Daily briefing: On Miami’s changes, Joe Castiglione and Bailey Zappe
Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:
What happened at Miami is … something
Miami is getting the athletic director it needs in Dan Radakovich of Clemson and got the coach it wanted in Mario Cristobal of Oregon. Cristobal, a former ’Canes offensive lineman, coming home is a big deal. Let’s hope he understands that his alma mater hired Miami native Manny Diaz three years ago and neglected to fire him before it courted and made a deal with Cristobal. That’s not how you treat anyone, much less one you claim as your own. “I am disappointed in the University’s decision and the manner in which this played out over the last few weeks,” began Diaz’s statement, rare candor from a coach on his way out. Maybe Radakovich, who is trying to fill his ACC bingo card (he also has been athletic director at Georgia Tech), and Cristobal will class the joint up.
More ADs should follow Joe Castiglione model
Then there’s Joe Castiglione of Oklahoma, who operates the old-fashioned way. Instead of hiring search firms, Castiglione hires coaches. He also hires good coaches, like Bob Stoops, Lincoln Riley, Lon Kruger and now Brent Venables. Two cool things about this hire: First, Venables’ return verifies that Venables left Norman without any hard feelings nearly a decade ago. Venables went to Clemson in the spring of 2012 rather than share coordinator duties with Stoops’ brother, Mike, who returned to Norman after being fired at Arizona. Second, think of the money Castiglione hasn’t spent on search firms — or fired coaches’ salaries.
A tale of three quarterbacks
Alabama’s Bryce Young probably will take home all the trophies and Pitt’s Kenny Pickett will grab most of the scouting attention, but Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe may take home something pretty cool from this season – an NCAA record. Zappe has thrown for 5,570 yards this season; if he throws for 264 more in the December 18 Boca Raton Bowl against Appalachian State, Zappe will break the NCAA single-season yardage record set by B.J. Symons of Texas Tech in 2003. Symons has held the record longer than anyone since World War II, which speaks to the change in the game that former Red Raiders coach Mike Leach, now of Mississippi State, has wrought.