- Joined
- Nov 3, 2011
- Messages
- 5,872
We've talked - for decades it seems - about how woefully reactive and slow to adapt the Miami football team has been, not just in terms of on-field coaching adjustments but virtually every aspect of the program from facilities to recruiting to coaching salaries to everything in between. It's nice to finally see us start to not only catch up, but be genuinely proactive about where college football is headed:
1) Embracing the Portal. This is the new recruiting, folks. Graduate transfers, "free agency," etc. As college football starts to resemble college basketball more and more, it can't be overstated how important it is for Miami to continue to step up here. This isn't just a stop-gap, isolated fad to fill roster holes - this is where college football is heading, and what better place for a blue-chip player to finish out his career than in South Florida? Martell, Bolden, Osborn, Kennedy, Martin, potentially Nnoruka from UCLA, and anyone else we can get our hands on (cue everyone.gif) - Manny looks be very tuned-in to this trend and what an advantage that has been so far!
2) The Enos hire. I know I know "but he's pro-style bro!" Hopefully some of the more in-depth threads from Lance and Roman have quieted some of the initial fears about how (potentially) innovative and forward-thinking this hire was, not just schematically but philosophically too. The most glaring weakness on this team since the early 2000s has been the QB position, so Manny goes out and hires arguably the best QB coach and one of the brightest minds in football, who also happens to create an entire offense around our personnel, dubbed "Spread Coast." MODERN NFL concepts - remember "pro-style" in 2019 means something waaay different from what it meant 20 years ago - combined with elements of championship-level college spread offense. Pretty freakin' progressive, IMO.
3) Branding. Manny is a politician's son. Manny knows how to work a brand and talk the talk as well or better than anyone. For too long, Miami has tried unsuccessfully to whitewash its image in a vain attempt to bury the "bad boy" image of yesteryear. We've largely ignored social media, which I feel is a big mistake. Part of a head coach's job is to create buzz around a program and within the last few weeks I don't think there's any more buzz-worthy team than the University of Miami. Of course, nothing creates more buzz than winning but in the offseason, talk is all we have. For the first time in a long time, the U feels "fun" again.
Of course we understand that all of this goes away the moment we step onto the field in August and is meaningless unless it leads to actual wins. That said, there's a lot to like about the way Manny and Co. have handled their first weeks in office. It's great to be.
1) Embracing the Portal. This is the new recruiting, folks. Graduate transfers, "free agency," etc. As college football starts to resemble college basketball more and more, it can't be overstated how important it is for Miami to continue to step up here. This isn't just a stop-gap, isolated fad to fill roster holes - this is where college football is heading, and what better place for a blue-chip player to finish out his career than in South Florida? Martell, Bolden, Osborn, Kennedy, Martin, potentially Nnoruka from UCLA, and anyone else we can get our hands on (cue everyone.gif) - Manny looks be very tuned-in to this trend and what an advantage that has been so far!
2) The Enos hire. I know I know "but he's pro-style bro!" Hopefully some of the more in-depth threads from Lance and Roman have quieted some of the initial fears about how (potentially) innovative and forward-thinking this hire was, not just schematically but philosophically too. The most glaring weakness on this team since the early 2000s has been the QB position, so Manny goes out and hires arguably the best QB coach and one of the brightest minds in football, who also happens to create an entire offense around our personnel, dubbed "Spread Coast." MODERN NFL concepts - remember "pro-style" in 2019 means something waaay different from what it meant 20 years ago - combined with elements of championship-level college spread offense. Pretty freakin' progressive, IMO.
3) Branding. Manny is a politician's son. Manny knows how to work a brand and talk the talk as well or better than anyone. For too long, Miami has tried unsuccessfully to whitewash its image in a vain attempt to bury the "bad boy" image of yesteryear. We've largely ignored social media, which I feel is a big mistake. Part of a head coach's job is to create buzz around a program and within the last few weeks I don't think there's any more buzz-worthy team than the University of Miami. Of course, nothing creates more buzz than winning but in the offseason, talk is all we have. For the first time in a long time, the U feels "fun" again.
Of course we understand that all of this goes away the moment we step onto the field in August and is meaningless unless it leads to actual wins. That said, there's a lot to like about the way Manny and Co. have handled their first weeks in office. It's great to be.
