Miami Hires Hickson as RB Coach, Barry as OL Coach, releases statement

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The University of Miami football program has hired Eric Hickson as running backs coach and Butch Barry as offensive line coach, head coach Manny Diaz announced Saturday.

“We’re excited to welcome Eric and Butch to the Miami family,” Diaz said. “Both men are outstanding teachers with diverse coaching backgrounds, and I’m confident they will be tremendous assets to our offensive staff.”

Hickson, a native of Ft. Lauderdale, comes to UM after spending this past season as running backs coach at his alma mater Kansas State. Barry spent the past four seasons as the assistant offensive line coach for the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He previously coached five seasons at Central Michigan under new Hurricanes offensive coordinator/quarterbacks Dan Enos.

In 2018, Hickson helped Wildcats junior running back Alex Barnes lead the Big 12 with 1,355 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Overall, Kansas State ranked third in the conference in rushing, averaging 182.6 yards per game.

Prior to his one-year coaching stint in Manhattan, Hickson spent three seasons as the running backs coach at Akron, where he helped the Zips earn a pair of bowl berths, including the 2017 campaign in which Akron won the MAC East Division and played in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Hickson joined the Zips after serving as the interim head coach, running backs coach and outgoing recruiting coordinator at Garden City (KS) Community College in 2014. Prior to joining the Broncbusters, Hickson coached at Emmerich Manual High School in Indianapolis for two seasons, serving as the head coach his last year. He launched his coaching career in the high school ranks in South Florida, first as assistant head coach at Coral Springs Charter School (2003-06) and then as running backs and special teams coach at American Heritage (2007-11).

Hickson left Kansas State in 1998 as the school's all-time leading rusher with 2,537 yards and 26 touchdowns, marks that still rank fifth and seventh in program history, respectively. A three-year starter and two-time team captain, Hickson led the Wildcats in rushing during the 1995, 1997 and 1998 seasons. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 1999, and eventually played in the XFL and Arena Football.

Barry helped the Buccaneers average 415.5 yards per game in 2018, good for third in the NFL. In 2017, Tampa Bay amassed 352 first downs, which ranked second in the league, and tackle Donovan Smith started all 16 games for the third consecutive season, joining Paul Gruber as the only players in franchise history to start all 48 games in their first three seasons.

In 2016, Tampa Bay’s offensive line helped the Buccaneers convert a franchise-record 43.9 percent of their third-down attempts. In 2015, his first season with the team, Barry assisted an offensive line that featured two rookie starters, but still managed to block for the NFL’s second-leading rusher (Doug Martin – 1,402 yards) and tied for the fourth-fewest sacks allowed in the league.

Prior to his stint with the Buccaneers, Barry spent five seasons at Central Michigan, serving as offensive line coach in 2014 after coaching the tight ends from 2010-13. In 2014, Barry’s unit paved the way for a 1,000-yard season by running back Thomas Rawls. As tight ends coach, Barry headed a group that combined for 63 receptions for 644 yards and six touchdowns over 2012-13, while helping CMU record another 1,000-yard rusher in Zurlon Tipton, who finished with 1,492 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2012.

Barry began his coaching career with the Chippewas as a graduate assistant in 2002-03 prior to coaching stops at Southwest Minnesota State University (2004-05), Michigan Tech University (2006-08) and North Greenville University (2009).

Barry played offensive line at CMU, earning Academic All-Mid-American Conference honors as a senior.
 
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The University of Miami football program has hired Eric Hickson as running backs coach and Butch Barry as offensive line coach, head coach Manny Diaz announced Saturday.

“We’re excited to welcome Eric and Butch to the Miami family,” Diaz said. “Both men are outstanding teachers with diverse coaching backgrounds, and I’m confident they will be tremendous assets to our offensive staff.”

Hickson, a native of Ft. Lauderdale, comes to UM after spending this past season as running backs coach at his alma mater Kansas State. Barry spent the past four seasons as the assistant offensive line coach for the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He previously coached five seasons at Central Michigan under new Hurricanes offensive coordinator/quarterbacks Dan Enos.

In 2018, Hickson helped Wildcats junior running back Alex Barnes lead the Big 12 with 1,355 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Overall, Kansas State ranked third in the conference in rushing, averaging 182.6 yards per game.

Prior to his one-year coaching stint in Manhattan, Hickson spent three seasons as the running backs coach at Akron, where he helped the Zips earn a pair of bowl berths, including the 2017 campaign in which Akron won the MAC East Division and played in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Hickson joined the Zips after serving as the interim head coach, running backs coach and outgoing recruiting coordinator at Garden City (KS) Community College in 2014. Prior to joining the Broncbusters, Hickson coached at Emmerich Manual High School in Indianapolis for two seasons, serving as the head coach his last year. He launched his coaching career in the high school ranks in South Florida, first as assistant head coach at Coral Springs Charter School (2003-06) and then as running backs and special teams coach at American Heritage (2007-11).

Hickson left Kansas State in 1998 as the school's all-time leading rusher with 2,537 yards and 26 touchdowns, marks that still rank fifth and seventh in program history, respectively. A three-year starter and two-time team captain, Hickson led the Wildcats in rushing during the 1995, 1997 and 1998 seasons. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 1999, and eventually played in the XFL and Arena Football.

Barry helped the Buccaneers average 415.5 yards per game in 2018, good for third in the NFL. In 2017, Tampa Bay amassed 352 first downs, which ranked second in the league, and tackle Donovan Smith started all 16 games for the third consecutive season, joining Paul Gruber as the only players in franchise history to start all 48 games in their first three seasons.

In 2016, Tampa Bay’s offensive line helped the Buccaneers convert a franchise-record 43.9 percent of their third-down attempts. In 2015, his first season with the team, Barry assisted an offensive line that featured two rookie starters, but still managed to block for the NFL’s second-leading rusher (Doug Martin – 1,402 yards) and tied for the fourth-fewest sacks allowed in the league.

Prior to his stint with the Buccaneers, Barry spent five seasons at Central Michigan, serving as offensive line coach in 2014 after coaching the tight ends from 2010-13. In 2014, Barry’s unit paved the way for a 1,000-yard season by running back Thomas Rawls. As tight ends coach, Barry headed a group that combined for 63 receptions for 644 yards and six touchdowns over 2012-13, while helping CMU record another 1,000-yard rusher in Zurlon Tipton, who finished with 1,492 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2012.

Barry began his coaching career with the Chippewas as a graduate assistant in 2002-03 prior to coaching stops at Southwest Minnesota State University (2004-05), Michigan Tech University (2006-08) and North Greenville University (2009).

Barry played offensive line at CMU, earning Academic All-Mid-American Conference honors as a senior.
On paper, neither hire seems to be a strong recruiter. How do you think they’ll do from the standpoint?
 
The strongest recruiting pitch is winning and bags (for some teams). If we start winning they shouldn’t be a problem recruiting. Beat Florida and show the recruits
 
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I mentioned in another thread.
Eric Hickson's older brother Hyland was a teammate of Enos at Michigan State team coached
by George Perles.

That squad under Perles had alot of soFla kids, especially from Broward.
Butch Rolle, Lorenzo White, Hickson,etc.
The OC on those MSU teams was Morris Watts, who is in his early 80s but still coaching.
Watts worked for Nick Saban as well and later for Enos at Central Michigan.
Highly respected in his day.

Coaching is an incestuous profession.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Watts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_John_Hancock_Bowl

The Spartans were co-champions (with Iowa, Michigan & Illinois) of the Big Ten Conference
for the second time in four seasons, with this being their fourth straight bowl appearance. Michigan State
won their last five games after starting 2-3-1, led by a punishing defense (2nd in the Big Ten with 313.1
yards allowed) and two 1,000 yard rushers in Tico Duckett and Hyland Hickson.[1] This was the first time a
Big Ten team appeared in the Sun Bowl.[2] USC was in their first ever Sun Bowl, finishing 2nd in the
Pacific-10 Conferenceafter three straight conference titles in the last 3 seasons. These two teams had
met twice before, one being the season opener in 1987 at Michigan State, and the 1988 Rose Bowl, with
the Spartans winning both times. It was in doubt that Marinovich would start two days to gametime due
to an ear infection that led to him missing practices.
 
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Hickson seems like a solid hire. Lots of local connections and K-St had good RBs under him.

I think he'll find it a lot easier to get SFL kids to come here than play in Kansas
 
I mentioned in another thread.
Eric Hickson's older brother Hyland was a teammate of Enos at Michigan State team coached
by George Perles.

That squad under Perles had alot of soFla kids, especially from Broward.
Butch Rolle, Lorenzo White, Hickson,etc.
The OC on those MSU teams was Morris Watts, who is in his early 80s but still coaching.
Watts worked for Nick Saban as well and later for Enos at Central Michigan.
Highly respected in his day.

Coaching is an incestuous profession.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Watts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_John_Hancock_Bowl
Props to Watts. Dude is an 80 year old OC at a hbcu. Wow.
 
Recruit and lock Broward ..great plan with the RB coach

The OL coach has the greatest task ahead of him.. he must deliver improvement
 
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Props to Watts. Dude is an 80 year old OC at a hbcu. Wow.

Alot of college and pro coaches learned under him.
I remember him back in 2010 when he was the OC on the Miami (OH) team that schooled the Temple coached by u-know-who in
the MAC Championship game.
 
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The strongest recruiting pitch is winning and bags (for some teams). If we start winning they shouldn’t be a problem recruiting. Beat Florida and show the recruits
Agreed show recruits we can develop you.. winning brings 1st team honors and all accolades
 
What are the possibilities we start recruiting some mid-west OL with Enos/Barry's ties seemingly being there?
 
Thanks for the article. The same neighborhood that fed Dillard, in parts, fed Piper, Northeast, Boyd Andersen and I think Stranahan.

Auburn and Michigan State made a living out of that neighborhood....James Bostic, Frank Sanders, Otis Mounds, Calvin Jackson,etc at Auburn;
Lorenzo White, Butch Rolle, Hyland Hickson, Josh Shaw,etc at Michigan State....plus Eric Hickson at KState, Issac Bruce at Memphis and Dr Claude Jones at UM. Incredible.
 
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