| 1987Miami Hurricanes football | |
|---|---|
 | |
Consensus national champion Orange Bowl champion | |
Orange Bowl, W 20–14 vs.Oklahoma | |
| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 1 |
| AP | No. 1 |
| Record | 12–0 |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Gary Stevens (5th season) |
| Offensive scheme | Pro-style |
| Defensive coordinator | Dave Wannstedt (2nd season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| MVP | Steve Walsh |
| Home stadium | Miami Orange Bowl |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1Miami (FL) | – | – | 12 | – | 0 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4Syracuse | – | – | 11 | – | 0 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2Florida State | – | – | 11 | – | 1 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15South Carolina | – | – | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh | – | – | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | – | – | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 17Notre Dame | – | – | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Miss | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southwestern Louisiana | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memphis State | – | – | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Illinois | – | – | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | – | – | 6 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | – | – | 6 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Army | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston College | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Carolina | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Akron | – | – | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | – | – | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisville | – | – | 3 | – | 7 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temple | – | – | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulsa | – | – | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virginia Tech | – | – | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Navy | – | – | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rankings fromAP Poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The1987 Miami Hurricanes football team represented theUniversity of Miami as anindependent during the1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the program's 62nd season of competition. Led by fourth-year head coachJimmy Johnson, the Hurricanes compiled a perfect record of 12–0 overall with a victory in theOrange Bowl overOklahoma, to win the program's secondnational championship. The team played home games at theMiami Orange Bowl inMiami.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 5 | 1:00 pm | No. 20Florida | No. 10 | TBS | W 31–4 | 77,224 | [1] | |
| September 26 | 4:00 pm | at No. 10Arkansas | No. 5 | ESPN | W 51–7 | 55,310 | [2] | |
| October 3 | 2:30 pm | at No. 4Florida State | No. 3 | CBS | W 26–25 | 62,561 | [3] | |
| October 10 | 7:30 pm | Maryland | No. 3 |
| W 46–16 | 43,020 | [4] | |
| October 24 | 8:00 pm | atCincinnati | No. 3 | WPLG | W 48–10 | 20,011 | [5] | |
| October 31 | 12:00 pm | atEast Carolina | No. 3 | Raycom | W 41–3 | 31,791 | [6] | |
| November 7 | 7:30 pm | Miami (OH) | No. 3 |
| W 54–3 | 40,128 | [7] | |
| November 14 | 7:30 pm | Virginia Tech | No. 3 |
| W 27–13 | 40,105 | [8] | |
| November 21 | 7:30 pm | Toledo | No. 3 |
| W 24–14 | 37,010 | [9] | |
| November 28 | 3:30 pm | No. 10Notre Dame | No. 2 |
| CBS | W 24–0 | 76,640 | [10] |
| December 5 | 8:00 pm | No. 8South Carolina | No. 2 |
| ESPN | W 20–16 | 63,318 | [11] |
| January 1 | 8:00 pm | No. 1Oklahoma | No. 2 |
| NBC | W 20–14 | 74,760 | [12] |
| ||||||||
| Week | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 10 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3(4) | 3(6) | 3(6) | 3(6) | 3(7) | 3(7) | 3(9) | 3(8) | 2(4) | 2(6) | 2(9) | 1(57) |
| Coaches | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7(1) | 3(1) | 3(4) | 3(5) | 3(2) | 3(1) | 3(1) | 3(1) | 3(1) | 2(2) | 2(5) | 2(8) | 1(47) |
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "1987 Miami Hurricanes football team" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
After taking over as head coach in 1984,Jimmy Johnson had a winning record, but some critics questioned whether he could gain a national championship.[citation needed]
In 1985, Miami finished the regular season 10–1, and had a chance to win the national title with Penn State's loss to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Needing a victory over Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl, Miami jumped out to a 7–0 lead. Tennessee then scored 35 unanswered to derail Miami's title hopes.
In 1986, Miami achieved a perfect 11–0 regular season record. Led byHeisman Trophy-winnerVinny Testaverde, a record breaking offense, and the 5th-ranked defense in the country, #1 Miami was a prohibitive favorite heading into itsFiesta Bowl matchup against #2Penn State. However, Penn State was able to disrupt the Miami passing game and force the Hurricanes into seven turnovers. Penn State won the national championship with a 14–10 victory over Miami that was sealed when a Testaverde pass from the Penn State 6-yard line was intercepted in the endzone bylinebackerPete Giftopoulos with 0:18 left in the game.
Despite losing three key players (Testaverde,Alonzo Highsmith, andJerome Brown) from the '86 squad who were selected within the first nine picks of the1987 NFL draft, 1987 was expected to be somewhat of a reloading year for Miami, which began the season ranked 10th in the nation by the AP poll.
By year's end, the Hurricanes had allowed a mere 125 points. Miami took down six ranked opponents that fall – including No. 20 Florida, No. 4 FSU, No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 1 Oklahoma. The Canes earned victories by an average of 23.9 points, scoring over 40 points on five different games.
Under the direction ofsophomorequarterbackSteve Walsh and a defense that returned nine starters, Miami opened the regular season with a win overrivalFlorida, 31–4. The game would prove to be the last in a series that had been played annually since 1944. The teams would not meet in the regular season again until the 2002 season.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •No. 5 Hurricanes | 14 | 24 | 3 | 10 | 51 |
| No. 10 Razorbacks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| 1 | Miami | Williams 2-yard run (Cox kick) | Miami 7–0 | |
| 1 | 1:14 | Miami | Williams 49-yard run (Cox kick) | Miami 14–0 |
| 2 | Miami | Conley 16-yard run (Cox kick) | Miami 21–0 | |
| 2 | 10:10 | Miami | Bratton 1-yard run (Cox kick) | Miami 28–0 |
| 2 | Miami | Irvin 21-yard pass from Walsh (Cox kick) | Miami 35–0 | |
| 2 | 0:22 | Miami | Cox 28-yard field goal | Miami 38–0 |
| 3 | Miami | Cox 44-yard field goal | Miami 41–0 | |
| 4 | 12:59 | Miami | Cox 47-yard field goal | Miami 44–0 |
| 4 | 6:46 | Miami | A. Brown 4-yard pass from Erickson (Cox kick) | Miami 51–0 |
| 4 | 3:02 | Arkansas | Rouse 7-yard run (Trainor kick) | Miami 51–7 |
The victory over Florida was followed by a 51–7 victory over #10Arkansas Razorbacks inLittle Rock, which would catapult Miami to a #3 ranking.[15]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •No. 3 Hurricanes | 3 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 26 |
| No. 4 Seminoles | 0 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 25 |
| 1 | 2:58 | Miami | Greg Cox 29-yard field goal | Miami 3–0 |
| 2 | FSU | D. Williams 1-yard run (Schmidt kick) | FSU 7–3 | |
| 2 | 2:37 | FSU | Derek Schmidt 36-yard field goal | FSU 10–3 |
| 3 | 7:50 | FSU | Williams blocked punt return (kick failed) | FSU 16–3 |
| 3 | 2:37 | FSU | Derek Schmidt 25-yard field goal | FSU 19–3 |
| 3 | Miami | Bratton 49-yard pass from Walsh (Brian Blades pass from Walsh) | FSU 19–11 | |
| 4 | Miami | Irvin 26-yard pass from Walsh (Williams pass from Walsh) | Tied 19–19 | |
| 4 | 2:22 | Miami | Irvin 73-yard pass from Walsh (Cox kick) | Miami 26–19 |
| 4 | 0:42 | FSU | Lewis 18-yard pass from McManus (pass failed) | Miami 26–25 |
Miami's rigorous early season schedule continued the next week with a showdown with #4Florida State atDoak Campbell Stadium inTallahassee. The October 3 game featured not only high drama, but also an astounding 56 players who would go on to play in theNFL. Miami scored first with a second-quarter field goal, but Florida State, fielding a team many consider to be the best in school history, took control of the game after that. A 67-yard run by Florida Staterunning back Sammie Smith was followed by a 1-yard touchdown run from Dayne Williams, giving FSU a 7–3 lead. A 36-yard field goal from Derek Schmidt pushed the Seminoles' lead to 10–3 at the half.
After Schmidt missed a third-quarter field goal wide right, Miami took over, but went three-and-out and was forced to punt. The ensuing punt byJeff Feagles was blocked and returned by Florida State for a touchdown, increasing the Florida State lead to 16–3 (Schmidt missed the extra point). Miami was forced to punt again, and a big return by FSU'sDeion Sanders put Florida State in position to add another Schmidt field goal to make the score 19–3.
With Miami having been unable to mount any offense to that point, the Hurricanes looked to be in dire straits late in the third quarter. Spurred on by an impassioned speech from receiverMichael Irvin, the Hurricanes were able to keep their focus and climbed back into the game when Walsh found a streakingMelvin Bratton for a 49-yard touchdown. Miami went fortwo, which they converted when Walsh was able to hook up with receiverBrian Blades, trimming the FSU lead to 19–11 heading into the fourth quarter.
The final quarter was filled with back-and-forthdrama. Irvin started things off when he was on the receiving end of a 26-yard touchdown pass from Walsh. With the score now at 19–17, Miami again went for two, which Miami, again, converted, this time on a pass from Walsh toWarren Williams. With the game now tied at 19–19 and its 16-point lead evaporated, Florida State staged a drive of its own, taking the ball down to the Miami 17-yard line before quarterback Danny McManus fumbled the snap, which was recovered byBennie Blades. Miami wasted little time in capitalizing on the miscue, as four plays later Walsh hooked up with Irvin for one of the most famous plays in University of Miami history.[citation needed] Walsh walked to the line, read the FSU defense, and called an audible for Irvin, who was appropriately nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays. Walsh took a quick three-step drop and hung the ball up perfectly for Irvin on a fly route. Irvin was in double coverage, but was able to get behind the coverage, catch the pass, and take it 73-yards for a Miami touchdown. With 2:22 left to play, Miami led 26–19.
Florida State would not go meekly, though, as the Seminoles valiantly fought back after taking possession on their own 25-yard line. Before long, the Seminoles were in the endzone when McManus hit Ronald Lewis on a perfect corner route for 18-yards. With college football not havingovertime at the time, Florida State head coachBobby Bowden was faced with a decision: attempt the extra point and settle for a 26–26 tie, or attempt a two-point conversion and go for the win. Complicating matters was that Schmidt, FSU's kicker, had looked shaky on this day, already missing on a field goal attempt and on an extra point attempt. Nevertheless, Bowden initially had decided to kick the extra point and settle for the tie, as he had stated[citation needed] when asked before the game what he would do if he found himself in this exact predicament. But after the FSU offense protested and urged their coach to go for the win, Bowden changed his mind and decided to go for the two, betting both FSU's and Miami's national championship hopes on the outcome. FSU called a pass play. McManus took the snap, looked for a receiver, and then threw into the right corner of the endzone. The ball was underthrown and broken up by Miami defensive back Bubba McDowell before it could reach its intended target. With Miami up 26–25, Florida State attempted anonside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but Miami recovered the ball with 0:42 left and was able to run out the clock, sealing the Hurricane victory.
Having successfully negotiated its brutal early season schedule, Miami won its next four games with ease, beatingMaryland (46–16),Cincinnati (48–10),East Carolina (41–3), andMiami (Ohio) (54–3).
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokies | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| •#3 Hurricanes | 3 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
The Hurricanes, a 38-point favorite, broke a 13–13 tie with 4:51 remaining on a 1-yard TD run by Melvin Bratton. Miami put the game out of reach by scoring the final touchdown with 34 seconds left to win 27–13.[23] This wasFrank Beamer's first year as head coach at Virginia Tech.[24]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 10 Fighting Irish | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| •No. 2 Hurricanes | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| 2 | 11:39 | Miami | Bratton 2-yard run (Cox kick) | Miami 7–0 |
| 2 | 3:09 | Miami | Cox 30-yard field goal | Miami 10–0 |
| 3 | 3:18 | Miami | Bratton 1-yard run (Cox kick) | Miami 17–0 |
| 4 | 5:04 | Miami | Conley 6-yard run (Cox kick) | Miami 24–0 |
Next up for the now 2nd-ranked Hurricanes was a date with #10Notre Dame in Miami. Notre Dame coachLou Holtz brought an upset minded Irish squad to the Orange Bowl, but they proved to be little match for Daniel Stubbs and a relentless Hurricane defense. Miami continued its dominance over Notre Dame, shutting out the Irish, 24–0, and beating them for the fourth straight time. It was also the first time Notre Dame had been shutout since 1983, when they were also shutout at the hands of the Hurricanes.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 8 Gamecocks | 6 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| •No. 2 Hurricanes | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| 1 | 10:40 | SC | Mackie 40-yard field goal | SC 3–0 |
| 1 | 8:33 | SC | Mackie 48-yard field goal | SC 6–0 |
| 1 | Miami | Irvin 46-yard pass from Walsh (Cox kick) | Miami 7–6 | |
| 2 | 9:55 | SC | Sterling Sharpe 47-yard pass fromTodd Ellis (Mackie kick) | SC 13–7 |
| 2 | 8:06 | Miami | Bratton 5-yard run (Cox kick) | Miami 14–13 |
| 3 | Miami | Brian Blades 56-yard pass from Walsh (kick failed) | Miami 20–13 | |
| 4 | 13:51 | SC | Mackie 28-yard field goal | Miami 20–16 |
Miami's final regular season game came at home against #8South Carolina. South Carolina played a spirited game and gave the Hurricanes all they could handle. Eventually, Miami was able to walk away from the nail biter with a hard-fought 20–16 victory, capping an 11–0 regular season.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •No. 2 Hurricanes | 7 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
| No. 1 Sooners | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| 1 | 11:32 | Miami | Bratton 30-yard pass from Walsh (Cox kick) | Miami 7–0 |
| 2 | 0:09 | OU | Stafford 1-yard run (Lashar kick) | Tied 7–7 |
| 3 | 8:52 | Miami | Cox 56-yard FG | Miami 10–7 |
| 3 | 2:37 | Miami | Irvin 23-yard pass from Walsh (Cox kick) | Miami 17–7 |
| 4 | 3:41 | Miami | Cox 48-yard FG | Miami 20–7 |
| 4 | 2:05 | OU | Hutson 29-yard run (Lashar kick) | Miami 20–14 |
The1988 Orange Bowl featured "Game of the Century"-type billing[citation needed] as the undefeated and top-rankedOklahoma Sooners faced off against undefeated and second-ranked Miami for the national championship.[29] Adding to the hype was the recent on-field history between the teams. Oklahoma was a dominant force in college football, winning the national championship in 1985 and losing just one game in each of the preceding two years. Miami, though, had proven to be the thorn in Oklahoma's side, as the Sooners' losses in '85 and '86 had both come at the hands of Miami. Now, with the national championship on the line, Miami sought to make it three-losses-in-three-years for Oklahoma, and also their first postseason bowl win under Jimmy Johnson after three straight bowl losses, two in which they struggled and lost their chances to win the national championships. Further fuel for the fire was provided by the growing personal animosity between former Arkansas player Johnson and Oklahoma head coachBarry Switzer, who was also a former Arkansas player.
Miami's vaunted defense set the tone early, forcing the Sooners topunt on their first five possessions. Meanwhile, Walsh settled into a nice rhythm, putting Miami on the board first with a 30-yard touchdown pass to fullback Melvin Bratton, who caught 9 passes for 102 yards for the game. Oklahoma got on the board with a second-quarter touchdown to tie things up, but Miami responded with 10 unanswered third quarter points, coming on an Orange Bowl record 56-yardfield goal by kicker Greg Cox and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Walsh to Irvin. Oklahoma would add a fourth-quarter touchdown to trim the score to 20–14, but Miami held on for the win and the national championship. Johnson received aGatorade bath, which messed his trademark impeccably coiffed hair, and was carried off the field, having finally won "the big one" at Miami.
The Hurricane defense held Oklahoma to just 255 yards of offense, while Walsh's efficient play (18 of 30, 209 yards, 2 touchdowns) paced the Hurricane offense. Middle linebacker Bernard "Tiger" Clark- a backup middle linebacker who was forced to start after starting MLB George Mira Jr. was suspended for failing a drug test- was named the MVP of the Orange Bowl after recording 14 tackles (12 unassisted).
With the win, Miami completed its first ever undefeated season. In winning their second national championship, the Canes once again had to go through the nation's top-ranked team at the Orange Bowl, just as they had done in1983.
| 1987 Miami Hurricanes football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
| Defense
| Special teams
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Name | Position | Seasons | Alma mater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Johnson | Head coach | 4th | Arkansas (1965) |
| Gary Stevens | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks | 8th | John Carroll (1965) |
| Dave Wannstedt | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers | 2nd | Pittsburgh (1974) |
| Hubbard Alexander | Wide receivers | 9th | Tennessee State (1962) |
| Joe Brodsky | Running backs | 10th | Florida (1956) |
| Butch Davis | Defensive line | 4th | Arkansas (1973) |
| Art Kehoe | Assistant offensive line | 3rd | Miami (1982) |
| Don Soldinger | Tight ends | 4th | Memphis (1967) |
| Tony Wise | Offensive line | 3rd | Ithaca (1972) |
| Dave Campo | Defensive backs | 1st | Central Connecticut State (1969) |
| Name | Position | Seasons | Alma mater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Foran | Strength & conditioning | 3rd | Central Michigan (1977) |
| Steve Hoffman | Graduate assistant | 3rd | Dickinson (1981) |
| Ron Meeks | Graduate assistant | 2nd | Arkansas State (1977) |
| Tommy Tuberville | Graduate assistant | 2nd | Southern Arkansas (1976) |
Bold indicates winners
A total of 12 Hurricanes were selected by 10 different franchises in the1988 NFL draft, including three wide receivers in the first 52 picks.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Bennie Blades | S | Detroit Lions |
| 1 | 11 | Michael Irvin | WR | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2 | 33 | Danny Stubbs | OLB | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2 | 49 | Brian Blades | WR | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2 | 52 | Brett Perriman | WR | New Orleans Saints |
| 3 | 56 | Dan Sileo | DT | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 3 | 63 | Matt Patchan | OT | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 5 | 124 | Darrell Fullington | S | Minnesota Vikings |
| 6 | 155 | Warren Williams | RB | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 8 | 197 | Alfredo Roberts | TE | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 10 | 269 | Derwin Jones | DE | Seattle Seahawks |
| 12 | 331 | George Mira Jr. | LB | San Francisco 49ers |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)