Corey Hetherman explains decision to accept Miami job

On Jan. 11, Miami hired Minnesota defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman to serve in the same role for the Hurricanes. During his introductory press conference, Hetherman explained his decision to join Miami.

“You know just looking at the opportunity to compete for a national championship,” Hetherman said. “What the program is what coach has done here, looking at the roster, I think I’m excited about the opportunity and what we can do.”

Miami is undoubtedly on the rise after posting a 10-2 the regular season and a 6-2 mark in conference play this past season. The Hurricanes were in the hunt for the College Football Playoff until the very end, ultimately finishing at No. 13 in the selection committee’s final CFP rankings.

While Miami had one of the most powerful offenses in the country, its defense often struggled to hold up its end of the bargain. Miami gave up 25.3 points per game in the 2024 campaign, ranking 68th in the country.

In comparison, under Hetherman’s guidance, Minnesota’s defense ranked ninth in the country, allowing just 16.9 points per game. It was Hetherman’s lone season as the Golden Gophers’ defensive play-caller. He joined the program after coaching linebackers at Rutgers in 2023.

Despite his inexperience, Hetherman was immediately one of the best defensive coordinators in the Big Ten, and it showed on the field. Minnesota secured key wins over USC and Illinois last season, thanks to the Golden Gophers’ stellar defense.

Now, Corey Hetherman hopes to bring similar success to Miami.

“We’re going to be aggressive,” Hetherman said. “We want to be an attacking style defense we’re going to be very multiple. Everywhere I’ve been, you kind of go evaluate who’s in the room, who can we attract to where we are and then figure out how to plug it in from there.

“There’s a lot of really good athletes I think there’s a lot of talent. There’s a lot of speed on the defensive side of football and I think I’m excited about trying to figure out exactly where everyone goes and where everyone will work. But, we’re going to be an attacking, aggressive-style defense. We’re going to try to dictate the tempo.”

The pressure will be on Miami next season to perform as Mario Cristobal enters his fourth year at the helm of the program. With Carson Beck and several other standout transfers incoming, Miami fans will be hungry to see their team make its first appearance in the CFP.