Miami isn't wasting time in distancing itself from
Manny Diaz.
Athletics director
Blake James went on a clandestine media tour with several reporters — both local and national — on the eve of the Hurricanes' showdown with No. 18 NC State and it a point to not fully support Diaz as the head coach. By design? Absolutely. Misguided? Yes. Damaging? Yes, again.
Miami defeated NC State 31-30 but the result doesn't matter much. It appears Diaz' fate was sealed after a 2-4 start, the first for the program since it was under NCAA sanctions in 1997, and that assumption was only reinforced by James' inexplicable decision to throw the coach under the bus 24 hours before a huge game.
"Blake and I have a good relationship and have had a good relationship, but to me, this is all about competition," Diaz said Saturday night. "You’re competing. Competitors want to compete, so whatever comes out 24 hours before kickoff, that either has something to do with our competition the next night or it doesn’t."
If Miami is so set on undercutting its head coach, then it is definitely not too early to dissect what a coaching search will look like in South Beach. It shouldn't be surprising that picture is just as messy.
Miami is serious about football, right? If that is the case and the Hurricanes' administration is truly disgusted by the last 15-plus years of "football," they will prepare a gigantic financial package, along with a clear vision for improving resources and facilities, to lure
Mario Cristobal from Oregon back to his hometown. Miami, however, is not serious about football any more. The president there is completely oblivious about the program -- and wants to remain that way -- and the idea that boosters have deep pockets there is only a myth carried forward by the boisterous fans and former players who do not have the means to support the program beyond sharply-worded tweets and eye-catching quotes in the media.