MIAMI – After a challenging season for the Miami Hurricanes defense, head coach Mario Cristobal announced Tuesday that Lance Guidry has been relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator.

The Hurricanes struggled defensively throughout the 2024 season, averaging 23.9 points per game, which ranked 60th nationally. Within the conference, Miami gave up 30.8 points per game, ranking 14th.

Big plays were a recurring problem, with the Hurricanes giving up nine plays of 50 yards or more. Additionally, opponents scored touchdowns on 62.9 percent of their trips to the red zone.

Tackling was another area of ​​concern, as Miami ranked 99th nationally in tackling efficiency, according to Pro Football Focus.

In announcing the decision, Cristobal expressed his gratitude for Guidry’s time with the program while emphasizing the need for improvements.

“I would like to first thank Coach Guidry for his contributions to the University of Miami,” Cristobal said in a statement. “In an ongoing effort to continually improve all aspects of our program, I have decided to make a change on defense. We will move forward and make decisions that give our players, staff and programs the best opportunity to win and develop at the highest level.”

The Hurricanes are expected to begin the search for a new defensive coordinator immediately as they look to strengthen their program ahead of the 2025 season.