Coker fired...

BIG DAWG · November 24, 2006

If anyone saw Coker's press conference when he got officially fired this morning, he was all class...unlike our own outgoing coach here at NT.

Never once disrespected the "U" in any way, and was pleasant with with reporters, and bascially said he didn't get the job done and there were would be other options out there for him.

No list of accomplishments, and you won't see any all black uniforms from Mr. Coker.

5 yrs away from back to back trips to the Natl. Champ. games, winning one, and a bowl eligible team this year...still showing class at his press conference being fired.

untbowler · November 24, 2006

If anyone saw Coker's press conference when he got officially fired this morning, he was all class...unlike our own outgoing coach here at NT.
Never once disrespected the "U" in any way, and was pleasant with with reporters, and bascially said he didn't get the job done and there were would be other options out there for him.
No list of accomplishments, and you won't see any all black uniforms from Mr. Coker.
5 yrs away from back to back trips to the Natl. Champ. games, winning one, and a bowl eligible team this year...still showing class at his press conference being fired.
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So he is 5 years removed from a Nat'l Title with an 80% winning percentage, yet the media complained about UNT firing a coach after 9 years and 20 games below .500.

What great expectations the media had for UNT!!

MeanGreenBuzz · November 24, 2006

So he is 5 years removed from a Nat'l Title with an 80% winning percentage, yet the media complained about UNT firing a coach after 9 years and 20 games below .500.
What great expectations the media had for UNT!!
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Remember we are just a commuter school with no aspirations other than the NO Bowl...

IslandEagle · November 24, 2006

So he is 5 years removed from a Nat'l Title with an 80% winning percentage, yet the media complained about UNT firing a coach after 9 years and 20 games below .500.
What great expectations the media had for UNT!!
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Maybe his firing will reorient Dickey to the real world.

NT80 · November 24, 2006

The media rips UNT for firing a coach 20 games under .500 but expects Coker 59-15 to be fired for weeks?

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Miami fires coach Larry Coker

By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Larry Coker's tumultuous and disappointing season at Miami ended with his dismissal as head coach.

Coker was fired Friday, a move that was expected for weeks. It came one day after the Hurricanes finished a 6-6 regular season by beating Boston College, snapping a four-game losing streak and becoming bowl-eligible.

Coker will coach the team in a bowl game, if Miami is invited, athletic director Paul Dee said.

"I'd like to certainly end on a positive note," Coker said.

After the game, he said he expected to remain at Miami "a long time." But less than 12 hours later, despite a 59-15 record and two appearances in the national championship game, Coker was gone — doomed largely by 12 losses in the last three seasons, and no conference titles or major bowl bids since 2003.

He had three seasons left on a contract that paid him about $2 million annually.

"There were a lot of issues, but certainly the direction the program was going was certainly one," Dee said. "I wouldn't say that was totally it, but if you want to look in that direction, that was one. There were disappointments. There were opportunities, I think, to play better and we didn't. It all comes to the head coach."

There are plenty of potential candidates to replace Coker, including former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, who is close with Miami president Donna Shalala; Rutgers coach and former Miami assistant Greg Schiano; and Tulsa coach Steve Kragthorpe.

Former Florida coach and current South Carolina boss Steve Spurrier said earlier this week that he expects to be back with the Gamecocks next fall for his third season — trying to rebuke a story that identified him as Miami's top choice for the job.

MeanGreenBuzz · November 24, 2006

Just to get it out there would Coker be a good hire for us?

shaft · November 24, 2006

Um... It's been like 2 hours.

No chance for players and assistants to respond. Dollar to a donut their going to say things like their "totally shocked."

List of accomplishments? ESPN runs them everytime they show the clip. Give the national and Miami press an hour or two and they'll start running stories on Cokers accomplishments.

No black uniforms. Let's see what the players do to show their respect at the bowl game. A player's loyality is to their coach, a fan's loyality is to the school.

NT80 · November 24, 2006

Just to get it out there would Coker be a good hire for us?
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He has $6 million reasons not to be UNT next coach as Miami owes him $2 mil/year for 3 more years. Most contact payouts are voided when a coach takes another job within the original contract time.

shaft · November 24, 2006

Not exactly most coaching contracts provide a different payout when the coach takes a new job. UL-M's coach was getting his gaurtee from Army less his UL-M contract.

NT80 · November 24, 2006

Not exactly most coaching contracts provide a different payout when the coach takes a new job. UL-M's coach was getting his gaurtee from Army less his UL-M contract.
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Correct, and I think ULM was paying him $1/year during that time. Think we could get Coker for $1?

MeanGreengdub · November 24, 2006

I don't know about you other Mean Green fans but I don't want my school's football team to turn into a gang. I think Coker did his recruiting out on the streets.

Got5onIt · November 24, 2006

I don't know about you other Mean Green fans but I don't want my school's football team to turn into a gang. I think Coker did his recruiting out on the streets.
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Coker has done his best to clean up Miami. They are in better shape now than what they were before his arrival.

FirefightnRick · November 24, 2006

After the game last night the girl doing the interview tried repeatedly to get him to bite on a comment concerning his possibly being fired and he answered all the questions with positiveness and class.

Rick

NM Green · November 24, 2006

I was thinking the same thing when watching his press conference - Dickey could have learned from the way Coker handled himself.

never burn a bridge!

GMG

good_ken · November 24, 2006

I think the important part of the firing is that now other, bigger named coaches are being fired. Pushing DD's firing out of the news. UNT can go on making positive news (football stadiums, donations, BB wins)

FirefightnRick · November 25, 2006

Spurrier and Tech's Mike Leach are early rumours for Cokers' replacement.

Rick

good_ken · November 25, 2006

Spurrier and Tech's Mike Leach are early rumours for Cokers' replacement.

Being the class act that he is, Spurrier turned down the job before they had fired Coker.

GoMeanGreen1999 · November 25, 2006

I really don't see Mike Leach being hired there. He has had no defense to speak of at TT. I wouldn't be surprised if Riecht at Georgia, or even Houston Nutt at Arkansas are possibilities.

As far as Coker goes, he was a class act in that press conference. Once again, he is a winner that will get another job soon.

Rudy · November 25, 2006

Hey, since Leach is such a pirate fanatic, he would be perfect on the coast. The only thing he has out there are dust pirates.

And I don't blame Coker for the thuglike mentality of some of those players. I mean, its Miami!

UNT_playmaker · November 25, 2006

I really don't see Mike Leach being hired there. He has had no defense to speak of at TT. I wouldn't be surprised if Riecht at Georgia, or even Houston Nutt at Arkansas are possibilities.
As far as Coker goes, he was a class act in that press conference. Once again, he is a winner that will get another job soon.
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Hopefully ours

good_ken · November 25, 2006

An ESPN Article talks about potential replacements for Coker. One of the candidates is their defensive coordinator.

But because Coker was elevated from offensive coordinator to head coach when Butch Davis left for the Cleveland Browns after the 2000 season, Miami might be hesitant to give Shannon the job this time.
Shannon also is believed to be a candidate to replace Florida International coach Don Strock, who resigned Nov. 15.

I would think that would be a major coup for FIU, snatching UM's defensive coordinator.