Coker to Texas-San Antonio

[bellyseries]

[FONT=verdana,sans-serif]SAN ANTONIO (AP) -Former Miami coach Larry Coker is among three finalists to become the first head coach of the new Texas-San Antonio football program. [/FONT][FONT=verdana,sans-serif] UTSA athletics director Lynn Hickey said Monday that Coker and the other candidates will be interviewed within the next 10 days. The school has said it wants to make a decision by March. [/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,sans-serif] Coker hasn't coached since the Hurricanes fired him following a 6-6 season in 2006. He led Miami to the BCS championship in 2001 and went 60-15 in six seasons with the Hurricanes. [/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,sans-serif] The other finalists are Tulsa associate coach and co-defensive coordinator Paul Randolph and Northwest Missouri State head coach Mel Tjeerdsma (CHURCH-mah). [/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,sans-serif] UTSA, a Southland Conference member, hopes to make its college football debut in 2011 in Division I's championship subdivision. [/FONT]

Looking at the other candidates, I would think the Bob Newhart lookalike, Coker, would be a lock.

 

[Allen Koholic]

Is there a compelling reason for hiring Coker here? He won an MNC with Davis's players, and he's obviously a hell of a coach, but it seems like this is building a program from the ground up. Are they going for a big name to help draw in fans? I can't imagine that if Coker has any measure of success, he'll stay.

 

[floridajacket]

Remember, it's not like the other candidate for this job is Urban Meyer. I would agree with them that Coker is probably very well qualified compared to the various lower division coaches he's competing against.

 

[gnats67]

Coker and Curry could be buttin heads afore you knowit.

HEADS UP, HORNS! COKER"S COMIN!!

In all seriousness the man is a very seasoned coach, will prolly be able to put together a respectable staff, etc., get the program off the ground. I know nothing about the school but San Antone is kind of nice. I got lost there once.

 

[lonestarjacket]

Are they going for a big name to help draw in fans? .

I think that would be a yes.

It could be a decent draw since SA doesn't have a pro football team. But SA is only an hour's drive from Austin, so there is big competition for the avid fan.