it out, will do all he can at UM and will eventually set his sights on the NFL.
Quite frankly I hated all the big plays that were given up last year by the defense. Look at the stats from years past UM gave up too many 50+ plays that killed us last year. So there is improvement….
I see alot of people coming down on Ray Ray, but if he doesn’t take that PI call the receiver is going to run past him for sure. Ray played a great game an Miami played their asses off…Miami played their asses off all season for that matter!
I support Mia and the Coaching Staff.
ALL u people are idiots…..talking football like u all know exactly whats wrong w the defense more than the coaches, its a joke….give the man time for christ sakes. This fan base is so stupid crazy. Talking about “assignment football” and “gap responibilities” which u know absolutely nothing about (but think u do) or how to coach it. Give the man time, stop watching sunday countdown and throwing around their terms, take a prozac and chill. I dont like it eitther but im willing to give the actual coach the benefit of the doubt that he actually knows what hes doing more than u morons know what ur saying
I’m going to ROFL when you’re whistling a different tune a year or two down the road when the defense hasn’t improved whatsoever.
There will be no magic dust being sprinkled on this defense to magically make them play better. When you’ve got corners playing 8-10 yards off the line of scrimmage in what LOOKS like the back half of a prevent style defense, YOU’RE GOING TO GET RUN UP AND DOWN THE FIELD ON. GOOD teams will turn the momentum built from going up and down the field into points.
This is NOT new for D’Onofrio. LOOK at how those Temple teams played against teams that were worth a damn IN THEIR OWN CONFERENCE.
This is not the MAC. You let Bethune Cookman roll up 400+ yards of total offense against your D1 program defense. “Talent”? We aren’t talented enough? So NC A&T is more talented than us? Or is it scheme? You know they held that same vaunted Bethune Cookman team with all those D1 dropouts to a little over 100 yards of total offense, and only allowed something like .2 yards per carry. BCC rolled up over 200 yards rushing ALONE.
But yea. NC A&T is more talented than we are on defense. ROFLMAO. Get outta’ here.
Love your mentality. Godforbid Miami’s defense doesn’t get better, you’ll be rolling on the floor laughing at the team you love sucking and losing more games.
Bethune-Cookman, a Florida school with kids shunned by the Big Three, brought their best game and move the ball against a Miami defense that came in crushed from the Kansas State loss. So be it. In the end, they still got their asses handed to them.
You’re gonna remember 45-14 — not the amount of yards amassed. Miami posted 519 yards at Virginia Tech last week, but the only thing people will remember is a 38-35 loss where the Canes couldn’t stop the Hokies offense.
MADDOG, No I am not a coach, but what do you think the defensive issues are?
It’s called “assignment football” being in the right place at the right time. (mostly anyway)
I am not the only person saying this. Just about every telecast that I have watched says pretty much the same thing. I do agree they are “just” sportscasters, not coaches.