Frank Ponce set to be Miami’s quarterback coach

The Miami Hurricanes are set to name Frank Ponce the quarterback coach, a source has confirmed. 

CaneSport was first to report the news.

Ponce was Appalachian State’s offensive coordinator in 2021, his first year as the play-caller with that program. 

The Mountaineers had one of the best Group of Five offenses in the country in 2021, averaging 441 yards of total offense, which ranked 30th nationally and 34.5 points per game, which ranked 22nd in the country. 

Ponce, who is 50 years old, coordinated a balanced offense that averaged 192 rushing yards and 249 passing yards per game. 

Transfer quarterback Chase Brice threw for 3,337 yards with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He featured two running backs that totaled at least 900 yards in Nate Noel (1,128 yards, four touchdowns) and Camerun Peoples (926 yards, 14 touchdowns). Three Appalachian State receivers totaled at least 800 yards in Corey Sutton (904 yards, seven touchdowns), Thomas Hennigan (823 yards, six touchdowns), and Malik Williams (819 yards, seven touchdowns).

Miami squared off against Appalachian State during the second week of the 2021 season with the Hurricanes narrowly winning 25-23. 

In that game, Brice completed 21-of-34 passes for 201 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Peoples ran for 95 yards and one touchdown. Sutton led App State in receiving with 60 yards on seven catches. 

According to the USA Today assistant coach salaries database, Ponce was paid $300k for his services in 2021. 

Ponce has a history with Mario Cristobal, serving as his wide receivers coach at FIU from 2007-12. Ponce is responsible for landing star receiver T.Y. Hilton at FIU. 

Ponce then moved on to Appalachian State when Scott Satterfield was hired as the head coach there and served as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2013-18. 

In 2019-20, Ponce followed Satterfield to Louisville and was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. 

Prior to FIU, Ponce was one of the top high school coaches in football-rich south Florida, serving as the head coach and offensive coordinator at tradition-laden Miami Senior High from 2004-06 and the head coach at Coral Reef High from 2002-03. 

Ponce began his coaching career with stints as an assistant at La Progresiva Presbyterian School (offensive coordinator – 1992), Coral Gables High (quarterbacks/wide receivers – 1993-96), Miami Northwestern High (quarterbacks – 1998), Miami Central High (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – 1999-2000) and Miami Killian High (offensive coordinator – 2001). 

As a coach at Miami Central, he mentored Willis McGahee, who went on to become an All-America running back at the University of Miami and a two-time NFL Pro Bowler.

A native of Miami, Ponce enjoyed a decorated playing career as a quarterback at Miami Senior, where he was the team MVP and a finalist for the 1988 Miami Herald Hispanic Athlete of the Year Award. He went on to become the starting quarterback for two years at Arizona Western College, where he earned an associate’s degree in arts in 1990. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Florida International in 1997.