It appears the lone hole on Manny Diaz‘s Miami Hurricanes football coaching staff is set to be filled.
Citing a source familiar with the situation, the Miami Herald is reporting that Rob Likens is expected to be named as The U’s next wide receivers coach. The Herald writes that the hiring will happen “barring something unforeseen.”
The Miami Hurricanes football program is expected to formally announce the hire in the coming days.
If it comes to fruition, Likens would replace Taylor Stubblefield. Nearly two weeks ago, Stubblefield left to take the same job on James Franklin‘s Penn State coaching staff.
The 52-year-old assistant spent the past three seasons at Arizona State. In 2017, Likens was ASU’s wide receivers coach and passing-game coordinator. The past two seasons, he was the Pac-12 program’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
In early December, Likens was part of a purge that saw Herm Edwards fire three assistants on the offensive side of the football.
Likens has been an assistant at four other FBS schools:
- Kansas, 2015-16 (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach)
- Cal, 2013-14 (Outside wide receivers coach, passing-game coordinator, assistant head coach)
- Louisiana Tech, 2010-12 (Quarterbacks coach, assistant head coach)
- Temple, 1998-2003 (wide receivers coach)
Likens would be in charge of a positional group that underachieved this past season. From the Herald:
With 38 receptions in 2019, senior Mike Harley will be The U’s leading returning receiver.