Nix Fired: Impact Going Forward

By Kartik Krishnaiyer
Canes Rising Staff

Patrick Nix was dismissed as Miami's offensive coordinator on Monday. Nix's offenses while statistically weak at Miami had shown definitive signs of improvement. Moreover, in defense of Nix it can be strongly argued that the execution of the offense was poor by starting QB Robert Marve who seemed to have happy feet and an inability to find secondary receivers.

But Nix's great failure with Miami was his inability to create and maintain an offensive identity for the Canes. Miami has never been a pass happy team. The one season Miami could not run the ball in the 1980s, was also the season the Canes had its worst year of the decade (1984). Dennis Erickson's teams in 1992 and 1993 could not run the ball and thus fell flat on their faces in the bowl games following both seasons. When Butch Davis returned to Miami in 1995 he made implementing a power running game his number one on the field priority.

But under Nix, the running game stalled, often times being replaced by a pass happy spread offense to chase games. Other times Nix came throwing right out of the gate, and the Canes were placed in a deep early hole.

Often times Nix did make the right calls however: his play calling on the final drive a year ago in Tallahassee gave Miami a victory. This season Nix's game plan against Virginia Tech seemed to keep Bud Foster off guard much of the game, something which has not happened much in the recent history of the Miami-VT series.

The bottom line: With Robert Marve likely transferring and Miami probably reverting to a two back pro style offense which integrates the Fullback and Tight End, Nix is philosophically out of step with where Miami is heading.

Randy Shannon's likely first choice for the offensive coordinator spot is still employed in the NFL: Dirk Koetter the former Arizona State Head Coach. Miami likely does not have the money to lure Koetter away from the NFL. Former Coordinator Rob Chudzinski has been mentioned but from where I sit, that would be a poor hire. Keep an eye on Chuck Long late of Oklahoma and a Maxwell Award winning QB at Iowa in the 1980s. Long was fired as Head Coach by San Diego State last month. Todd Berry who called the plays for Miami in the school's last bowl win, in 2006 and is now at UNLV may be considered as well. Berry, however is a proponent of the spread offense and thus may not fit.