Miami now backed by Billionaire about to pull Cristobal or Kiffin?

E3PO · Nov 25, 2021

Miami alum Bruce Feldman thinks a change is coming soon:

“I suspect it probably will come open,” Feldman said. “Now remember, they have an AD search that they have to get going, so it is complicated right now,” Feldman said.

“I think if the people around South Florida make it known hey we really think we can lure Mario to come back here, I think no matter what happens with Manny Diaz, they are going to make a change [with Manny Diaz],” Feldman said. “Keep in mind that two of the legit candidates for the AD job, one is Alonzo Highsmith, former legendary player that knows everybody there and the other one is Gino Torretta, a Heisman Trophy winner. Gino is one of Mario Cristobal’s old Miami teammates. I think they will have intel to know where that stands.”

“If they couldn’t get Mario, I think there is a lot of people around UM that are very intrigued by the idea of Lane Kiffin being their head coach and they would say hey we are going to roll with it,” Feldman said. “I think Lane would have a hard time saying now to Miami. I know that he was enamored with that job when hew as an assistant coach. A lot has changed since then. I am not sure that he wouldn’t look at it and say all I have to do is compete with Clemson in this conference and I know the talent around there.”

“I’d be surprised if he said no,” Feldman said. “Here is the thing, the only thing is when Ole Miss has had much success there, they have either gotten on probation or it has not gotten very far. Miami has won national titles [in the past] and you can get players there. He knows all the talent that is in Florida, he obviously coached at FAU and has spent a lot of time in the state of Florida. I don’t think he is saying no to that to stay in Oxford.”

The Audible with Stew & Bruce - Podcasts

Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman discuss the latest in college football, interviewing the biggest names and giving you insight into the most relevant topics you won't find anywhere else. From National Signing Day to the National Championship, Bruce and Stew have you covered year-round.

theathletic.com

But what makes this potentially most scary is that Miami alum John Ruiz (now worth an estimated $20 billion) has made it clear he is all in supporting the Canes:

• Ruiz and his family are die hard fans of Miami Hurricanes athletics. Ruiz graduated from UM in 1987. He is proud that his three children, Johnny, Cristy, and Alex are also Miami alums. All three children were involved with UM athletics as Johnny and Alex played for UM’s baseball program while Cristy was a member of UM’s dance team, the Sunsations. “We are a Miami Hurricanes family,” Ruiz said. “This school means so much to us.”

• Due to his financial success as a business man, Ruiz wants to give back to the school that means so much to his family. He is not ready to announce what that type of financial commitment would be, but he wants to make clear that he is ready to step up and support Miami’s athletic department “substantially” in the future. “My family is very fortunate to be in a good financial situation to provide meaningful help,” Ruiz said. “I hope my willingness to provide support will also spark a strong core of local businessmen that I know who may be motivated to join me.”

• Ruiz wanted to make it clear that he has nothing against former athletic director Blake James, calling him “a great man” and also noting “we have nothing but great things to say about the people that work at UM” that he does believe UM’s athletic department would benefit from modernizing their approach and implementing more business principles that take advantage of UM’s brand combined with the South Florida business potential. “In my opinion, you have to bring back the interest of the athletes,” Ruiz said. “Organizations have to be malleable and be willing to adapt with the times while also having a vision for what the future holds. Miami has the best brand in college athletics and I see so much potential there from my experience with creating companies that have a solid platform for marketing and an understanding of how to extract the power of marketing. That buzz and that swag is important. We need to excite people to back this program. Having a business mindset that brings innovation can change the entire playing field.”

• What vision does Ruiz ultimately have for the Miami Hurricanes football program? “I went to school during the 1980s and those UM teams were some of the greatest of all time,” Ruiz said. “I come from an era when Miami was a power to be reckoned with and I know it will take time to build, but with the right leadership from top to bottom, I think Miami has the potential to return the swag and success of the 1980s.”

• Does Ruiz have any opinions about what direction UM should go with the athletic director search and the impending decision on whether or not to retain football coach Manny Diaz? “I am supportive of what needs to be done and willing to back up the university substantially,” he said.

• Ruiz did confirm that he has a family connection to current Oregon coach Mario Cristobal. His wife’s family is related to Cristobal.

• At the end of the day, Ruiz wanted to make it clear that he is not trying to ruffle any feathers, understanding that this is the first time he and his family are planning to substantially give to the UM program. “I just want to make it clear that we are ready to help and the program can count on us on multiple levels,” Ruiz said. “We care about this university and this athletic program.”

https://www.canesinsight.com/threads/the-john-ruiz-family-is-ready-to-support-miami’s-athletic-department-‘substantially’-in-the-future-per-247.173857/

Miami, backed by a billionaire and with a legit coach in the NIL era could make them a big threat again. Gotta nail our hire and fund the program or get out of the big-time football business.

PacoGator19 · Nov 25, 2021