Miami fires OC Josh Gattis after 1 season: Who are potential candidates to fill the role?

January 27, 2023 Admin

Miami parted ways with offensive coordinator Josh Gattis after he served one season on the Hurricanes’ staff, the team announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

Miami dealt with a slew of injuries, including to starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, and finished 97th in the FBS in scoring offense (23.6 points per game), 89th in yards per play (5.34) and 114th in plays of 20 yards or more (42).
Gattis won the Broyles Award as the top college assistant while at Michigan in 2021. The Wolverines averaged 35.8 points per game in 2021 with Gattis serving as offensive coordinator.
Miami is also searching for a new quarterbacks coach after Frank Ponce, a Miami native, left the Hurricanes’ staff to return to Appalachian State to be offensive coordinator on Jan. 16. The Mountaineers averaged 34.5 points per game in 2021 with Ponce calling plays. Ponce, a former Cristobal assistant at Florida International, was previously on staff at Appalachian State from 2013 to ’18 and again in 2021 after spending two seasons at Louisville.

How has Miami’s offensive personnel changed?

Three offensive starters are gone from the 2022 squad: tight end and leading receiver Will Mallory, left tackle John Campbell Jr. (Tennessee transfer) and right guard DJ Scaife. Miami has since added former Alabama starting left guard Javion Cohen, ex-UCF starting center Matthew Lee and eighth-year blocking tight end Cam McCormick (Oregon) and is in hot pursuit of former USC receiver Gary Bryant Jr.

In addition, the Hurricanes signed two five-star offensive tackles in Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola, two four-star running backs in Mark Fletcher and Chris Johnson, two four-star receivers in Nathaniel Joseph and Robby Washington, and four-star tight end Riley Williams among a class of 25 high school recruits. — Navarro

Who are potential offensive coordinator candidates?

When Cristobal first took the job at Miami in December 2021, he interviewed former Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen (who has since returned to Kentucky after one season back with the Los Angeles Rams), former LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady (now QB coach with the Buffalo Bills), Toledo head coach Jason Candle, Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendal Briles (now the OC at TCU) and Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig for the job. Whoever he targets this time around, Cristobal would be wise to have his offensive coordinator work with the quarterbacks. Gattis served as Miami’s receivers coach in his one season with the Hurricanes, and there was a natural disconnect internally between Gattis and the quarterbacks.

One option could be Texas A&M co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach James Coley, a Miami native who was Miami’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2013 to ’15. The Aggies hired Bobby Petrino to run the offense after the season. Coley was Cristobal’s offensive coordinator at FIU in 2007 before leaving for Florida State. Miami’s offense averaged 33.8 points per game in Coley’s first season with the Hurricanes in 2013 with Stephen Morris at quarterback. — Navarro