In his first season as coach at Miami, Mike Rumph looks to lead a thin but talented group of Miami cornerbacks.
The secondary has been a strength of the Hurricanes over the past few seasons, boasting with talent, experience, and solid production despite playing in a soft scheme. With the graduation of Tracy Howard and Artie Burns being selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Canes were left pretty thin at corner for this upcoming season.
When defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio was fired, all defensive assistants were let go as well. Despite clearly having the most talented position group on the roster, former DB Coach Paul Williams did not produce the level of production we all knew were capable of the the defensive backs. Enter Mike Rumph.
Rumph was a former all-conference defensive back at Miami and started on the greatest college football team of all time: the 2001 National Champion Miami Hurricanes…@ me. He was also selected in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
After his brief NFL career, Rumph got into coaching and was the former defensive coordinator and head coach at American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida. In his last three seasons as head coach, Rumph led the Patriots to three consecutive postseason appearances and compiled a 34-6 record, including two straight state championships. He’s coached players by the likes of Georgia’s Isaiah (Joystick) Mckenzie & Sony Michel and Urban Meyers school’s Torrance Gibson.
Rumph heading to the college ranks was inevitable due to his high school success, so it only made sense that CMR made the hire and bring in the former Canes great to join his staff in Coral Gables.
The hire makes perfect sense, as Rumph is used to coaching talent, is a hometown product and is a very distinguished alum within the community. One thing the former staff had trouble doing with relating and maintaining relationships with players, coaches and families in the South Florida community. No better way in doing that than bringing in a former player on the greatest team to ever bless the OB.
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Challenges Rumph will face initially is coaching up a rather young and inexperienced group of corners in his first season. The Canes will be led by senior corner Corn Elder, who will spend his last season in Coral Gables as the No. 1 corner on the roster. You know, this guy:
After Elder, the water gets a little bit more unclear, although it looks as if sophomore Sheldrick Redwine will secure the No. 2 spot opposite Elder. The Canes are still awaiting the transfer news of Alabama DB Maurice Smith, who would come to Miami and easily establish himself as a top corner.
Rumph and the Miami defensive staff will look to get production from DBs Michael Jackson, Terrance Henley and Texas transfer Adrian Colbert.
What will Miami get out of their cornerbacks, that is still unsure given the inexperience. But this hire in an upgrade, given the former position coach, as well as the vanilla defensive scheme. The Canes will be playing a much more aggressive defense, a defense that the players are accustom too and so is Rumph.