By: Cole Mantell (@lightningdragon)
There are many cases in the CFSL of Athletic Directors who are lifelong fans of the teams they cheer for. However, few ADs, few fans even, travel once a year ten hours to see their favorite team play. “I have two adult kids in their 30s both married. Now two grandchildren. The whole family represents the U. We average going to one game a year.”
If you are looking for dedication for the next AD of the Miami Hurricanes, that won’t be an issue. George Yost (@850CaneCG) is a lifelong fan of the Hurricanes. Getting his hometown school is a dream come true. For a team that has reached such great heights, no one seems better suited to succeed Jay Gates after his final season as an AD.
Miami under Gates has reached heights not seen since Season 9. Taking over a championship-caliber team is no easy feat. Just ask who Miami played this season in the National Championship. Derek Hawkins took over Kentucky after Hall of Fame AD Devan Davis and has continued that legacy of success up until he now leaves for LSU. Yost and the Miami faithful are hoping to follow that similar line of success.
Yost is one of the most experienced AD candidates this cycle as well. Yost started his playing career at Toledo. Then he learned under Dobbins as a coach at Alabama. “Dobbins took a CEO approach, he allowed me to run the team,” says Yost. After a successful stint with the Crimson Tide, Yost moved over to Miami and worked under Jay Gates as a coach. Experience under two of the best in the business led to the opportunity to return to the team he once played for as a MAC Head Coach. Now he is heading for the big show, this time leading Miami into Season 19 and beyond.
The biggest question is, can Yost continue the same success Jay Gates has shown? While we don’t know the answer (and won’t for a while) Miami is well-positioned for success off the bat. Assuming they can keep their talent from their playoff run and build again this offseason, Miami will enter a new ACC that should be both competitive and winnable for the Hurricanes.
Miami has Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh all joining the Hurricanes in the newly formed ACC with ADs who are returning from Season 18. Only Syracuse, a new expansion team, joins the newly reformed ACC with a new AD. With that much stability in the conference, Miami is unique in that they will likely have a new approach to their championship mentality. That will be key in what could be the most competitive conference in the country next season. Four of the seven ACC teams were playoff participants in Season 18. Winning the conference for the first time since Season 10 will be a tall task for the Hurricanes, but they’ll be in the mix.
As stated, it takes a special kind of person to coach in Miami. Yost seems like the guy dedicated to continuing that legacy. As a member of the Florida National Guard for 10 years, his roots in the Sunshine State are deep. With dedication and effort, Miami certainly seems like a team that isn’t going anywhere after this season. Continuing that success won’t be easy. In fact, among new Athletic Directors for Season 19, you could argue Yost will have the most expectations out of the gate. It won’t be easy, and there will be pressure immediately to continue that legacy. But if anyone is well suited to do that, it’s going to be the former coach and player.
