A 58-0 blowout loss to the No. 6 Clemson Tigers marked the low point for a rollercoaster of a season for the Miami Hurricanes. That was the breaking point for the program as they made the decision to fire Al Golden as head coach. Miami is 4-3 overall this season but they looked uninspired in their loss to the Tigers.
That might be an understatement as the 58-0 result was the worst in school history. After failing to reach their potential over the last few years, a major shakeup was inevitable. Larry Scott will serve as the team’s interim head coach but Athletic Director Blake James hasn’t provided any indication of the team’s long-term plan.
There are a number of candidates that could be strong fits for the vacancy and you can rest assured that given the brand name, a lot of A-list coaches will be rumored for the job. However, Miami isn’t what they used to be.
On that note, let’s take a look at the top four realistic candidates to take over as the head coach (we’re not including Chip Kelly or Charlie Strong, even though those hypothetical rumors persist).
Rob Chudzinski
Associate Head Coach, Indianapolis Colts
There is still a very good chance that the Colts fire Chuck Pagano at some point this season if they don’t get things back on track. Rumor has it that it will take two more losses for Pagano to get the axe and that’s not unrealistic might almost be expected considering they’re at Carolina and home to Denver over the next couple of weeks. Both teams are undefeated.
That could mean the former Cleveland Browns head coach steps in as the interim coach in Indianapolis but that situation is far from certain. If not, he would be an excellent candidate for Miami. The former Hurricane was inducted in to the UM Hall of Fame in 2014 and remains a very popular coaching mind among his contemporaries. Miami could try to bring him home with an offer to take over as the head football coach.
Mario Cristobal
Offensive Line Coach, Alabama Crimson Tide
There is no doubt that Cristobal is considered a favorite head coaching candidate around the college football world and the Hurricanes would be a very good fit since he won two titles as an offensive lineman at Miami between 1989 and 1992.
He’s developed a strong reputation as a recruiter when he led Florida International to its first winning season and a Sun Belt conference championship in 2010. Cristobal was fired by FIU in 2012 following a 3-9 season but was quickly hired as the tight ends coach at Miami before bolting for Alabama six weeks later to become the offensive line coach. Now Cristobal looks like a hot coaching candidate again and a return to the Hurricanes would make a lot of sense for both sides.
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Greg Schiano
Unemployed
The only name on this list that isn’t currently employed as a coach at some level is Schiano but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a good fit at Miami. The former college and NFL head coach certainly has the pedigree and he served as the defensive coordinator for the Hurricanes for two seasons between 1999-2000.
There have been reports that Schiano would consider a return to coaching if he was offered the head job at Miami. It would be a very interesting situation if he was given the opportunity to coach the Hurricanes as he had a disappointing end to his stint as an NFL head coach.
Justin Fuente
Head Coach, Memphis Tigers
Fuente is currently the head coach at Memphis but he is due for a major raise after being paid $1.4 million annually while leading the Tigers to a 17-3 record over the past 20 games. Fuente is considered one of the hottest young head coaches out there and if Miami doesn’t move in and steal him away from Memphis, there is a good chance that another program will. Fuente is still likely to finish the year with the Tigers before any move is made but don’t be surprised if the Hurricanes reach out to him as a strong candidate to be their next head coach.
