Dan Radakovich, the University of Miami’s new athletic director, has roots at the school that go back to the 1980s when his career began a business manager.

He’s now tapping those roots to bring home one of the great Hurricanes players from that era.

Alonzo Highsmith, who has been an NFL personnel executive for the last decade, will return to Coral Gables as an assistant to Radakovich in the athletic department, the South Florida Sun Sentinel has learned.

Highsmith, 57, was a candidate for the athletic director’s job that Radekovich was hired for in December. There were lingering whispers that Highsmith could still be part of the new regime that includes coach Mario Cristobal, whose brother, Luis, blocked for Highsmith.

Highsmith was a personnel executive with the Seattle Seahawks the past two seasons. He previously was the vice president of personnel with the Cleveland Browns and a senior personnel executive with the Green Bay Packers.

Highsmith’s roots, like Cristobal’s, stretch to Columbus High. He then came to Miami to be part of Howard Schnellenberger’s national championship team in 1983 before starring on Jimmy Johnson’s teams. Highsmith was the No. 3 pick in the 1987 draft by the Houston Oilers before a knee injury derailed his playing career

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