RB Coach Tim Harris, Jr: Important Hire for Miami
With Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson hiring Tim Harris, Jr. from UCF to be the running backs coach (it might be a little while before it will officially be announced, but it will happen), it was a bigger development than many might have known.
Having covered UCF the past couple of years and watched the program closely, make no mistake, Harris will improve Miami overall. Here are four important areas Harris will help improve The U.
First off, he's just an easy going guy that anyone can communicate with. Any form of business begins with communication and Harris has always been respectful and honest. That's a great start. Next, it's about location.
Having a person on Miami's coaching roster that is from that school’s local area, it matters. To that point, South Florida has long since been its own entity, its own culture.
The numerous players on the Miami roster that need as many adults that can relate to them as possible, and Harris will be a person players can come speak with whenever needed.
Harris was an assistant coach at Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington from 2009-2013, and then the head coach for BTW in 2014. Those six years of coaching in the Public League alone, will give him credibility with several of the current and future Miami players that call South Florida home.
Harris has a proven track record as an on-field coach.
Harris also coached at Florida International from 2015-2021. Once again, that was another way he became more and more engulfed with the South Florida community, and that will be valuable knowledge for his next role with the Canes. Next, it’s been about improving his players.
Good coaching never goes out of style, and Harris helped to develop one of college football’s best running back rooms at UCF. This was a unit that played well together despite being one of the deepest units in the country, i.e. each player found a niche and helped the Knights.
During the past two seasons, the lead running back Isaiah Bowser rushed for a combined 1,502 yards and 25 touchdowns. Bowser was an excellent all-around back as well.
Rushing, catching, and perhaps most importantly, pass blocking, were all a part of Bowser’s repertoire. Being a complete back, that’s something that coach Harris strived for each of his running backs to be. The more each running back succeeded at being a balanced player, the more reps and opportunities that each player earned.
Johnny Richardson became a better all-around running back under the Tim Harris, Jr., including the ability to power over defenders as this photograph showed.
Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Even with Johnny Richardson being a speedster and only 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds, Harris helped him become a good inside runner and continue to develop as a receiving threat. Richardson gave everything he had and left it on the field, and he was a true weapon for the Knights. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry as a sophomore, and 6.9 yards per carry as a junior.
Of course, having a talented running back room stemmed from the always important aspect of hitting the recruiting trail. That was also something Harris did well.
Through the Transfer Portal, Harris helped to land Bowser after he left Northwestern, as well as RJ Harvey after he left Virginia. Harvey bursted on the scene for the Knights this past season, and he rushed for 796 yards, a 6.8 average, and five touchdowns.
Harris also secured the signature of top recruit Jordan McDonald from Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton. He selected UCF over Tennessee and South Carolina and was the Georgia 7A player of the year in 2021.
Overall, Harris was a high quality hire for Cristobal and the Hurricanes because he's relatable, knows South Florida, can flat out coach, and he's capable on the recruiting trail. Harris will do well and help the Miami football program.
