Miami (Ohio) hires Notre Dame OC, becomes sixth black head coach

OXFORD, Ohio -- Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Haywood was hired Tuesday as the football coach at Miami (Ohio), which went 2-10 this season.

He replaces Shane Montgomery, who resigned last month. The RedHawks went 17-31 during his four seasons.

A former Notre Dame player, Mike Haywood has been an assistant coach for 22 years. (Getty Images)

"I knew this was the place because there were so many similarities in education (and) the type of student-athletes that are recruited there," Haywood said late Tuesday.

Haywood becomes the sixth black coach among the 119 Bowl Subdivision schools and joins a university known as the Cradle of Coaches because Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes coached at the school before becoming famous -- as did former Fighting Irish coach Ara Parseghian. Haywood has been Notre Dame's offensive coordinator the last four seasons and has no direct ties to the RedHawks.

The 44-year-old coach was in Honolulu with the Irish, getting ready to play Hawaii on Wednesday night in the Hawaii Bowl. He'll be introduced at the Ohio school next week.

Sitting poolside at the team hotel and wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and flip flops, Haywood said he was offered the job Monday and the paper work was processed early Tuesday. He said board members at Miami assisted him, along with Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, who was "extremely instrumental."

Haywood said people have a misunderstanding of his relationship with Weis, whom he called a mentor and "one of the finest men in college football."

Weis has called the Irish's offensive plays in last three regular season games after Haywood missed practices to attend a cousin's funeral. Weis will also call the Hawaii Bowl.

"I don't think he's been given the respect he deserves as an offensive coordinator, as a head coach and as a man," Haywood said.

Haywood said three weeks after the death of his young cousin, her mother died suddenly because of a blood clot.

"People didn't realize everything and all the adversity going on in my life," he said. "(Weis) really helped me tremendously in dealing with that from a professional point of view and an emotional point of view. And it meant the world to me."

Haywood's agent, Albert Elias, said he agreed to a five-year deal with Miami. Haywood also was interviewed for the vacant Washington and Syracuse jobs this season and with Houston and Minnesota last season, Elias said.

"He feels bittersweet about leaving Notre Dame -- that's where he went to school -- but we really feel like we have a chance to win there and be successful," Elias said.