With the offseason in full swing, Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal is finalizing his staff for next season. It appears the program is bringing in an assistant from the Denver Broncos and is giving him a promotion.
Reports indicate that Miami is hiring Favian Upshaw to serve as the team's new running backs coach, according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports. Upshaw has a previous history with Cristobal, as he played quarterback for the FIU Panthers during Cristobal's tenure with that program.
“Miami is hiring Denver Broncos quality control assistant Favian Upshaw as its next running backs coach, sources tell On3. The former FIU and Georgia Southern quarterback is a former Tulane grad assistant.
“Upshaw signed with FIU out of high school when Miami head coach Mario Cristobal was the Panthers' head coach. Upshaw landed his first on-field coaching role in 2021 as the running backs coach at Georgia Southern, as the Golden Eagles averaged 192.5 rushing yards per game.”
The Hurricanes averaged 151.8 rushing yards per game last season. That put them in the middle of the pack in terms of running the football. With Upshaw joining Miami's coaching staff, Mario Cristobal certainly hopes for more efficiency from the run game. More efficiency in this area could be the difference maker for the program's success next season.
Miami is likely to lean on senior Mark Fletcher Jr. in the backfield next season. However, redshirt junior CharMar Brown and sophomore Girard Pringle Jr. could also see plenty of opportunities as well. However, with former Duke quarterback Darian Mensah transferring to the Hurricanes, the passing game should remain the go-to attack for this team.
