Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis has been fired, as announced Friday morning by Miami head football coach Mario Cristobal.
Gattis was hired by the Hurricanes prior to the 2022 season. In his lone year leading Miami’s offense, the ‘Canes went 5-7 and averaged 23.6 points per game, which ranked 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Expectations were high in Coral Gables when Gattis was hired in February of 2022. He was the reigning Broyles Award winner, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, as the offensive coordinator at Michigan, which was fresh off its first ever College Football Playoff appearance in 2021.
The Wolverines ranked No. 25 in total offense and No. 15 in rushing offense that year, which saw Michigan hang 42 points on Iowa in a Big Ten championship victory.
However, Gattis left for Miami after the season to try and bring renewed success to a historic program that had disappointed for years.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be here. I grew up in ACC land, and I’ve always had the utmost respect for this program,” Gattis said upon his hiring. “When you look at the history, the tradition and the legacy of this place, Miami is one of the most storied programs in all of college football. When the opportunity came up to be a part of this program, it was one that I just couldn’t turn down. We’ve got an unbelievable staff and I’m really, really excited about Coach Cristobal’s vision.”
Much to the dismay of ‘Canes football fans, though, Gattis struggled at Miami, leading an offensive unit that finished ninth in ACC total offense at 369.4 yards per game.
Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke seemed to regress under Gattis after a stellar 2021 campaign that ended with an ACC Rookie of the Year distinction. While limited by injuries, Van Dyke averaged just 204.9 passing yards per game, which ranked eighth in the ACC and was nearly 90 yards below his 2021 average of 293.1.
Gattis’ departure comes just over a week after it was announced quarterbacks coach Frank Ponce would be returning to Appalachian State for the offensive coordinator job. With two big staffing changes this month, along with several players in the transfer portal, ‘Canes football remains in a state of uncertainty heading into the 2023 season.