Miami coach Mario Cristobal is on the verge of a major staff addition.
Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that Cristobal, hired in January away from Oregon to revive the listing Hurricanes’ program and Cristobal’s alma mater, is working to finalize a deal with UTSA co-defensive coordinator Rod Wright to join the Hurricanes’ defensive staff.
Wright, with a strong background along the defensive line, is expected to join Kevin Steele’s Miami defensive staff in a role focusing on the defensive line and with an emphasis on pass rush specialization.
A former University of Texas standout who logged six seasons in professional football, including a trio of years with the Miami Dolphins, immediately helped catalyze a Roadrunners defense in 2021 that was among college football’s best with 25 takeaways.
UTSA, under head coach Jeff Traylor, is coming off a program-record-setting season of success. The Roadrunners finished 12-2, won the Conference USA Championship game and were among the nation’s final undefeated Football Bowls Subdivision teams with their 11-0 start. They were nipped by San Diego State in the Tropical Smoothie Bowl to end the season.
The Houston, Texas, native Wright has coached five future NFL players. He got his start in coaching at his alma mater as a student assistant upon Wright’s retirement from pro football, and he added stops at Sam Houston State and East Carolina prior to the past three years on Traylor’s UTSA staff.