The Latest at The U…

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.

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