Miami (FL) Hurricanes

Miami promotes defensive coaches Banda, Patke and Simpson

Published Dec. 14, 2018 5:45 p.m. ET

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami has promoted defensive assistant coaches Ephraim Banda and Jonathan Patke, and they will now share the Hurricanes' defensive coordinator job.

Defensive line coach Jess Simpson was also promoted, and will now have the associate head coach title under Mark Richt.

Banda and Patke replace Manny Diaz, who left the Hurricanes this week to become head coach at Temple. Diaz will remain with the Hurricanes for their Pinstripe Bowl matchup against Wisconsin on Dec. 27.

Banda and Patke are both considered top recruiters. Banda also coaches Miami's safeties and Patke also works with Miami's linebackers.

Meanwhile, second-team All-American defensive tackle Gerald Willis announced Friday that he will miss the Pinstripe Bowl with a hand injury. That decision ends his college career.