When connecting with several high school coaches and prospects during yesterday’s Broward County High School Football Media Day, there was a chance to ask about how Mario Cristobal and the Canes were recruiting programs in South Florida.

What was not expected, however, were some backstories about how former Miami coaches just completely dropped the ball with talented players that ended up playing against Miami.

Again, that information was offered. That question, or anything like it seeking out such information, was not brought up and yet multiple coaches made clear that former Miami coaches simply failed. While specific names of high school coaches and players will be left out for obvious reasons, here’s a great example of how to lose in recruiting.

A former UM coach went to a program that anyone with South Florida high school football recruiting knowledge would know well. It was two weeks prior to National Signing Day. Not only did this coach not have a good grasp of what was going on with this elite prospect’s recruitment, he literally did not know what the young man looked like.

Walking into the room where there were multiple players across the way, he asked a coach about which prospects were which. That was not a good sign. So, no relationship, and not even the ability to identify the top rated recruit at a big-time South Florida high school program.

For the record, this player is currently doing quite well in the National Football League.

How is that possible? A 5-star, in UM’s backyard, and the Hurricanes coach did not know what the recruit looked like.

Overall, there were other stories about communication varying from different Miami coaches, and multiple were very negative. The story above, however, took the cake. That story was hard to fathom and still boggles the mind. Keep in mind, not all former UM coaches did poorly. Some were quite honestly a disaster though.

Now, the original intent of my questioning was to gain more knowledge about Cristobal and his staff. Are they doing their due diligence? Basic stuff. When answered directly, the feedback was the polar opposite of the story above.

Comments about Cristobal and his staff building relationships first, providing tremendous unofficial and official visits, and staying in constant communication with high school coaches via text messages and phone calls, were provided over and over.

In short, Cristobal and the Miami staff have been working hard to do right by the local programs. As it should have been all along, by the way. It’s unfortunate that former coaches were so lazy.