A Short Leash May Generate Faster Results for Miami’s Offense

Before the start of the 2019 season, Miami seemed to be on top of the world. First-time head coach Manny Diaz added some seemingly solid position coaches and coordinators, while also picking up great talent in the transfer portal with the help of his new associates.

Unfortunately, all that glittered certainly wasn’t gold.

To put it bluntly, the hiring of former offensive coordinator Dan Enos was flashy, but not much else. Fans were under the impression that Miami would break free from Mark Richt’s archaic scheme with Enos’s playbook—bringing new life and a rebound season to a team that finished 7-6 the previous year.

Now, with 2019 in the books, Miami is once again starting over on offense.

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Enter Rhett Lashlee. A disciple of Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, Lashlee spent the last two seasons at SMU, where his offensive scheme continuously torched opponents. Most importantly, unlike Enos, Lashlee’s offense has been proven to work.

A fast-paced and ‘smarter’ offense is exactly what Miami needs in order to bounce back from a losing season—Lashlee can give them just that. What Miami fans have been yearning for is a scheme that efficiently utilizes skill-players like Brevin Jordan, who still ranked as one of the nation’s best tight ends despite struggling through injury and poor play calling. If the Hurricanes’ offense can match the intensity and pressure that their defense places on teams, Miami will surely win more than 6 games.

With that being said, 2020 is already shaping up to be the most important year of the decade for the program. Lashlee’s offense can soar in South Beach, or crumble to the ground like Enos’s. There’s immense pressure to succeed—proven by Enos’s firing after just 1 year as offensive coordinator. Rest assured that Lashee’s leash is short, but the urgency and pressure that comes with it may generate instant success.