
Miami, FL-- Two days after ending their season with a disappointing loss to South Carolina in the Independence Bowl, the University of Miami announced today that it had terminated the contract of Defensive Coordinator Mark D'Onofrio, effective immediately. D'Onofrio was not available for comment, but Head Coach Al Golden said, "Mark is a good friend and good coach. However, the fit here just wasn't right. I think he will have a lot of success wherever he goes next."
D'onofrio came with Miami from Temple, where he served as Defensive Coordinator under Golden from 2006-2010. He and Golden are close friends who played together under Joe Paterno at Penn State. The move comes as a surprise, as his defense finished 13th overall in the nation in yards allowed. Many around the program are accusing Golden of making his friend a scapegoat for the struggles that the program has undergone since Golden took over.
The search for a new coordinator is already underway, and here are a few names to watch:
Michael Barrow- The former All-American Linebacker and 13-year NFL veteran has been working as the Linebackers Coach and Special Teams Coordinator for the Canes since 2007. He has a fiery attitude and is very well-liked as a player. He was a member of the 1989 and 1991 National Championship teams at Miami and has long spoke of returning his alma mater to its previous heights.
Bill Miller- Miller is currently the Linebackers Coach for Florida State. However, he has a wealth of experience leading defenses, and has served as a defensive coordinator at Nevada, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, Arizona State, Western Michigan, Kansas- as well as a stint from 1995-1998 at the University of Miami. He led some quality defenses under Butch Davis, and Golden could be hoping to bring him on once again.
Jeremy Irvin- The sleeper candidate of the bunch, Irvin just finished his first year as the Linebackers Coach for the University of Mississippi, where he helped turn an average unit to one of the top Linebacking corps in the nation. He is the youngest candidate at 31, having served previously as a graduate assistant at LSU and as Defensive Coordinator for Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, FL- the alma mater of former LSU star Patrick Peterson and his younger brother, current LSU Receiver Avery Peterson. Irvin is the cousin of former Miami star and NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, and was a walk-on Defensive Back at Miami from 2002-2006.
Regardless of who is hired, the new Coodinator will almost certainly have ties to the University- specifically, the old days of Miami football, when 'The U" was at the top of college football. Golden, although clearly lacking "swagger" (according to former DB Antrel Rolle), reportedly wants to regain some of the "bad boy" image that the University tried so hard to quell in the last 30 years. He is obviously not able to come out and said this, but his closing remark during the D'Onofrio press conference was, "Just remember-it's all about the U."
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