UM still working to fix players’ maturity issues

UM coach Manny Diaz hopes he has solved the program’s biggest problem with the hiring of offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and the move to an up-tempo spread offense.

But conversations with multiple people around the program, including a veteran player, say there’s another issue, particularly in the quarterback room, that must be fixed.

That player — and other sources around the team — say a few players seem more concerned with partying than focusing on football and that a handful (including a prominent one on offense) broke curfew the night before the FIU loss to go out. It probably doesn’t help that players are aware that UM’s drug policy does not call for a suspension for a first failed drug test.

All of that had one regular on the team hoping Diaz becomes more of a disciplinarian next season. Diaz apparently realizes this.

We’re told Diaz reminded players before the Independence Bowl that breaking curfew, drinking and smoking weed would not be permitted.

A source said Diaz has discussed implementing a threestrike system in which the first failed test is a one-game suspension, a second failed test is a multi-game suspension and a drug education course; and a third failed test results in dismissal. It’s unclear if that system will be implemented.

Under UM’s current drug policy, the penalty for a first offense on a failed drug test is 10 hours of community service. The punishment for a second offense is players are withheld from 10 percent of their season’s competition (one game for football) and a third suspension requires missing 30 percent of the season’s games (three or four for football).

“The University of Miami has one of the strongest institutional drug testing policies in all of college athletics,” the UM athletic department told the Miami Herald in response to an inquiry last week. “Testing is outsourced to, and conducted entirely by, an independent entity that has no other affiliation with Miami Athletics.

“Any football student-athletes who violated the institutional drug policy this past season were penalized in accordance with the institutional policy. Any University of Miami coach has the authority to strengthen the drug testing policy for his or her respective sport.”

Only two players were suspended last season, for reasons not specified: cornerback DJ Ivey for one game for the opener and receiver Jeff Thomas for two games.

Now let’s be clear: 1) The majority of these UM players comport themselves well and take their student-athlete role seriously. 2) Marijuana use is common all over college campuses; this column is no moral condemnation of that and there is no suggestion — or any indication — of any drug problem inside the UM program.

The problem, as UM sources said, is that the immaturity infiltrated the quarterback room — the position where you need your most mature players. And the other issue is that a few players felt players could get away with some things without being punished, such as Jarren Williams not showing up for a practice and then playing (off the bench) the following Saturday. One player said there were multiple missteps with Williams regarding maturity.

That’s one reason — combined with the quarterbacks’ erratic play — why UM is pursuing a grad transfer quarterback to be the potential starter in 2020.

The other problem, as one player explained, is there were some players on the team (not a lot but some) that have a “dowhat-they-want” mentality, don’t possess the level of work ethic needed to succeed and don’t seem to care as passionately as they should.

You know what the Canes need, besides better players? More mature, grounded players like Shaq Quarterman, who consistently does the right thing. There are a lot of UM players like Quarterman in that regard. But the Canes need all of them to be that way, especially in the quarterback room.

That UM source said the Canes need more students of the game, too, noting how ridiculous it was — as one example — that Williams took off running on what was supposed to be an endof-the-half Hail Mary in the Independence Bowl.

One bit of advice offered by a person inside the program: Diaz needs to hire more coaches who are older than him, preferably with more head coaching experience. The only former head coach on his staff was Dan Enos, and he’s gone after a year.

Keep in mind that when Erik Spoelstra was named Heat coach 11 years ago, Pat Riley made sure he had a sage, experienced lead assistant in Ron Rothstein.

Per 247 sports, UM this weekend will host Temple grad transfer Quincy Roche, a coveted pass rusher who also is considering UF, North Carolina and Georgia Tech, among others. If UM can land Roche, the Canes would have arguably the best pass-rushing end combo in America, with Greg Rousseau and Roche. Roche was seventh in the country with 13 sacks and Rousseau second with 15 1⁄2.

CHATTER

Here’s a positive upshot of the Heat’s ability to eyeball talented undrafted players and G Leaguers and develop them into NBA rotation players: Players who have multiple NBA offers are now often choosing Miami because of the Heat’s exceptional player development program.

That happened with Duncan Robinson (chose Heat over Lakers and Bucks), Kendrick Nunn and Chris Silva (chose Heat over Spurs).

And it happened last week with guard Gabe Vincent, who on Wednesday chose a two-way offer from Miami over an identical offer from another undisclosed team and overtures from a third.

“We picked Miami because they are the best at it,” Neff said of player development. “They’re the gold standard. I don’t see how you can turn down Miami considering the pipeline, the amount of attention that they have shown with this kind of player. All things being equal, I pick Miami, because they will be the best at it, them and Toronto. Great system. They train their coaches. I had Briante Weber there. If I could pick any place for a G League guy to go, it would be Miami.”

Neff said the Heat first expressed interest in Vincent when Simon sat down next to Neff at a G League showcase event last month in Las Vegas. Vincent then scored 23 points in 14 first-half minutes.

“People should have been all over me on this kid,” Neff said. “In 27 years of doing this — and I have had 27 guys called up — [Vincent] had the best record of any of my guys in that amount of time.”

Don’t be surprised to see the Heat convert Silva’s two-way contract into a three-year standard contract as early as Tuesday, the first day that can happen. Per a team source, we hear there’s sentiment inside the Heat to moving in that direction.

Silva has only a handful of NBA days remaining on his two-way deal but hasn’t been sent to the G League a single day this season. Because the Heat is operating under a hard salary cap, Tuesday would be the first day Miami could accommodate adding a player on a standard deal.

What will Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker get with his $8 million signing bonus from his new four-year, $40 million contract? He said he plans to buy a Rolls-Royce truck.