Promotion on tap for Dolphins legend Taylor?
A week before the Miami Hurricanes are slated to begin spring practice, Mario Cristobal lost another assistant coach.
Defensive ends coach Rod Wright, a Houston native, left Miami’s coaching staff to become a defensive line coach with the NFL’s Houston Texans, according to multiple reports. But the Hurricanes may have a readymade replacement for Wright already on staff.
The Hurricanes hired Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor as a defensive analyst last spring, and the Miami Dolphins legend drew rave reviews during his first year with UM.
“Jason Taylor has been great around the room,” defensive lineman Chantz Williams said during last year’s spring practices.
“Having him in the meeting room is a blessing. He’s a guy who’s made more plays than anybody here in the building, I feel. He gives us these tips that an old vet uses, and he’s allowing us to understand the game a whole lot. So having him around has really just been a great tool that we’ve used. And everybody goes to him, off the field, to ask him questions and stuff. He’s just always around, so it’s great to have him.”
The Hurricanes currently have a defensive-line coach, Joe Salave’a. Last season, Salave’a split duties with Wright. But when the Hurricanes announced Derek Nicholson’s hiring, replacing former linebackers coach Charlie Strong, they announced Nicholson as the inside linebackers coach.
With Wright’s departure, Taylor could potentially coach defensive ends and outside linebackers; he played both positions in the NFL.
Miami’s defensive ends were arguably the team’s strongest position group last season. Mitchell Agude, who is looking to earn an NFL roster spot this offseason, had 39 tackles with four sacks. Akheem Mesidor, in his first year with the Hurricanes after transferring from West Virginia, had 38 tackles and seven sacks. Jahfari Harvey had 31 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
The Hurricanes also saw promise from freshman Nyjalik Kelly, a Dillard High alumnus, who had 11 tackles and four sacks. Miami signed highend defensive end prospects Collins Acheampong, Rueben Bain and Jayden Wayne this offseason.