’Canes replace offensive line coach Art Kehoe
Art Kehoe has been a part of all five of the Hurricanes’ national championships, but it appears he won’t be at Miami next season under new coach Mark Richt.
Kehoe, who has had two stints as the Hurricanes’ offensive line coach, will not be retained by Richt and will be replaced by Stacy Searels, who previously held the same position at Virginia Tech, the Miami Herald reported Sunday citing a source.
Searels, who has also coached offensive lines at Appalachian State, Cincinnati, LSU and Texas held the same job at Georgia from 2007-2010, where he coached under Richt.
This season at Virginia Tech, Searels’ offensive line averaged 385.2 offensive yards per game, which was ranked 74th in the nation. The Hokies (7-6) were ranked 100th nationally in sacks allowed. Virginia Tech’s rushing offense was ranked 81st (159.2 yards rushing per game).
Kehoe, 58, a Miami alum who played under Howard Schnellenberger in 1979 and 1980, has been at Miami for 29 years as either a coach or a player.
According to Miami, that is the second-longest tenure of any figure in UM athletic history.
He was on staff as an assistant coach for all five of the Hurricanes’ national championships and after being fired by former Hurricanes coach Larry Coker, returned to Coral Gables to work for Al Golden in 2011.
This season, Miami’s young offensive line was one of the Hurricanes’ most scrutinized units, with quarterback Brad Kaaya regularly facing pressure and getting hit often. Still, Miami averaged 404.9 yards of offense per game and with Joe Yearby, the Hurricanes had a 1,000-yard rusher for the second consecutive year after Duke Johnson hit the same milestone in 2014.
Kehoe interviewed with Richt on Wednesday and the two continued talking afterward, but in the end, Richt decided to release Kehoe.
Richt was a quarterback for the Hurricanes when Kehoe was an offensive lineman for UM in 1979 and ’80.