How one UM assistant is reducing the awkwardness of coaching change. And recruiting news

A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday:

▪ At Miami and elsewhere, this is an awkward time for assistant coaches who worked for a head coach who has been dismissed and aren’t sure if the new coach wants them.

Which is why the approach taken by UM offensive line coach Garin Justice is so refreshing and classy.

Justice is being replaced by Alex Mirabal, Cristobal’s Miami Columbus High teammate and offensive line coach at Oregon. Mirabal is essentially already working at UM, accompanying Cristobal and Manny Diaz’s assistants on UM recruiting trips this week.

Justice — who will coach UM’s line against Washington State in the Sun Bowl (noon Dec. 31, CBS) — knew Mirabal was coming. So he decided to pick up the phone this week and call him to try to ease his transition. It helped because they have had a long-term friendship.

“The thing I told Alex when Mario first got this thing is I don’t want this thing to be awkward,” Justice said. “So I’m calling you first so you don’t have to feel you [need to walk on eggshells]. I’ve already had multiple conversations with Alex about the room and my thoughts and my opinions and some things they need to do moving forward.

“I’m great friends with Alex. Me and Alex would do Zoom calls throughout the offseason and talk ball with one another.”

Justice arranged Zoom calls with Mirabal and UM’s offensive linemen on Tuesday.

“We spent 30 minutes with Zion [Nelson], talking with him, letting Alex get to know him,” Justice said. “I’m a professional and we’re going to go about this thing with class.”

It’s conceivable that Cristobal could create another role for Justice, but he seems more likely to join former UM offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, who is now the head coach at SMU.

“I don’t know what my status is,” Justice said.

Mirabal, incidentally, helped develop Detroit Lions 2021 first-round pick Penei Sewell and was named 247 Sports’ Pacific-12 recruiter of the year in 2020.

As for the fate of the other assistants, it would not be surprising if defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson is retained. But multiple assistants said Tuesday that they had not been told their status.

At a recruiting visit to Miami Central High on Tuesday night, Cristobal was accompanied by Mirabel, Robinson, outside linebackers coach Ishmael Aristide, cornerbacks coach DeMarcus Van Dyke, tight end coach Stephen Field and two members of the recruiting department — David Cooney and Edwin Pata.

Three members of Diaz’s staff who weren’t present: receivers coach Rob Likens, inside linebackers coach Jon Patke and running backs coach Eric Hickson. Their status is unclear.

Oregon receivers coach Bryan McClendon might join Cristobal at UM, 247 Sports reported. UM receivers coach Likens will serve as Miami’s offensive coordinator in the bowl game; Likens might follow Lashlee to SMU.

“We will bring in the best staff,” Cristobal said. “Some really good coaches here. Interview them. They deserve that respect.”

▪ Cristobal and Mirabal flew to Texas on a recruiting trip, including a visit with three-star, 370-pound guard Cameron Williams, an Oregon nonbinding commitment who previously visited UM while Diaz was the coach. He doesn’t plan to sign until February.

▪ Per Canesport and 247 Sports, Robinson and Van Dyke on Wednesday visited Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace four-star defensive end Shemar Stewart, who has become a UM priority. He won’t sign until February.

UM also has a good chance to land four-star Fort Lauderdale Dillard defensive end Nyjalik Kelly.

Cristobal’s home visits so far have included Kelly, linebacker and nonbinding UM commitment Wesley Bissainthe and Plantation American Heritage four-star cornerback Earl Little Jr.

▪ Justice said left tackle Nelson hasn’t made a decision about whether to return to UM or turn pro.

“Those are discussions I’ve had with him before,” Justice said. “Ultimately, we want what’s best for Zion. It will probably come down to what the NFL evaluation says. If it says he’s a later-round pick, he’ll probably stay. If it says he’s an early guy, he’ll probably leave. We all want what’s best for him and his family.”

▪ Any other offensive lineman definitely leaving besides Corey Gaynor (in the transfer portal) and two have used up their eligibility (Navaughn Donaldson and Jarrid Williams)?

“Not that I’m aware of,” Justice said. “I hope those guys will stay and give coach Cristobal a chance because he has such a good tradition of development of offensive linemen. Hopefully those guys will all stay and give him a chance. The guys who already had success, you hope they continue to have success and the new coaches will see in those guys what we all saw in them.

“And the guys that maybe were a little disgruntled and were not playing as much as they can, hopefully they look at it as if I have another chance to impress coaches, another chance to make a new first impression.”

▪ Since signing with UF and then transferring to UM early in 2020, former Miami Norland High offensive tackle Issaiah Walker hasn’t yet cracked the rotation or played much at all.

Justice revealed that Walker is “fighting some personal things right now. Hopefully he can get by those because he’s a very talented individual.”

Walker remains with the team, Justice said.

▪ Justice will be interested to see the development of freshmen offensive line Michael McLaughlin, Ryan Rodriguez and Laurance Seymore.

Those three “all have solid futures here,” he said.

“McLaughlin, we had him at both left and right tackle. He’s doing a nice job. He was really raw and green, to be honest. But he’s a guy who will step in and eventually be a good player.I’m not sure what that timeline looks like but Mike is a smart kid, works hard.”

In practice this season, “we had Seymore at center, Ryan at guard, but they can do either one.”

▪ Quick stuff: Oregon strength and conditioning coach Aaron Feld is expected to join UM’s staff… Cristobal — who will pocket $8 million annually — will be making more than four times president Julio Frenk’s $1.75 million salary. That’s not unusual in big-time college athletics… If you missed this Tuesday, Cristobal said he hasn’t given any thought to the future of the turnover chain.