Familiar Face Returns to Coral Gables

University of Miami head baseball coach J.D. Arteaga announced Tuesday the hiring of Rob Cooper as the director of program development.

“Rob thoroughly understands the intricacies to developing a program, having served as a head coach at both Penn State and Wright State over the last two decades,” Arteaga said. “He wore the orange and green as a player and coach and knows what it takes to get to Omaha on a consistent basis. I couldn’t be happier to welcome Coop and his family back home to the University of Miami baseball program.”

Cooper returns to his alma mater after spending the past 10 seasons as the head coach at Penn State. Under his tutelage, the Nittany Lions had 14 players drafted with MLB organizations over his final six full seasons.

In 2022, Cooper led the Nittany Lions to their first Big Ten Tournament appearance since 2012. Penn State earned the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament, picking up a 5-2 win over No. 3 seed Iowa to open postseason play.

After taking over the program ahead of the 2014 campaign, Cooper doubled the Nittany Lions’ win total in just three seasons, leading Penn State to a 28-27 mark in 2016.

During his tenure in State College, Pa., Cooper helped the Nittany Lions become the first NCAA Division I team to compete against a Cuban National Series team, the first U.S. team at any level to defeat a Cuban National Series team, the first U.S. baseball team to play in Cuba since restoration of diplomatic ties with Cuba and the fifth NCAA Division I baseball team to compete in a post-revolutionary Cuba when Penn State traveled prior in 2015.

“I am beyond grateful to J.D. for the opportunity to return to my alma mater,” Cooper said. “This University and baseball program mean a great deal to me and my family. I am excited to help J.D. and the incredible staff he has assembled carry out his vision for Hurricanes baseball. Time to get to work.”

Comments

[herbieibis]

Well, JT didn't mean much to Dylan Stewart as he gave a verbal to the Gamecocks. I could understand if it were Bama, Georgia or OSU but you got a chance to be coached by a hall of famer and at your position but I guess they opened up the coffers and money talks.

[Herbieibis]

RCCF,
Either Big 10 or SEC would be ok with me. SEC would fit us better because of location and more big time opponets, plus baketball and baseball are strong. Big 10 would suck for us in baseball.

[RCCF]

I think I'm actually more B1G only because it'll help w/kids acclamation to weather for the pros

RCCF12%

[Ohio_Cane]

From D$ on CIS:

We may take a while, but we are always on time. Loaded Bank this week since I will be in vacation in Washington state. I'll still be posting practice updates as I watch the whales, and I’ll be giving direct practice reports once I’m back the following week.

- Let’s start with the big stuff. Those who follow the Bank know what happens when I get a cryptic message. Last time, I was told to expect fireworks in the next week. We landed JoJo Trader and Artavius Jones. This time, I was told to “stay ready over the next thirty days.” I sense a lot of quiet confidence in a major move up the recruiting rankings.

- Miami remains firmly in the mix for DE Colin Simmons (Dallas) and DT David Stone (IMG). On Simmons, note that LSU’s defensive line coach just took medical leave.

- I continue to feel extremely good about S Zaquan Patterson (Chaminade).

- Miami is battling Georgia and Tennessee for LB Chris Cole (Salem, VA), but the rumored Georgia commitment never happened. They may be playing some games there. Miami continues to feel they are right in it.

- A lot of people thought DE Elias Rudolph (Cincinnati) might flip on his secret visit on the BBQ. His visit was set up for a long time and I alluded to it on the Bank. That didn’t happen, and he has returned to Ohio at a school with some Michigan ties. We are still working and there is mutual interest.

- Miami continues to chip away at DT Kamarion Franklin (Memphis). He brought his grandmother on his last visit and she loved it. Franklin is dealing with a lot in recruiting and may be having a hard time saying no. Miami remains in the thick of the battle.

- RB Kevin Riley (Tuscaloosa) worked out on his visit and I’m told it was the best camp workout of the Cristobal Era. Alvin Kamara comps. Recruiting is recruiting but his commitment is currently very strong. Encouraging visit.

- As we first reported on June 1, Miami is intrigued by CB Jamil Watkins (Vanguard) and he has an offer.

- OL Eddie Pierre-Louis (Tampa) had a great visit. He enjoys the process, so I don’t sense anything is imminent there.

- Not a lot going on with CB Jaylen Heyward (Rockledge). This is just my speculation, but he may have been frustrated with all the due diligence. But it was necessary.

- Miami loves their new center commit Nino Francavilla (Canada). More often than you’d think, coaches are afraid to be the first offer for a player. Francavilla drew rave reviews at every camp but didn’t get the immediate offer, even at Miami. But the more our coaches watched film and looked at the measurables, they decided they needed him in this class. And they have enough credibility at the position to make that kind of offer with confidence.

- Turning to this year’s team, the phrase I heard was “night and day.” We’ve all heard that before, and we'll believe it when we see it. It’s also extremely early. But I’m told the size difference is obvious at multiple positions, especially OL and LB.

- Miami feels they landed three first round OLs in last year’s class. Francis Mauigoa is already one of the best players on the team, Samson Okunlola made perhaps the biggest leap of anyone over the summer and Tommy Kinsler looks like a freak show at tackle. Antonio Tripp and Frankie Tinilau are out with injury (back for Tinilau).

- Another name that keeps drawing raves from scouts and coaches is DT Branson Deen (Purdue transfer). His commitment flew under the radar because we were looking for a bigger DT, but this is a draftable player with outstanding leverage, twitch and effort. I was blown away when I watched his Big 10 film.

- The Jadais Richard buzz is real. He is a starter, and the only challenge now is finding out where. He can play corner, nickel or safety. Jaden Davis is another guy who looks like he will start somewhere. This will be an interesting position to watch in terms of who plays where.

- One position that has shown particular improvement- wide receiver. Colby Young and Xavier Restrepo are hard workers and it shows. Jacolby George has had a good offseason and is flashing his starter-quality talent. Guys like Breshard Smith have also flashed. If you are looking for a potential superstar from the group, nobody brings a better combination of athleticism and character than RayRay Joseph.

- Still a lot of mystery surrounding OT Zion Nelson. The same guys who expected him to be good for camp don’t know what is going on with him now.

- People who have been critical of S James Williams in the past are liking his first few practices. He has great energy, looks healthy and is performing well at S and OLB.

- QB Emory Williams drew a lot of buzz for his performance during the media portion of practice, and I am told it has carried on to the closed sessions. A lot of people are interested to see how he performs the rest of camp.

- RBs Mark Fletcher and Ajay Allen have carried over their strong offseasons. Pads will be the true test for that group. DT Josh Horton is another name that consistently draws praise.

[MLALUMNI 1970]

Ohio Cane, you always have the best in depth knowledge of our Canes. I appreciate everything you and Tom uncover.🟩🟧🟢🟠

[Ohio_Cane]

Just stealing from others LOL!

[Herbieibis]

Well, expansion is rolling right along as the Big 10 got Oregon & Washington. Utah and the Arizona schools are off to the big 12.
However the U needs to do it, we got to roll out of the ACC. I guarantee FSU ain't waiting. If we don't get a seat at the table in one of these super conferences, it will kill recruiting eventually.

[JCane]

The question becomes how to exit the ACC, #1, given the exit fees, unless the ACC is no longer. #2, who is willing to take you in, and #3, what will you be given assuming #2, as was seen with UW and UO both having to accept partial shares so that preexisting schools didn't have to give up as much under the current TV deals. The superconferences now get to be very selective. Since ACC schools switching would be very late to the pool, the question then becomes how much would each conference want UM? I don't see the SEC, or UF, wanting UM unless they don't get FSU, and maybe 3 other preferred ACC schools, maybe UNC, UVa and Clemson, potentially in that order. If these 4 go to the SEC, then the B10 might be interested in UM, although the question would be with what other school? Would the Irish be ready? Otherwise, I think UM could be most likely to end up in the Big 12, B10 small possibility, smaller chance for remaining ACC should it find a way to survive meaningfully, and almost no chance with SEC.

Hate where it's going, but this is the reality imo. Other thoughts?

[TJL]

B10 may look at Cal and Stanford for the academic part and the advantage of having a west coast division. I would wager SEC will take Clemson, FSU, UNC, NCST, Va Tech before us because they fit the culture more. I think we screwed

[MLALUMNI 1970]

Where the hell are we going to end up? Why are we always last to get picked up in a conference? What is going on at the U? I need to know, before I croak! I am 75 now!🧡💚🟩🟧🟠🟢

[Herbieibis]

Switching conferences wouldn't be that difficult if it weren't for the awful exit fee. I don't know what idiots agreed to this TV deal.

[JCane]

Laurence Seymore hits the portal, guessing due to feeling buried on the OL depth chart.

Looked like a good idea at the time, Herb, is all the ACC can say. The ACC will have to cease eventually. The question is how and when? Does private equity come into play, as some rumors with FSU allude to? Everyone is watching FSU, domino #1. I think ESPN actually owns the grant of rights, not the conference, so anyone moving to the SEC could owe less. However, the exit fee would still be over 400 million, unless 8 schools vote to dissolve(like BC, SU, etc want that). Regardless, by Aug 15 is the decision date for 2024 play to happen. The big 4 of the ACC are still theoretically FSU, Clemson, UNC and UM, but there are so many variables and twists that are going to be part of the process(where does a big state school like UVa fit, etc). Meanwhile, UM has to focus on recruiting and winning, as these boost value, along with make us, the fans, happy.

[Old Skool]

Cornerback Jadais Richard, quoted in the Miami Herald: “I can come, I can blitz,”

[Old Skool]

Here's a guy I wouldn't want to be pancaked by and wind up under. Imagine if he jumped on top of a fumble pile

Three-star offensive line recruit Brione Ramsey-Brooks is joining the TCU Horned Frogs as a true freshman this coming college football season.

TCU has the Dallas native listed at 6-foot-5 and a whopping 455 pounds

[RCCF]

ESPN owns the keys to the realignment....all comes down to who they want to televise vs who they're willing to let FOX televise

RCCF12%

[Herbieibis]

BRRR, I can see us getting frost bite, while watching other teams move.

[Herbieibis]

Looks like Darrell Jackson's 2 time waiver has been denied. Looks like he will have to sit a year.
also JoJo looks to visit FSU again.

[Sarasota 'cane]

Best case scenario for UM would be for the SEC to swoop in and make an offer to FSU and Clemson. This would be a regional “best fit” for both schools as it would reduce travel costs across all sports.
I believe the Big10 would then extend an offer to Miami to get a toehold in Florida.
If the Big10 grabs FSU they may look to fill out a BIG20 with the Tobacco Row schools. UNC, Virginia, Duke, maybe even Boston College. At that point Miami has a 50/50 shot of joining the SEC IMO, but again it will depend on the remaining Tobacco Row schools. I don’t think the SEC would take Duke, but they would definitely take Clemson, UNC, and Virginia if they’re available. I think Virginia Tech is in the same boat as Miami, waiting to get picked last in a shirts vs skins game.✌️
And one thing I would do if I was any big conference team that gets blackballed by the power conferences…form an entirely new league. Not a 1AA league but an entirely new league. This new power conference setup is gonna be so rigged that if your team is on the outside looking in then your team will never play for a title. Ever. Look at Utah as one example.
Anyway I hope it shakes out but UM definitely doesn’t control their own destiny and that Fing sucks!

Go ‘canes!

[JCane]

And the big conference boys will use this to negative recruit the ACC schools with more effect the longer this goes on, Sota. This could especially hurt UM given the big boys like UF, UGa, Bama, and even OSU wanting to cherry pick fertile south Florida recruiting grounds.

[Sarasota 'cane]

I agree, Jcane. Another obstacle UM has is the exit payout to leave the ACC. UM doesn’t have that state money to stroke that check.
Best case in that situation is the ACC implodes and negates having to pay a buyout.
I wouldn’t object to joining the Big12 as a fallback, but I would want to be a member of a south east or eastern Big12 division, not some unwieldy hodgepodge of also rans scattered across the country making the same money that the ACC is paying.
Again if UM gets blackballed I would stay in the ACC and join a different league with the MAC and PAC12. That’s obviously a last ditch scenario. I’m not going to accept a situation like Boise where no matter what you do on the field it will never be enough to get into a playoff.

[Herbieibis]

The SEC won't take us. Our only hope is the big 10. We need to be in one of those 2 and if not we are relegated to second class status.
For our sakes, we better play well this year a d hope they hold off any more realignment until the dust settles on this season.
It's hard for me they will wait, though.

[RCCF]

It's not the SEC won't take us, it's UF will petition the board to keep us out

RCCF12%

[58 Straight]

RCCF12% for the WIN!

[58 Straight]

At this point I could care less what conference we are in. Let's just play good football, win the games we are supposed to win, and call it a day.

I like joy and happiness and winning football games. Let's Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)!

[TJL]

Big 10 won't take FSU or Clemson. They are not AAU schools (accredited advanced research institutions) and the presidents will not allow non AAU schools to join the conference....we are a AAU school

[Herbieibis]

Aw, if it were that simple, just win the games we are supposed too.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Preach 58 Straight!

[Sarasota 'cane]

Texas A&M tried to blackball Texas and they overruled A&M. I don’t think the veto rule is set in stone. The AAU thing is news to me. I hope it’s true.
And for the record I think FSU and Clemson going to the SEC is a better fit for both schools. I’m living in Atlanta again and I’m jealous of how close most of the SEC schools are to one another. FSU and Clemson would be a natural fit.

Go ‘canes!

[Sarasota 'cane]

This was a classic parody video when Texas A&M tried to blackball Texas!😂

https://youtu.be/xcU3_Cok3CI

[JCane]

Except I suspect the SEC would rather have new adjacent states, like UNC and UVa, more than anyone else, and the B10 might feel the same way. Big state schools, good basketball programs, new markets to expand into, etc. FL and SC are already spoken for, so the big 3 of the ACC may not be considered that big. UM could bring the big city market, but...The U got the AAU accreditation a few mths ago, mostly in time to give them the B10 option, imo, as did Arizona, which obviously is now spoken for. Also, there is the VA question of whether the state tries to package the 2 programs. We've already seen that big rivalries no longer matter. Only TV revenues and what is best for the schools that are already in matter for now. Until in a superconference, all bets are off.

[JCane]

Colin Simmons to make verbal announcement tomorrow at 2.

One can hope that B10 might like the idea of a big market deep in the South to lessen some of the SEC control in the region.

There were rumors today about ND, having full ACC voting rights, pushing for Cal and Stanford to be admitted. Not sure what the smoke is, from clickbait to the idea of ND interest, but the latter would be the main thing to potentially truly stabilize the ACC. Also, rumors include potentially bringing SMU in. Who knows? Wake us up and let us know when there's real info.

[Herbieibis]

Adding those 3 schools would still make the ACC just as mediocre as it already is.

[58 Straight]

Big 10 won't take FSU or Clemson. They are not AAU schools (accredited advanced research institutions) and the presidents will not allow non AAU schools to join the conference....we are a AAU school

Posted by: TJL | August 09, 2023 at 06:47 PM

Interesting fact. Thank you for that.

[58 Straight]

Aw, if it were that simple, just win the games we are supposed too.

Posted by: Herbieibis | August 09, 2023 at 07:03 PM

It really IS that simple.

Had we gone 10-2 or even 9-3 every year for the the last several years and NOT lost to the FIUs and Dukes of the world there would be a LOT more joy and happiness in our lives.

Sure PURE joy and happiness only comes for going 12-0 (12% Club) and Natty every few years but we are not even asking for that. We are simply asking for more joy and happiness and that comes from winning more football games.

Seems pretty simple to me!

[JCane]

B10 can take non AAU, like they did with Nebraska, but it is unlikely

[orange 'n green in the vein]

ND can share the NBC tv deal money if they want Stanford in the ACC. Don't hold your breath on that, unless you cheer for either of those teams. No one cares about Stanford rowing or any of their sports no matter how many they win and compete in. Bay Area doesn't move the needle on the tv rating scale, that's a non-starter all around for expansion. Felonious Sexual-assault U thinks they can get the AAU certified within a year or so, best of luck with that, glorified community college. Texas AM was part of the "no" block with UGA, South Carolina and Florida to oppose Texas, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Miami or Florida State from joining the conference respectively, but you see exactly how long that held out for. Why should they support the dogs, cocks and reptiles preventing any edge in league affiliation exclusion against their rivals now?

First day of pads, under age athlete jock sniffers can stop posting about which high school cups they want to sniff in 2023 now.

[Sarasota 'cane]

I don’t care what ND does and adding two schools from California creates more problems than solutions for UM. ND should be in the Big10. They want an unequally larger slice of whatever pie they’re eating and the Big10 probably won’t give them that.
And ND should not be driving a process in a conference that they don’t fully embrace. This is all about ND keeping their relative independent status and their NBC TV deal. It subjugates the rest of the ACC teams to “also rans”. It also preserves the buyout clause which UM will not pay. I’d rather the conference collapse than participate in a “death by 1000 cuts” scenario where the ACC becomes a member of “The Revenge of the Nerds” conference. No thanks!

[JCane]

Jaylen Heyward earlier this week picked UCF, Simmons today verbaled to Texas, and Seymore pulled his name out of the portal to stay.

Fully agree with above thoughts. If ND wants a real say, join the ACC fully, which would stabilize the conference. Otherwise, stfu.

[Herbieibis]

As names continue to drop off the board, Colin Simmons the latest, all that talk about loading up on the Dee line is looking harder and harder to imagine, so the saving grace being the back up plan would be to at least win 9 games to maybe entice flips later on.

[RCCF]

https://caneswarning.com/2023/08/09/how-b1g-and-big-xii-expansion-impact-miami-hurricanes/

RCCF12%

[JCane]

Kamarion Franklin will announce on 8/19

[JCane]

Luke Nickel, qb out of GA, verbals to UM for '25 class.

[JCane]

Elias Rudolph, Deerfield LB, flips from Mich to the U!

[JCane]

4 star, 6'4" and 215, meaning lots of room to fill out the frame. Love this pickup for 2024.

[Herbieibis]

No doubt, great pick up. Mario must of been offended about my comment on how the Dee line was supposed to be the top priority and we were looking down the barrel of the portal as names dropped off, with that being said, we have a nice stable of thoroughbreds at DE for the foreseeable future, now how about, at least one more Elite DT.

[JCane]

Being in Deerfield for a semester and getting to spend time with Jason Taylor may have helped more than a little. Hoping being back in OH for senior year won't mess with him. Agreed, Herb. An elite DT addition would make the DL haul truly elite.

[58 Straight]

I don’t care what ND does and adding two schools from California creates more problems than solutions for UM. No thanks!

Posted by: Sarasota 'cane | August 10, 2023 at 03:04 PM

Agree 100%.

[JCane]

Kavion Broussard, OT, 6'6", from LA verbaled to UM a little while ago. Our lines are not going to be smaller than other folks going forward.

[X]

Good news JC. Thanks for the update.

[TJL]

B10 can take non AAU, like they did with Nebraska, but it is unlikely

Posted by: JCane | August 10, 2023 at 12:31 PM

Nebraska had AAU status when they joined the B10 but lost it- maybe that's an in for the other non AAU schools to get in but I agree with JCane -they are very picky with the academic side of things