With a new helmet design, Head Coach Charlie Tate had higher hopes for the performance of his team and the expected support of the Hurricane fans going into 1970. After the season's first two games Tate quit, disgusted with many aspects of the program. He believed he needed to win eight games or more to keep his job, erosion of the Hurricane fan base by "Dolphinmania" as it was being referred to, continuing financial cutbacks, and a non-existent recruiting budget led to what seemed like a hasty decision. Former Hurricane team captain and long time assistant coach Walt Kichefski stepped up to finish the year but the 3-8 record, rather than being an aberration, became the standard for the entire decade. Tate knew his defense was suspect and its not as if the win over William And Mary (36-14) was unsatisfying or the loss to Georgia Tech (31-21) was a blowout but he did not see the program getting the promised assistance he needed to move it forward and thus bowed out. The defense deteriorated as the season wore on and morale sagged although a few stars emerged. Chuck Foreman developed as an exciting and talented runner although he also played a lot of DB. Future Jets and Raiders defensive back Burgess Owens did a good job in the secondary and as a return man. The gold helmet that Tate had switched to in 1965 was replaced by a white shell with a block, "3-D" UM logo in orange that was trimmed in forest green.  While not as unique as the hurricane flag design that had preceded it, the 1970 Miami helmet was a clear, clean design that was easily recognized. The big game as it usually was came against hated Florida, a great 14-13 victory but losing the final game of the season the following week in a clobbering by Houston sealed Kichefski's fate, although he remained at the University as a fund raiser until 1978.