Following earlier reports of this move being made, Miami Hurricanes QB coach Frank Ponce has been officially announced as the next Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach at Appalachian State.

This is Ponce’s third tour of duty in Boone, NC, so he’s well acquainted with the school. Ponce returns to the position he held immediately prior to accepting the QB coach role with Miami following the 2021 football season.

If he desires to be a playcaling OC, a move back to App State is a good one for Ponce. He’s got plenty of experience in the world of coaching, but he wasn’t in line for a similar role to this at Miami.

Now, what does this mean for the Hurricanes?

Well, it clears the deck for more moves along the offensive coaching staff. It is not secret that OC/WR coach Josh Gattis’s unit and position group struggled GREATLY in his first year at Miami. On top of that, the recruiting at both QB and WR was woefully bad in 2023, so changes are very much on the table.

With Ponce officially hired away, there is the room for Miami to bring in an OC/QB coach (the more typical pairing of responsibilities vs OC/WR coach) and a solo WR coach. By moving to this more traditional structure, it opens the door for (hopefully) elite recruiters and developers at both positions. And, no offense to Ponce and Gattis, but Miami could very much use these upgrades at OC, QB coach, and WR coach.

So, there you have it. One coaching staff move confirmed.

You may now freely speculate on what others may follow.

Go Canes