Posted on 08/02/2002 3:59:49 PM PDT by rhema
It's a long way from Last Chance, Okla., to the national college football championship. But that's exactly the road traveled by Larry Coker, the undefeated coach of the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was the first coach to win the national championship in his first year as a head coach since Bennie Oosterbaan led the Michigan Wolverines to the crown in 1948.
There are lots of bends, potholes and detours on that road, as well as the occasional high-speed chase on the super highway. It took Coker 22 years of coaching high school and college football to become an “overnight success,” and he laughs off the accolades without letting them go to his head.
“Not only was 1948 the year I was born, but I point out to people that the next year, Coach Oosterbaan was fired,” Coker said. “I don’t want history to repeat itself.”
Coker doesn’t take himself too seriously. He understands how difficult it was to dominate Nebraska in the Rose Bowl (37-14), having spent 10 years in the old Big Eight Conference, where he had to square off against the Huskers every year.
“I think I did a good job, but I also realize we had great coaches and great players,” he says. “There were so many people involved. It was a great team effort. I like to say ‘Individuals play the game, but teams win championships.’
“I feel blessed just to be a head coach, because it’s pretty hard. There are not many jobs out there and to get one is an act of God for me. To have it at a place like Miami, where you have the vehicle to have success, is pretty special. Then, on top of that, to bring it all to fruition, to play well and win a national championship, it’s just been a magical year.”
Coker also feels blessed with the platform to share his faith that winning has given him. “It gives me an opportunity to do some things that I wouldn’t be able to do,” he says. “I was able to speak to a prayer breakfast of businessmen downtown less than a month ago. It was basically a talk about my faith and the season, somewhat of a motivational talk. I heard that some of those men actually had made commitments to attend churches and give their lives to Christ.”
Coker is extremely humble, and as such, he doesn’t feel that he “overpaid his dues” by waiting so many years to assume the head coaching role. “I think being in some great programs, it wasn’t such a culture shock to be in a place like Miami and compete for the championship. I was at Ohio State and Oklahoma, and those programs were pretty high-profile programs.”
The players were so convinced that Coker was “the man” that they went to athletic director Paul Dee and lobbied for Coker to be promoted to head coach when Butch Davis left for the NFL. “We knew Coach Coker was the right man for the job,” said 2001 senior receiver Daryl Jones. “You could just tell that he was the kind of man and the kind of person to lead us to the promised land. He’s just a great overall person. You can just see the aura of Jesus Christ all over his life—how he lives, how he speaks to us, how he coaches.”
The national championship certainly is a professional highlight for Coker, but it’s not his No. 1 priority. Sharing his faith takes that spot. Even within the football program, winning games takes a back seat to rebuilding the reputation of the program. For years, Miami’s football program was called “Renegade U.”
The change started under Davis and Coker has kept it going. “One thing we really stressed was character,” Coker said. “We had to find out about the players, not just their grades or their ability to play the game or the times they ran. We also had to talk with their coaches, talk with their parents, get in their homes, talk with their ministers, find out what type of people they are. From that standpoint, if they’re very similar in ability—you have to have ability, let’s don’t downplay that—then we’re going to feel strongly for that player with character.”
The players recognize that too. James Scott, a defensive back who will be one of the team leaders this fall, says, “I think that’s the main thing they look for when they’re evaluating an athlete. What type of person is that athlete off the field? Does he get in a lot of trouble? Does he cause a lot of problems? Is he going to hurt the program? I think they’ve done a very good job of recruiting the right guys.”
Recruiting is all about getting the players to fit the system. Besides great character, Miami once again is getting the great athletes. Miami is getting athletes who want to win and will work hard to get there.
It all starts over for Miami in a matter of weeks. The 2001 trophy is in the trophy case. The ’Canes are all about trying to earn the 2002 version. “The sweat hadn’t even dried from the Rose Bowl,” Coker said. “We were walking off the field and somebody said, ‘Can you repeat?’ You really can’t win enough games.
“We play 12 games this year, so we’ve got a chance to win more games that we won last year. I guess for an encore I either retire undefeated or try to win it all again.”
It will be tough to repeat, but Coker has a firm grasp of reality.
“Coaches recognize that even though you went undefeated your team was not perfect, because you look at all the video,” he said. “You don’t notice the long touchdown passes, you notice the three things that you need to correct to be successful.
“That was always a little bit of a problem with me with Christianity, the fact that I never really felt like I was good enough. I’ve grown to understand that none of us is good enough. We’re bought and paid for with a price. You try to do the right things, but you’re not going to be perfect. Don’t beat yourself up because of it, because you’re bought with a price.
“You’re forgiven and there’s great security in that.”
Damn good football team, that work crew. Guess you'll probably be cheering some of them on, as they play for your favorite NFL team..
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