Miami has one of the toughest nonconference schedules, according to multiple websites out there, which leads to opposing teams that Miami will play, where Miami will face the toughest coaches.
I've gathered a list of the top-5 coaches, who Miami will play this upcoming season, starting with the obvious in Marcus Freeman.
Notre Dame: Marcus Freeman
There’s no doubt in my mind, Marcus Freeman can flat-out coach, and he will be getting put to the test week one at Miami.
For anyone who needs a reset on last season. Freeman led Notre Dame to the national championship game, ultimately falling to the champion in the Ohio State Buckeyes. That means Miami opens the 2025 season against the runner-up in college football.
Since taking over at Notre Dame, Freeman has yet to face Miami, but he brings a strong résumé into this ga,e. One particularly impressive stat: he's 14–5 against Top 25 teams—and Miami is likely to be ranked when the preseason polls drop.
All eyes are on South Florida to kick off the season. This will be Miami’s toughest coaching test of the year.
SMU: Rhett Lashlee
Another new head coach guy who knows how to coach ball.
Lashlee was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2024, the first SMU coach ever to earn that honor, and he did it in their first year in the ACC. He was also a finalist for the national Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award in both 2023 and 2024, showing he’s been getting national respect for a minute.
Lashlee is definitely on the rise; the résumé speaks for itself.
Miami travels to Dallas in November to face SMU in what will be a Stripe Out game at Ford Stadium. That means Cristobal has to be ready to go, which I believe he will. This is one of those games where we can't drop late in the season.
Louisville: Jeff Brohm
Louisville is back on the come-up in the ACC, and there’s no better leader for that rise than Jeff Brohm.In just his first year back at Louisville in 2023, Brohm led the Cardinals to a 10–4 record, an appearance in the ACC Championship Game, and statement wins over No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 20 Duke—both at home.
Brohm and the Cardinals will head to Hard Rock Stadium on October 17th to face Miami. The last time Brohm went up against the Hurricanes, it turned into a 52–45 shootout win for Miami. Since taking over at Louisville in 2023, Brohm is 1–0 against the Canes at Hard Rock, even if it's just one game.
Mike Norvell: Florida State
If you put aside last season’s struggles, Mike Norvell is a really good coach, even though it does hurt ot say as much as I hate on the Seminoles.
In 2023, Norvell led Florida State to an undefeated regular season, an ACC Championship win over No. 14 Louisville, and a 13–1 overall record. That year, he earned ACC Coach of the Year, as well as the Bobby Dodd and Bryant National Coach of the Year awards.
However, in 2024, the Seminoles had a historic collapse, finishing 2–10, the worst record since 1974.
With major staff changes now underway, I expect Florida State to rebound in 2025. The key will be how quickly Norvell and his team can restore confidence and consistency after that down year.
Honorable Mentions:
Syracuse: Fran Brown (Could switch him with Mike Norvell)
Florida: Billy Napier
Pittsburgh: Pat Narduzzi
Virginia Tech: Brent Pry
