Pete Rekstis was a candidate for the Kent State head job, but once Darrell Hazell was given the reins, new Miami coach Don Treadwell began hiring assistants and found his new defensive coordinator. Rekstis will switch offices from Kent to Oxford and take the same position he had with the Golden Flashes that produced one of the most irritating defenses in not only the MAC, but the country.
Interesting hire here. Obviously MU is on better footing in terms of stability — even with Mike Haywood's departure — but with a 10-win season and a bunch of returning players, they're going to be better than Kent State, who has no offense but enough of a defensive nucleus to have a shot next year. Still, good luck to Rekstis.
But the other hire might even be more curious, and a story from a small school that's pretty depressing. John Klacik was hired as the RedHawks' offensive coordinator, and his last job was at Lock Haven University, a school that hasn't had a winning record since 1981. In fact, Division II LHU has five wins in their last six years. You read that right. They've also lost their last 32 football games, which means they haven't won since 2007. The program is severaly underfunded, and there are rumors that they may even cut their program, so I feel for Klacik trying to perfect alchemy with a fifth grade chemistry set.
So there you have it. The foundation is set for 2011 Miami football.