Spring football is underway, the ACC tourney is about to kick off for basketball and baseball stumbled out the gate, but will look to rebound. Tons going on so let’s discuss the latest at The U.
Some good ink on new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch in the Miami Herald a few days back. Miami players have referred to Fisch as ‘cool’ while Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck referrred to his former coach as passionate, bright, communicative, genuine. caring, determined, meticulous, dynamic and goofball.
“I respect him a lot,’’ said receiver Tommy Streeter. “He’s an outgoing guy, very funny. Just the way he presents plays and the way we learn them – it sticks. He incorporates pictures and things like that.
“There’s a play where he shows you a photo of a die with the number 5 showing, and each point on the die represents where the route-runners will end up. Once you hear the play, you think of ‘five on a die,’ so you automatically know where you end up. Coaches are doing a great job of teaching us.’’
It’s obviously too soon to judge Fisch, but in comparisons to the complex system of former coordinator Mark Whipple and the way players couldn’t relate, weren’t being taught and didn’t feel they were learning, Streeter’s comments are assuring. That said, let’s see how things translate on the field this fall.
Another frustrating indictment on the former staff came from a recent Manny Navarro blog in the Herald where the beat writer stated, “It is becoming more evident every day that either the Hurricanes didn’t work exceptionally hard last season, weren’t exceptionally organized or efficient and weren’t intricately taught — at least in the structured fashion they are being taught during practice now.” Ouch.
Navarro praised Al Golden and staff for their meticulousness and organization and how that translates to teaching in spring football – which truly is everything. At day’s end a coach is more than someone who heads up the program, sets the depth chart, draws up plays and makes sure kids are in class. The same as a teacher in the classroom, your handed a group of students that you are expected to make better by the time they leave your care. Their minds are moldable, they’re hungry to learn and the onus is on you to find a workable way to deliver the information to them in a way they’ll absorb.
When kids aren’t challenged and aren’t learning, they check out. They lose focus. They don’t try as hard. Conversely, if you do find a way to get through and there is growth, they want more and they’ll work that much harder to impress their professor.
Running back Lamar Miller said Miami’s first practice was three hours long. “We’re not used to that,” he said. “Usually practices are like an hour and 30 [minutes]. But it’s a lot of teaching periods so you get to rest during the teaching period.”
It seems ‘The U’ has found a true professor of the game in Coach Golden and the young, hungry staff he’s assembled.
ESPN.com has been complimentary of Miami football the past few days. ACC blogger Heather Dinich was at practice yesterday and wrote, “While hanging out at practice on Tuesday, I had longtime employees and observers of the program — I’m talking about field and event guys, locals who have been watching for more than a decade — tell me that they’ve never seen Miami practices run so organized. I had the chance to meet every coach and speak at length with a few of them, including coach Al Golden in his office. What struck me most was how efficiently everything is being run and how energetic the staff is. Everyone is working well together, and the players are buying in.”
Organized practices. Energetic staff. Players buying in. What a novel concept.
Wide receiver Jontavious Carter of Cordele, GA committed to Miami yesterday, making that eight verbals for the 2012 class. Carter is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and only has one year of high school ball under his belt, but the sleeper caught 49 passes for 650 yards and seven touchdowns. UM coaches are said to like his ‘rare combination of size and speed’.
The news is a few weeks old, but you still have to marvel wen you read that defensive lineman Marcus Forston is down to 292 pounds entering this season. Strength and conditioning coach Andreu Swasey has been impressed with Forston in the weight room and the junior has dropped upwards of twenty pounds since last season – making for a leaner, better conditioned, more focused Cane. Time for that to translate on the field, Big 99. Another shot at redemption comes this fall.
Miami basketball started the ACC tourney today, taking on Virginia up in Greensboro, NC and getting the 69-62 OT win. Malcolm Grant scored 16 points and the ninth-seeded Canes rallied from ten down in the final minute of regulation, forcing overtime, where Miami took over and put the game away. This was the second overtime win over Virginia this season as the Canes took down the Cavs, 70-68 at BUT in the regular season.
Next up for Miami, a 12pm ET showdown with top-seeded North Carolina on Friday.
Miami baseball has dropped five of its past six, including a 9-2 loss to Illinois State last night. Over the weekend, the Canes were swept in Gainesville and have lost games to South Florida, Appalachian State and Rutgers. Miami is now 5-8 on the season with Virginia Tech on deck this weekend and early in March there are more questions than answers.
That September 17 matchup with the Buckeyes is looking better and better every day…
Must say it's great to see Golden has a vision and plan for the Canes. Looking forward to seeing how it translates this fall.
1) I believe it wasn't Chris that was "bitchin" about the practices being open
2) Here's my opinion on the baseball team, take it or leave, I really don't care …
The assistant coaching staff is average on their best day & Morris really needs to re-evaluate who he has around him & look into the mirror as well. Anyone that uses youth on the team as a primary excuse – come on. Anyone that talks about the new deadened bats as an excuse – again, come on. If anything, the new deadened bats reveal weaknesses in a true hitting team. Instead of crossing fingers & hoping that one of your 3 "big" hitters on your squad can drop a bomb over the fence b/c of the former lighting sticks that were in their hands – now you actually have to do a lot more of hitting the ball & manufacturing runs the good 'ol fashioned way. Get on base, move them over, move them in. LOB is a mainstay with the Canes. RISP, left out there to die on the bases – is a nightmare with this team
Youth? Just how much younger are the Canes than the Crocs?
1st game of the series this year, the Crocs ran out 5 Sophs (including the SP), 3 JRs, 2 SRs as their starters. The Canes ran out 3 Frosh (including the SP), 3 Sophs, 4 JRs as their starters. Big difference? Crocs won the game
2nd game, Crocs ran out 1 Frosh, 6 Sophs (including the SP), 2 JRs, 1 SR as their starters. Canes ran out 3 Frosh, 5 Sophs (including the SP), 2 JRs as their starters. Big difference? Crocs won .. again
3rd game, Crocs ran out 2 Frosh (including the SP), 5 Sophs, 2 JRs, 1 SR as their starters. Canes ran out 3 Frosh, 5 Sophs (including the SP), 2 JRs as their starters. Big difference? Broken record, Crocs win again, Crocs sweep
You want to see how to run a baseball program? Look no further than the Crocs up in Gainesville with Kevin O'Sullivan & his staff. They've been going nowhere but up since they arrived & the Canes have been going nowhere but down since their arrival as well. Crocs since O'Sullivan arrived: Regional, Super Regional, College World Series. Canes since O'Sullivan arrived? College World Series, Regional, Super Regional. O'Sullivan & the Crocs knocked the Canes out of the Regional in 2009 & out of the Super Regional in 2010. Canes are 6-10 against O'Sullivan since he's gotten to Gainesville, including a very impressive 1-9 in the last 10 meetings they've played them. Out-f*cking-standing Morris & crew. Out-f*cking-standing
O'Sullivan's staff – one guy who was a Florida Area Scout for the Twins for 16 years & a coach in the Instructional League for the Twins for 5 years. The other guy was a Associate Professional Scout for the Reds for 7 years and a Supervising Area Scout for the Mariners for 7 years. 30 years combined of scouting for MLB teams. How about the Canes staff? A guy who was a 26th Round Draft Choice by the Mets & former pitcher for the Canes. A guy who coached summer league in the Virginia Valley League & former JUCO player/1 year player for UiF. A guy who spent 3 years in the minors as a player for the Detroit Tigers & former infielder for the Canes … (cont.)
(cont.) …
Wow. 2 assistants who have 30 years combined scouting for MLB teams, along with coaching both in the college & minor leagues vs. 2 former Canes players who haven't coached anywhere else (both of whom this is their very first coaching job) & a guy who coached summer league ball
Ever wonder really how much the Canes program was hurt by the loss of 3 main cogs of the machine known as University of Miami baseball? One guy was a phenomenal recruiter (signed a #1 class, 4 times .. #2 ranked class, 4 times .. never had a class ranked lower than 9th in the past 19 years .. he brought in Charles Johnson, Pat Burrell, Danny Graves, Aubrey Huff, Jason Michaels .. he got Chipper Jones & Alex Rodriguez to sign LOIs to Miami) – this guy was/is arguably the best in the nation – and a damn good hitting coach as well. Another guy was a pretty damn good recruiter (signed guys like Ryan Braun, Cesar Carrillo – both 1st Round Picks in 2005 .. Chris Perez, 1st Round pick .. Jon Jay, 2nd Round pick) as well as a good hitting coach. The last guy was just an okay pitching coach (sarcasm included for free on that one) – some guy named Jim Palmer actually brought him in as his private instructor to help coach him up so he could try and make a comeback into MLB
Can you name these 3 guys?
Turtle. Gino. Lazer.
How much of an impact did they have on Jim Morris being as successful as he has been at Miami? I'd say, about as much as when man invented the wheel or as much as orthodontics & these things called "braces" would help the British. As each one left, the program took a hit not only in coaching, but recruiting as well. Miami isn't the only school to have players that they recruited bypass college & sign with a MLB team after being drafted fairly high – that can't be used as an excuse either. The fundamentals are lacking. For example, Harold Martinez's errors have gone up each season. Miami's fielding % is inexcusable for the type of program that it's supposed to be. Facilities? Please – no way in hell that can be used as an excuse
This is the worst start to a season I've seen in a long long time. Dating back to 1999, the Canes have started .. 10-3, 8-5, 10-3, 8-5, 9-4, 9-4, 10-3, 7-6, 8-5, 12-1, 11-2, 9-4 (can double check that if you want, but, I'm pretty sure that's correct – even though it's late & my mind/eyes are sleep deprived) This year, 5-8? and that's the f*cking out-of-conference record against teams that don't exactly have time shares in Omaha. With the exception of UiF, the out-of-conference teams were a hell of a lot more beatable than coming out with a 5-8 record. Appy State? Where's the sweep? Rutgers? 2 of those games went into extra innings – the one that went the longest, 11 innings, the Canes squeeked by with a 2-1 win. FAU beats Miami 7-4, a day after the Owls lost to UiF 13-2. Embarrassing
Now, the Canes get to head into conference play – this will be fun
11th out of 12 in Batting Average. 12th out of 12 in Slugging %. 11th out of 12 in On Base %. 12th out of 12 in Runs Scored. 10th out of 12 in Hits. 12th out of 12 in RBI. 10th out of 12 in Total Bases. 2nd in Strikeouts (it's like golf in this category, the lower, the better – so don't get excited about the Canes being ranked #2 in this). 12th out of 12 in Runs Scored Per Game. 8th out of 12 in ERA. 12th out of 12 in Team Fielding (tied for the lead in errors with 21)
There are a few bright spots on the team – some starting pitching & some real promising players such as Shane Rowland, a Frosh behind the plate that has moved from 9th up to the 2 spot. It's gotta be in Shane's genes – his pops won 2 rings with the Canes as a player
But other than that, as I originally said – Morris needs to take a long hard look & re-evaluate who is around him & who is in the mirror as well. These kids should be better than they are & if not, then do a damn better job of getting kids that will be
Unbelievable win by the Canes in the ACC Tourney. It's never been a question of their effort this season, but their execution. Glad to see it come together for them, if at least only for a game. Hopefully the wins can continue.
Very disappointed with the baseball squad early on. It's tough and it's been said before, but the reality of the situation is that regardless of how much tradition The U has over other programs in the state, it seems like it's becoming harder and harder to get the uber-talented kids to come when most times they have to invest their own money to attend, since you have to split 11.7 scholarships among 25 players. Why go to a private school and come out of pocket when you can go to a state school where the cost is much less?
That said, without knowing exact numbers, I would argue that more and more kids (who probably should attend college) are signing professional contracts directly out of high school, thus limiting the available talent pool, somewhat. You're not always going to get players who "want" to be Hurricanes, just because of tradition anymore.
If anyone can get the ship righted however, Coach Morris will. The question is, how far can this team go? I guess time will tell…