Last week, the Miami Hurricanes announced Ishmael Aristide as their new outside linebackers coach. Aristide is a Miami-native who spent the past two seasons as a defensive analyst at Texas A&M under Jimbo Fisher, and today he took to the podium for the first time to discuss returning home to South Florida to continue his coaching career.
“I’m excited to be back in Miami,” Aristide said. “My entire family is here, so it’s like a homecoming for me. Manny (Diaz) has done a phenomenal job with the defense, the program. I’m on fire about being here.”
After spending his youth in Miami, Aristide eventually moved to Orlando, graduated from Maynard Evans High in 2009, and played college football at Purdue. While Aristide was in contact with the Miami staff during his recruitment, he ultimately did not receive a Miami offer after tearing his ACL in his junior year. However, that didn't seem to impact his hometown love for the Canes.
“Everybody was a fan of the Hurricanes,” Aristide said. “How they played, the style they played with, the swagger - I’ve always been a Miami Hurricanes fan… I came out of the womb with a Miami (hat) on.”
Aristide also spoke further on how he landed the Miami job, delving into his connections with Diaz and the Miami area in general.
“We had some conversations and it was a good fit,” Aristide said of Diaz. “We always had a personal awareness of each other because [I was] recruiting Miami. He’s known some of my family members for years. And from a defensive perspective - guys I worked with, been under, trained under - he’s very aware of all that. It was a mutual connection, mutual fit.”
As outside linebackers coach, Aristide will primarily be responsible for the striker position in the UM defense, which returns all of it’s production from a year ago in starter Gilbert Frierson and backup Keontra Smith, and also adds touted true freshman Chase Smith as well.
“Some young guys on the roster, at striker we have two older guys,” Aristide said. “Everything we do from a development perspective is based around what we do schematically this spring. I have my developmental plan based on nuances of what we do within the framework of our scheme. Day one, I’ll be fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. I’m coming from a place where I worked with the nickels last year at A&M, which is kind of like our strikers.”
Aristide also touched on his work recruiting South Florida during the past two years for TAMU, as he was able to help the Aggies land multiple 4-star talents from the area.
“The last two offseasons at A&M I recruited Miami exclusively, signed Donell Harris my first year, second year Amari Daniels and Yulkeith Brown out of Miami Central,” Aristide said. “Miami has been the center point of my recruitment and who I recruited. The relationships I have in the recruiting world, that is not going to change. Now it’s home field advantage. Before I didn’t have that, had some things to overcome. I’m excited about that.
“I’m big on relationships, I want you to get to know me. I come in (at UM) and look at the recruiting board, I’m like `I know 85 percent of these kids.’ It’s not going to be a lot different for me, me and James Coley tag-teamed South Florida together. Now I’m here and I know a bunch of guys that are South Florida guys. Now I feel James better stay away.”
“I’m excited to be back in Miami,” Aristide said. “My entire family is here, so it’s like a homecoming for me. Manny (Diaz) has done a phenomenal job with the defense, the program. I’m on fire about being here.”
After spending his youth in Miami, Aristide eventually moved to Orlando, graduated from Maynard Evans High in 2009, and played college football at Purdue. While Aristide was in contact with the Miami staff during his recruitment, he ultimately did not receive a Miami offer after tearing his ACL in his junior year. However, that didn't seem to impact his hometown love for the Canes.
“Everybody was a fan of the Hurricanes,” Aristide said. “How they played, the style they played with, the swagger - I’ve always been a Miami Hurricanes fan… I came out of the womb with a Miami (hat) on.”
Aristide also spoke further on how he landed the Miami job, delving into his connections with Diaz and the Miami area in general.
“We had some conversations and it was a good fit,” Aristide said of Diaz. “We always had a personal awareness of each other because [I was] recruiting Miami. He’s known some of my family members for years. And from a defensive perspective - guys I worked with, been under, trained under - he’s very aware of all that. It was a mutual connection, mutual fit.”
As outside linebackers coach, Aristide will primarily be responsible for the striker position in the UM defense, which returns all of it’s production from a year ago in starter Gilbert Frierson and backup Keontra Smith, and also adds touted true freshman Chase Smith as well.
“Some young guys on the roster, at striker we have two older guys,” Aristide said. “Everything we do from a development perspective is based around what we do schematically this spring. I have my developmental plan based on nuances of what we do within the framework of our scheme. Day one, I’ll be fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. I’m coming from a place where I worked with the nickels last year at A&M, which is kind of like our strikers.”
Aristide also touched on his work recruiting South Florida during the past two years for TAMU, as he was able to help the Aggies land multiple 4-star talents from the area.
“The last two offseasons at A&M I recruited Miami exclusively, signed Donell Harris my first year, second year Amari Daniels and Yulkeith Brown out of Miami Central,” Aristide said. “Miami has been the center point of my recruitment and who I recruited. The relationships I have in the recruiting world, that is not going to change. Now it’s home field advantage. Before I didn’t have that, had some things to overcome. I’m excited about that.
“I’m big on relationships, I want you to get to know me. I come in (at UM) and look at the recruiting board, I’m like `I know 85 percent of these kids.’ It’s not going to be a lot different for me, me and James Coley tag-teamed South Florida together. Now I’m here and I know a bunch of guys that are South Florida guys. Now I feel James better stay away.”
