The Rundown Take
Coaching Staff Autopsy: U Talk Grades Every Assistant Before Miami's Central Connecticut Kickoff
Devin and Larry Frank Jr. previewed Saturday's noon ESPN kickoff against Central Connecticut State with almost no excitement about the opponent and a lot to say about everything around it. With D'Eriq King out and the young talent finally getting the call, Larry Frank Jr. used the show to do something nobody else was doing: go position coach by position coach through Manny Diaz's staff, separating who deserves the blame from who's carrying dead weight.
Key Takeaways
- D'Eriq King is confirmed out for Central Connecticut State and next Thursday's Virginia game — no season-ending confirmation despite the rumors.
- Jaylen Rivers is out for the season; Jakai Clark is working back in; Sam Brooks is out indefinitely with a toe injury. Knighton returns from suspension in time for Virginia.
- Larry Frank Jr. expects TVD (Tyler Van Dyke) to start over Jake Garcia based on tenure, with both expected to see time.
- The offensive line ranks 117th nationally in rushing and has allowed nine sacks; Miami has zero plays of 40+ yards all season.
- Larry Frank Jr.'s staff breakdown: praise for RB coach Eric Hixson and TE/recruiting coordinator Stephen Field, hard criticism for linebackers coach Jonathan Patke as a "loyalty hire" from Manny's Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State days.
Grading the Assistants
Larry Frank Jr.'s premise: fans blame position coaches for what's really a program-wide issue. O-line coach Garin Justice gets a pass despite ugly numbers — chalked up to personnel and scheme, not coaching. Eric Hixson, the little-known running backs coach, gets real flowers for developing the room with limited hype. Stephen Field draws the loudest praise, credited with a number-one recruiting class at Oregon before Miami and with developing tight end Elijah Arroyo. On defense, Jess Simpson's physical d-line style traces back to his time under the late Auburn legend Pat Dye. The target is Jonathan Patke: Larry Frank Jr. ties lethargic linebacker play and recruiting struggles directly to a coach who followed Manny from Louisiana Tech to Mississippi State — the same loyalty pattern that sank previous staffs.
The Administration Theory
The deeper conversation circled back to a running theory: Miami's administration has quietly prioritized academics over football since the Donna Shalala era, hiring coaches without real searches — Larry Coker's promotion, Randy Shannon's promotion, Al Golden's loyalty-driven collapse, Mark Richt's reach hire, Manny Diaz's emergency hire off three weeks at Temple. Devin pressed the chat directly: is the administration content keeping Miami a Power Five program with a Group of Five identity?
What Actually Matters Saturday
Both hosts agreed the score doesn't matter against an FCS opponent that just got blown out by Southeastern Louisiana. What they're watching: whether the offensive line shows improvement, whether Cody Brown and freshman Leonard Taylor get real snaps, and how Manny Diaz manages the rotation — a dry run for whether he'll bench veterans for a talented freshman class. Caller Jamal Davis asked if a blowout even means anything; Larry Frank Jr.'s answer was blunt: nothing Saturday saves Manny's job, it only shows whether he's paying attention to the pressure.
"If you were good enough, you wouldn't have got fired in the first place — that's just me."