CORAL GABLES — It would be understandable if members of the Hurricanes’ secondary wore nametags for the first few practices.
Five defensive backs arrived via the transfer portal, and three freshmen arrived this spring after signing in December. All of them are learning a new defense from first-year coordinator Corey Hetherman, and they are getting direct instruction from two new coaches: Zac Etheridge and Will Harris.
“Right now, you’ve got a lot of new faces,” Etheridge said. “It’s not just the coaches. You’ve got a new defensive staff, but you’ve got a room full of new guys, as well, and everybody coming from different places. So the biggest thing we’ve been emphasizing is building a relationship and connecting. If we connect off the field, it eventually shows up on the field because we’ve got to play as one.”
The first task was for Etheridge and Harris, who work closely in tandem with the secondary, to get comfortable with each other. They had never coached on the same staff together, but the pair of defensive back coaches have quickly learned to work well together.
“I love his intensity,” Etheridge said of Harris. “I love the way he teaches and I definitely enjoy working with him.”
Next on the to-do list was to help install Hetherman’s defense and get the defensive backs up to speed in the defensive scheme. Etheridge said the group has quickly adapted to the defensive staff’s coaching styles.
“The biggest thing I’ve been impressed with is guys in the meeting room,” Etheridge said. “They’re taking coaching. They’re coming up, spending extra time trying to figure out exactly what we’re trying to do. Then really impressed with their attention to details and trying to get better every day.”
Now the biggest thing to work on is getting the defenders to communicate well on the field. That was a key issue for Miami’s defense last year, with communication miscues playing a role in the Hurricanes’ defensive struggles.
Etheridge said the secondary is beginning to jell but he is still looking for consistency from the unit.
“I’ve been really impressed with the group from Day 1 to where we’re at now. There’s a lot more improvement (to be made), but the guys have done a great job of trying to work on that communication skill.”
The Hurricanes only have about two weeks of spring practice remaining, but Harris said he thinks the unit’s trajectory is good.
“The thing is just consistently getting better as communication goes and understanding the new defense … and just everybody being on the same page,” Harris said. “It’s going in the right direction.”
