Is not to get a head start on the coaching search. That is a myth. Including competing with LSU and USC. Neither they nor Miami will hire someone before the season ends and more importantly any coach already coaching somewhere else who maybe a potential candidate is not going to be an active candidate while they are still coaching elsewhere. As for back channel inquiries those can and will happen regardless of an actual opening. It really does not make much difference in terms of the search. Case in point is 2006. For a month or more everyone knew Larry Coker was toast. EVERYONE. And everyone knew Miami's target was then and now Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. My God we had threads by the hundreds in October and November debating the potential hire of Schiano on this board long before Coker was canned. Season ends on Thanksgiving, the next day Coker is formally dismissed. And within hours Schiano is contacted. He ends up turning Miami down. But there is ZERO evidence firing Coker 3-4 weeks earlier would have gotten them Schiano. Schiano knew Miami was going to come after him for weeks the fact that Coker was not formally dismissed until season concluded made zero difference.
If Miami and Cristobal is meant to be firing Diaz now or waiting to the end of the season makes little difference. If Cristobal wants the Miami job bad enough he won't take another job. Think about it if the Miami job opens after the season ends but he still takes the LSU job then to me that means he didn't want the Miami job. The idea in that scenario is Miami had to fire Diaz earlier doesn't hold up. The job is open right at season end (assuming they don't wait for weeks after the season ends). Plenty of time to negotiate.
So then what are the real reasons? 2 reasons: 1) It is inevitable so why not now and 2) Get Manny out of the line of fire because it could get really ugly over the next few weeks in an around the program. Save him the indignity of hearing the chants and the email and phone call bombardment that will happen to James and the BOT if the season continues to go south.
If Miami and Cristobal is meant to be firing Diaz now or waiting to the end of the season makes little difference. If Cristobal wants the Miami job bad enough he won't take another job. Think about it if the Miami job opens after the season ends but he still takes the LSU job then to me that means he didn't want the Miami job. The idea in that scenario is Miami had to fire Diaz earlier doesn't hold up. The job is open right at season end (assuming they don't wait for weeks after the season ends). Plenty of time to negotiate.
So then what are the real reasons? 2 reasons: 1) It is inevitable so why not now and 2) Get Manny out of the line of fire because it could get really ugly over the next few weeks in an around the program. Save him the indignity of hearing the chants and the email and phone call bombardment that will happen to James and the BOT if the season continues to go south.
