Hurricanes sign 2 new assistants

Diaz adds RB coach Hickson, O-line coach Barry to staff

CORAL GABLES — A day after announcing Dan Enos would take over as Miami’s offensive coordinator, Miami Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz added two more members to his coaching staff — including one with strong ties to Broward County.

Former Dillard High standout and Kansas State running backs coach Eric Hickson was named Miami’s new running backs coach on Saturday, while former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant offensive line coach Butch Barry was named the Hurricanes’ new offensive line coach.

Hickson and Barry will take the spots on Miami’s staff previously held by Thomas Brown and Stacy Searels, both of whom were among the offensive coaches dismissed shortly after Diaz took over as head coach last month.

“We’re excited to welcome Eric and Butch to the Miami family,” Diaz said in a statement announcing the hires. “Both men are outstanding teachers with diverse coaching backgrounds, and I’m confident they will be tremendous assets to our offensive staff.”

Hickson, who played collegiately at Kansas State, started his coaching career in Broward County, first as an assistant head coach at Coral Springs Charter in 2003

before moving to American Heritage-Plantation in

2007 where he’d serve as the running backs and special teams coach until 2011.

While at American Heritage in 2011, Hickson worked with current Hurricanes cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph, who was then the defensive coordinator for the Patriots. Rumph later served as Heritage’s head coach for three seasons before joining Miami’s staff in 2016.

After leaving Heritage, Hickson went on to coach high school football in Indianapolis before taking over as running backs coach and outgoing recruiting coordinator at Garden City Community College in Kansas. He also spent three years coaching running backs at Akron before joining his alma mater for one season.

As a player, Hickson rushed for 2,537 yards and

26 touchdowns, marks that still rank fifth and seventh, respectively, in Kansas State history.

Barry, meanwhile, spent the past four seasons with the Buccaneers. He previously worked under Enos at Central Michigan, where Enos served as head coach from 2010 through 2014.

While at Central Michigan, Barry coached the Chippewas’ offensive line in 2014, leading a group that paved the way for

1,000-yard season by running back Thomas Rawls. Prior to that, he worked with the Chippewas tight ends for three seasons.

He has also coached at Southwest Minnesota State, Michigan Tech and North Greenville University. He played collegiately at Central Michigan.

With the hires of Enos, Hickson and Barry, Diaz has nearly rounded out his staff. Miami has not yet named a receivers or tight ends coach, though the coach has said he hopes to have those in place in the coming days.