Former FSU Assistant Coach turns down Miami to remain at Marshall

Mario Cristobal's first season in Coral Gables didn't go to plan and that has led to a plethora of staff changes since the Hurricanes failed to qualify for a bowl game.

Miami fired offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Josh Gattis after one year with the program. There have also been multiple members of the staff who have decided to jump off what is quickly turning into a sinking ship.

Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele (Alabama), quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Frank Ponce (Appalachian State), running backs coach Kevin Smith (Ole Miss) and linebackers coach/co-defensive coordinator Charlie Strong (TBD) have all moved on from Miami since the new year.

The Hurricanes have hired defensive coordinator Lance Guidry (Tulane), offensive coordinator Shane Dawson (Houston), and linebackers coach Derek Nicholson (Cincinnati) as replacements for Steele, Gattis/Ponce, and Strong, respectively.

With that being said, the program is still searching for a running backs coach and was recently spurned by a candidate for the job.

According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Marshall running backs coach/run game coordinator Telly Lockette has decided to stay with the program over leaving for the Hurricanes. Lockette formerly coached at Florida State in 2018-19 as tight ends coach.

Source: #Marshall is retaining running backs coach Telly Lockette, a potential target for the same role at Miami. Lockette has worked with standout backs Khalan Laborn and Rasheen Ali, a 1,400-yard rusher in 2021 who will return. Lockette was a successful Miami high school coach
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) February 20, 2023

BIG WIN for @Herdfb, @TellyLockette best RB Coach in the Country! Will be a HC Candidate in the near future! Fired up to be able to keep him!!! https://t.co/eSUCb4mBBN
— Charles C. Huff (@CoachHuff) February 20, 2023

Lockette spent nearly a decade as a coach at the high school level as the offensive coordinator for Miami Northwestern (2003-06) and head coach for Miami Central (2018-12). He made the leap to the college ranks in 2013 as running backs coach under Willie Taggart at USF. Lockette left for the same role at Oregon State from 2015-17 before re-joining Taggart in Tallahassee.

With his connections to the state, he was useful on the recruiting trail but Florida State's struggles on the field didn't help his cause. In his two seasons with the program, Lockette guided tight end Tre' McKitty to 49 catches for 497 yards and two touchdowns.

Following Taggart's firing, there was some debate over whether Lockette would remain with the program under new head coach Mike Norvell. Instead, he spent a season with the Hurricanes as a senior offensive analyst before landing with Marshall under head coach Charles Huff.

Miami's search for a running backs coach continues after an intriguing candidate decided to stay in the Conference USA. Last year, Lockette guided former FSU running back Khalan Laborn to a career year (302 rushes, 1,513 yards, 16 TDs) and he returns redshirt junior Rasheen Ali, who recorded over 1,400 yards in 2021.

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