Wake up sunshine. This is your Monday morning Wake Up call from your ever present OBB. The Miami Hurricanes have zero coordinators and the first spring practice is less than a month away. No problems. The Greentree awaits. #LETSGO! Wake up!

the Greentree

Journeyman Kevin Steele is no longer the defensive coordinator for the Hurricanes. Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide have poached the long time DC after just one season with the Canes. The 64 year old Steele is well versed in the SEC and has also coached at Auburn, Tennessee and FSU.

Alabama’s defensive coordinator job opened up after Pete Golding left for Ole Miss last month. This will be Steele’s third stint on Saban’s staff. He will now fill the position he previously held in 2007 until Kirby Smart replaced him the following year.

“I think Kevin is just really sound, fundamental.” “You win with execution. Their players really do a good job of executing whatever is they do. And the players play hard, and I think those are all signs of Kevin’s leadership.” -Nick Saban prior to 2020 Iron Bowl.

Miami had a lackluster first season defensively under Steele’s guidance. The Hurricanes defense ranked 65th nationally and failed to achieve bowl eligibility in Mario Cristobal’s first year. Cristobal is now tasked with replacing coordinators on both side of the ball after just one season.

“Steele is going to crush it at Bama.”

“Steele was good enough for Saban but not for us…GTFOH.”

With Steele now leaving for Alabama, a natural succession could be the promotion of Charlie Strong to DC. But a potential Crimson Tide reunion for Strong is also a realistic possibility. According to local reports, Saban might not be done poaching the Hurricane Staff.

Strong served as a defensive analyst at the University of Alabama in 2020 and was previously a head coach at Texas, USF and Louisville. He also served as the University of Florida defensive play caller where he won national championships.

“After being a head coach you go to a place like that and you see the success coach Saban has had, it kind of opened my eyes because I did some of the same things,” Strong said. “I just didn’t get the results he got.”

If offered the defensive coordinator position at the University of Miami we fully expect the current linebackers coach to stay. Strong is in a position of leverage and head coach Mario Cristobal will have a decision on his hands.

“Strong will do fine here if we promote him. That said I want us to do our due diligence.”

“I would rather Saban take Steele not Strong.”

Hard Woodies

The Hurricanes snapped Clemson’s 15-game home winning streak this weekend. It was a top 20 road win as Canes hoops defeated the Tigers 78-74 on the backs of a strong performance by Wooga Poplar.

Poplar poured in 14 points with five rebounds and was excellent from the field. The 6-5 sophomore guard from Philadelphia was 4-5 from the field and a perfect 4-4 from the stripe. Poplar earned Player of the Game honors.

Nijel Pack continued his hot hand down the back stretch of the season with a game-high 20 points. The third-year sophomore helped erase Clemson’s hot start. The home team raced out to a 10-4 lead after just three-and-a-half minutes. The Hurricanes however never relented.

Miami added 43 second half points and had a distinct rebounding advantage. The orange and green had 38 rebounds to the Clemson kitties 28. Impressively, the Hurricanes posted the fourth-most points by any team against Clemson this year. Coach Larranaga is now 8-6 in ACC ranked matchups.

The Miami Hurricanes next play the Duke Blue Devils at home tonight at 7 PM on ESPN.

“Great road win. Now on to Duke.”

“I thought once Clemson got it to two it might be trouble. But they are tough. Coach L is a magician.”

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