Barrow, McGriff Named To Hurricanes Coaching Staff

Feb. 19, 2007

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Coach Randy Shannon completed his 2007 coaching staff with the hiring of former Hurricanes All-American linebacker Micheal Barrow as linebackers coach and Wesley McGriff as secondary coach. In addition, Tim Walton, who was the team ‘ s defensive backs coach the last three seasons, has been promoted to defensive coordinator.

” We have a great teachers on the coaching staff. They are energetic and will be able to assist and direct the players we have to better themselves on and off the field with a championship mentality, ” said head coach Randy Shannon.

Micheal Barrow — Barrow, 36, played for the Hurricanes from 1989-92 and was named All-America in 1992. He was the middle linebacker on national championship teams in 1989 and 1991. He was a Butkus Award runnerup in 1992 and finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting that season. He was also the Big East Defensive Player of the Year and finished his career as the third-leading tackler in school history.

Micheal Barrow

Barrow played 13 seasons in the NFL. He was a second-round draft choice of the Houston Oilers. Barrow played for the Oilers through 1996, for the Carolina Panthers in 1997-99, the New York Giants from 2000-03, Washington Redskins in 2004 and the Dallas Cowboys in 2005. He played in 173 games, making 1,133 tackles, 43 sacks and two interceptions.

After retiring, Barrow served as the defensive coordinator at Homestead High School, his alma mater, during the 2006 season.

He will coach a Miami linebacking unit that returns two starters and a plethora of experienced players. Glenn Cook started 11 games last year and Tavares Gooden was the starter at strongside linebacker. Darryl Sharpton started five of the final six games and was named third-team Freshman All-America, and Romeo Davis, has started 13 games during his career. Heralded freshman Colin McCarthy will be another player under Barrow ‘ s tutelage.

Wesley McGriff — Considered one of the Big 12 ‘ s top recruiters, McGriff comes to Miami after a few weeks on the staff at Kansas State and four years at Baylor, where he served as recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach under Guy Morriss. An extremely versatile coach, McGriff has mentored players on both sides of the ball during his 17-year career, including two stints as a defensive coordinator.

McGriff, 39, will have plenty to work with when he arrives at Miami as the Hurricanes secondary returns a number of players with starting experience, including cornerbacks Glenn Sharpe (12 starts) and Randy Phillips (8 starts) and safeties Kenny Phillips (10 starts) and Lovon Ponder (9 starts). Prior to beginning his stint at Baylor in 2003, McGriff spent two seasons on Morriss ‘ Kentucky staff, coaching the running backs during the 2001 season before returning to the defensive side of the ball as UK ‘ s cornerbacks coach for 2002. McGriff’s defensive backs helped improve Baylor ‘ s pass defense significantly the last few years. The Bears ranked 101st nationally in pass defense at the end of the 2003 season but climbed to No. 62 in 2004 and No. 57 in 2005. Last year Baylor ranked No. 83. After finishing 115th nationally in pass efficiency defense in 2004, Baylor jumped to 13th in 2005. The 2005 Baylor defense allowed just 14 touchdowns through the air, its fewest since 1998, and recorded its most interceptions (16) since 1994 with McGriff’s cornerbacks accounting for 11 interceptions. The team ranked No. 73 in pass efficiency defense last year.

McGriff spent the 2000 campaign as the secondary coach at Eastern Kentucky, where he mentored Yeremiah Bell, a first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference pick who went on to be drafted by the Miami Dolphins. The 2000 Colonels ranked fourth nationally in total defense, fifth in scoring defense and ninth in passing yardage allowed and posted four shutouts during the season.

From 1995 through 1999, McGriff served as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Kentucky State, where his defenses posted numerous top-10 statistical rankings, including leading the nation in total defense in 1995 and pass yardage defense in 1997. In 1998, he was named the American Football Coaches Association ‘ s NCAA Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year.

McGriff began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Savannah State, where he coached the Tigers ‘ running backs in 1990 before moving into a full-time role as secondary coach in 1991-92. He then served as Savannah State ‘ s defensive coordinator in 1993-94.

Four of McGriff ‘ s players have played in the NFL: Cletius Hunt (Green Bay Packers), Devin Wyann (New England Patriots), Michael Mason (San Francisco 49ers) and Bell.

A native of Tifton, Ga., McGriff played cornerback, running back and wide receiver for the Tift County High School state championship team. He played at South Carolina State for one year before transferring to Savannah State, where he started at outside linebacker for three seasons and was named the conference ‘ s 1989 Male Academic Athlete of the Year. He received his bachelor ‘ s degree in criminal justice from Savannah State in 1990 and in 1993 earned a master’s in public administration from Georgia Southern, where he graduated with distinction.

McGriff was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1990 and was a member of the Army Reserves until 2001. He and his wife, Karen, have a son, Jaylen.

Tim Walton — Walton, 35, was hired as the secondary coach in 2004. His secondary ranked ninth in the nation in pass defense in 2004, first in 2005 and 40th in 2006. He has coached three All-Americans and two Freshman All-Americans. He is in his 13th year as a coach after lettering as a defensive back at Ohio State for four seasons.

2007 Coaching Staff