Miami Football: Key Goals for New Hurricanes Wide Receivers Coach Kevin Beard

Shortly after the Miami Hurricanes lost their wide receivers coach, Brennan Carroll, to the Seattle Seahawks, Susan Miller Degnan of the Miami Herald broke the news that former UM wideout Kevin Beard would be the replacement.

Beard played for "The U" in the early 2000s and was a notable contributor for the 2001 national championship team, snagging 25 passes for 409 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, Beard tallied 67 receptions, 920 yards and seven scores with the 'Canes.

Most recently, he was the wide receivers coach at University School (Fort Lauderdale, FL) before spending 2014 as the assistant director of football operations at Miami.

Although the program is struggling as a whole, Beard isn't entering a desolate situation at his position. Stacy Coley, Rashawn Scott, Malcolm Lewis, Herb Waters and Braxton Berrios will return next season.

Nevertheless, Beard has a few critical goals to accomplish in preparation for the 2015 campaign.

Re-Establish a Local Recruiting Footprint

Credit: 247Sports

Of course, with the promotion comes more responsibility—particularly on the recruiting trail—because the Hurricanes must reclaim a portion of the nation's top prospects.

And that's where Beard comes in. He has strong South Florida ties from previous coaching positions, similar to current running backs coach Tim Harris. Between the duo, Miami should regain a decent foothold south of Interstate 4.

While touting the 2016 class like it's a finished product would be foolish, the 'Canes have currently assembled the country's No. 1 haul almost exclusively from South Florida. Beard is a critical part of keeping the committed players in the fold and drawing a few more prospects into it.

Sam Bruce, Miami's top-rated recruit at No. 35 overall, is also Beard's former player at U-School. According to Christy Cabrera Chirinos of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Bruce is looking forward to eventually rejoining his former coach.

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I'm excited, not just for him, but also for me to know I'm going to be coached by him again. He's not just a coach, he's more than a coach. He's a mentor and I can go to him with any of my problems. He'll give me his advice and talk to me about the things he's been through. He's an all-around great guy.

"

In addition to Bruce, the Hurricanes have received a pair of verbal pledges from 4-star receivers Dionte Mullins and Ahmmon Richards. Miami should be looking to sign at least three wideouts in 2016, and the trio of Bruce, Mullins and Richards are each ranked in the top 300.

The Hurricanes will not and cannot be expected to sign all the highly touted local talent, but practically striking out in the hotbed of high school football—their backyard—during the 2015 cycle is inexcusable. Beard needs to help change that in 2016.

Fix Stacy Coley

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

After a stellar initial season that brought freshman All-American honors, Coley was supposed to be the Hurricanes' star receiver in 2014. Instead, he caught just 23 passes for 184 yards and zero touchdowns.

The 6'1" receiver's lack of production was a shocking development considering the torrid run on which he ended the 2013 campaign. Coley definitely isn't broken, but he requires some fixing.

According to Matt Porter of the Palm Beach Post, Beard said Coley must focus on continuing to develop as a receiver.

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I just feel like he needs a better understanding of who he is and who he wants to be. He was the No. 3 receiver [in the nation] coming out of high school, an Under Armour All-American. You feel like you're 'that guy.' He had all the success that he had his freshman year, he kind of felt like, I can be this same guy and still have the same success. He never turned to the next level. I feel he stayed stagnant that way, where he was, and it kind of caught him by surprise.

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Coley's hands have been an issue at times, evidenced by numerous dropped passes over the last two seasons. He atoned for some mishandlings as a freshman with 12 receptions of 20-plus yards, but Coley managed just two such catches as a sophomore.

Another part of his struggles had to do with the apparent lack of rapport with Brad Kaaya. Timing simply never seemed to develop between the promising young players.

Beard cannot trigger the actual connection between a quarterback and receiver, but the former Miami wideout can share his experiences adjusting to Kenny Kelly and Ken Dorsey.

Plus, though Beard didn't rack up gaudy numbers in college, he played alongside future NFL studs in Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson. Any knowledge gained through watching those superstars undoubtedly has value for Coley, too.

Improve Receiver Blocking

In late September, Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald noted the Hurricanes' wide receiver screens were going nowhere through the first month of the 2014 season. However, that issue never improved, and it was a direct result of shaky blocking on the outside.

Per Porter, Beard wants his guys "dominating the techniques of the game so that once the game comes, you're just having fun. You don't even have to think about the plays you're making, the blocks you're making are second nature and you're just out there having fun with your guys."

Coley's previously mentioned struggles were a problem, but they weren't solely his fault. Oftentimes, the speedster had no room to get started on what was offensive coordinator James Coley's favorite way to get the pigskin into the younger Coley's grasp.

Against Duke, for example, one of Kaaya's passes was barely halfway to Coley by the time Jeremy Cash was closing in on the wideout.

The initial block creates the all-important running lane, which Coley found just twice all last season. If he can't run anywhere, there's little blame to place on him.

In this respect, Beard should focus on Malcolm Lewis in particular. He was typically the Hurricanes' first choice for a blocking receiver.

Two years ago, remember, Coley was routinely provided and capitalized on that necessary space. And not-so-coincidentally, Lewis was an important part of Coley's 81-yard touchdown opposite Virginia Tech.

Additionally, run blocking is a pivotal part of the Miami offense. When Joe Yearby slices through the first level of a defense next year, he'll require a seal-block from his receivers to pick up another 10 yards.

While touchdown grabs and acrobatic catches draw headlines and replays, Beard needs to help the Hurricanes receivers improve their non-glamorous contributions.

Miami lacked a potentially lethal part of its offense because the wideouts basically couldn't block last season. If that changes under Beard's tutelage, however, it will allow the 'Canes to add an important element to their attack.

The talent is there, but Beard must develop the Miami receivers into a complete unit that performs consistently in every area on Saturdays.

Note: Stats courtesy of CFBstats.com. All recruiting information via 247Sports and rankings based on 247Sports' composite rankings.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.