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False Alarm

Butch Davis' departure could have left Miami in disarray, but when Larry Coker stayed on, a rising program retained its stability.

By BOB HARIG

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 30, 2001

[Photo: AP] Hurricanes players were ecstatic when offensive coordinator Larry Coker was promoted to coach.

CORAL GABLES -- After saying repeatedly that he would not abandon his team, Butch Davis simply had an offer he could not refuse. Big money to coach an NFL club. Lifetime security. Professional football. That didn't make it any easier on the Miami Hurricane football players he was leaving behind.

In the days after Davis' stunning announcement that he was quitting Miami to become coach of the Cleveland Browns, a whirlwind of thoughts went through players' heads. Wisconsin's Barry Alvarez was rumored as Davis' replacement, and he would bring with him a new style, a new coaching staff.

Where did that leave a group of players who believed they were robbed of a shot at a national championship and were eager to pursue another?

Lobbying for Larry Coker.

A soft-spoken man who had been passed over for head coaching opportunities several times, Coker was Davis' offensive coordinator and a favorite of the players. Athletic director Paul Dee met with all of the returning players to gauge their feelings.

"I wanted to know, "Do you want Coach Coker because you're in a comfort zone, because the transition would be easier, you already know where you stand?' " Dee said. " "Or do you really believe you're a better player playing for this individual?' I think they convinced me that it really was the latter."

Coker was hired, and Miami breathed a Hurricane-sized sigh of relief.

Now the 14 returning starters from an 11-1 team that thought it should have played Oklahoma for the national championship are on a mission to get to the Rose Bowl.

Believe it or not, it has been 10 years since the Hurricanes last won a national championship. Although they are one of the favorites to do so this year, Coker knows last season means nothing.

"We're really working hard not to just repeat last year," said Coker, 53, who is getting his first college head coaching shot. "You hear the analogy about having 20 years of experience, or do you repeat one year 20 times. We don't want to do that. We can't be the same team we were last year and be as good as we were last year.

"The road schedule is tougher. We're a little bit more of a marked team because we're going to be ranked high. There are a lot of things. We have to make sure complacency doesn't set in. We have to make sure we don't get caught in a comfort zone or a trap."

The preseason rankings are likely to help. The Hurricanes were a bit annoyed to learn they are No. 2 behind Florida, a team they defeated 37-20 in the Sugar Bowl.

But they know they've got far more to worry about than rankings. First is the schedule. The 'Canes open Saturday night at Penn State, where a newly renovated stadium will be revved with more than 100,000 fans. UM also travels to Florida State and Virginia Tech and gets Washington at home.

"We have a lot of tough games on the road and we have a lot of young guys," linebacker Howard Clark said. "I think we have enough skill and talent to overcome that stuff. But it can be a distraction. We already have that big-game experience. Last year, it was a shock losing (at Washington). That was tough, and we had a lot of guys who had never been through that."

One of them was quarterback Ken Dorsey, who played a poor first half in the game but rebounded to have an excellent season. Dorsey threw for 2,737 yards and 25 touchdowns and had just five interceptions. He has an excellent offensive line to protect him, including senior all-America tackles Bryant McKinnie and Joaquin Gonzalez. Clinton Portis and Najeh Davenport offer a solid running game.

But with the loss of receivers Santana Moss, Reggie Wayne and Andre King, Dorsey has no established ball-catcher to bail him out. And he recognizes that opponents will try to force him to go to the weakest link.

"I have no doubt that's what teams will do to us," Dorsey said. "They're going to try and not only blitz us, but try and rough up our receivers. The best thing about that is the way our defense plays, they take on everybody. The physical play we get in practice is something we'll be accustomed to in the games."

That defense appears to be the strength of the team, even without Butkus Award winner Dan Morgan at middle linebacker. Mike Rumph and Edward Reed -- burned for a late touchdown pass by Penn State two years ago -- are now the leaders of a loaded secondary that includes cornerback Phillip Buchanon.

"If we just play our ball, if we play Miami Hurricane football this year, we should be unstoppable," Reed said. "Aggressive, swarming. Don't care who we're playing. Just go out and do everything to perfection. Strive for perfection every time. Give top effort every time."

With the popular Coker in charge, that seems quite possible.

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