Miami football needs a change

The Miami University RedHawks football team currently sits at 2-3 (0-1). Its wins are against Football Championship Subdivision opponents, the College of Holy Cross and the University of Connecticut.

The losses are an opening week 45-point loss to the University of Pittsburgh, a 21-point blown lead against rival the University of Cincinnati and a narrow home loss to the previously winless Bowling Green State University. These three losses, in the way they occurred, are unacceptable.

With two minutes left in the fourth quarter against Bowling Green, the game tied, the RedHawks opted to throw the ball on second and third down. This stopped the clock twice without Bowling Green needing to use a timeout.

On top of the questionable play-calling decisions, the RedHawks are averaging just under eight penalties a game. This lack of discipline falls solely on coaching.

Against Cincinnati, Miami led 28-7 at halftime. In the second half, the RedHawks managed just three points and lost the game. Early in the fourth quarter, the RedHawks had a fourth down on the one-yard line. They opted to kick a field goal instead of going for the touchdown. This could have been the difference in the game.

Miami spent eight to 10 million dollars on its football roster, according to CBS Sports. That figure is estimated to be the most expensive roster in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The RedHawks landed the top transfer portal class in the MAC according to 247 Sports. The results so far this season are inconsistent with the amount of talent on the roster.

Miami has recently shown interest in leaving the MAC, according to a report by Brett McMurphy saying the school offered the American Conference $30-40 million to join the league. It is clear the RedHawks are trying to position themselves atop college sports, with or without the MAC.

Head coach Chuck Martin is in his 13th season as the lead man for the football team. He brought the program back from the basement of the MAC and Football Bowl Subdivision. That should not go unnoticed or unappreciated. However, it is unclear if Martin is the answer with the athletic department’s greater ambitions.

Martin is 1-10 against Cincinnati in his tenure and 4-8 against Ohio University. Against Miami’s two biggest rivals, he is a combined 5-18.

The attendance at football games is nothing short of embarrassing. Average attendance over the past five years has declined 20%. Yager Stadium is not even half full for most football games. Students and locals are not excited to watch the product.

It is not as if the fans do not care, Millett Hall had over 10,000 fans in attendance four times during the men’s teams’ undefeated 2025-26 season. This is despite a number of home games occurring over winter break.

Miami cannot be considered a serious football program with national aspirations if an empty stadium is shown on television every week.

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Martin is a legend in Oxford. He should be appreciated and applauded for all he has done for the program, but as frustrations continue to grow, is he the best option for the future?

Very few successful coaches stay in the MAC for 13 years. They will often take more prestigious jobs. PJ Fleck found success at Western Michigan University and is now at the University of Minnesota, Lance Leipold went from the University of Buffalo to the University of Kansas and Dino Babers went from Bowling Green to Syracuse University.

Why has Martin not taken a power conference job? Perhaps those programs see him for what he is, a fine head coach for a mid-tier program.

Travis Steele, men’s head basketball coach, was hired from Xavier University, a power conference program, and he has achieved success at the highest level. The football program should follow the same formula: Hire a coach with power conference experience and the ability to sell the program to students and fans.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams recently held “Uptown Madness.” The event was designed to have athletes shown in a fun environment ahead of their respective seasons. The event brought out students and fans. Steele even offered one-thousand dollars of his own money to a fan. Martin and his football program do nothing of that sort.

Martin, as charismatic as he may be, is not a presence on campus and does not empower students to attend games.

If Miami has plans to go big on athletics, they need the right people in place. Steele has shown the ability to win big, and athletic director David Sayler and president Greg Crawford have both shown they are willing to invest heavily in athletics. The question is whether Martin aligns with these ideals and if he can lead Miami into the future.

jollifvm@miamioh.edu