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Great article in the Sun Sentinel. Here's the link:
www.sun-sentinel.com
Not sure if it's a paywall - here's a brief summary:
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Likens grew up in a rough neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio. His father left when he was very young -3 or 4 years old. His mom worked a couple of jobs. He lived with different family members in his home - no real positive role model in his life and in his words " I was heading down the wrong path.”
A move in his adolescence to live with his father in southern Mississippi led him to first learn football.
“My high school coach, he saved my life. High school football saved my life. That’s why I got into this profession,” Likens said. “My high school coach put his arm around me and got me to come out for high school football. The rest is history. Taught me everything I needed to know." “After high school football, I knew what I was going to do for the rest of my life," Likens said. "In some capacity, I was going to be a coach, and I was going to give back and feed kids positivity, speak life into them and be a positive role model for them.”
Likens played WR at Mississippi St in the late 1980's and got his first job coaching WR and RB at DII school North Alabama under Coach Bobby Wallace. Wallace ran the triple option offense and won three DII national championships.
“I’m glad I cut my teeth in the triple option because it taught me about defensive structure, how to call plays running the football, how to run the football and that’s been a huge influence,” Likens said.
Likens followed Wallace to Temple in 1998. With the Owls, they were bound to transition to an Air Raid offense, and Likens was sent to Kentucky for a few weeks to learn the offense from coach Hal Mumme, who was friends with Wallace and made a move from Valdosta State to Kentucky the year before. On Mumme’s staff with the Wildcats were such names as Mike Leach and Sonny Dykes.
Likens remained at Temple through 2003 and then after a few other stints at various places as OC, he reunited with Sonny Dykes at La Tech in 2010, becoming his assistant head coach and QB coach. He went to CAl with Dykes in 2013.
Through Dykes was how Likens and Lashlee were connected, Lashlee as Dykes’ offensive coordinator at Southern Methodist the past two seasons.
“We knew each other through him,” Likens said. “When Rhett got this job, I texted him. I said, ‘Congratulations. That’s an awesome opportunity. I’ve been waiting to see Miami run the spread offense. I think it’s going to be so cool.’ ”
Talks progressed. With Likens available after his stint at Arizona State and previous Hurricanes receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield leaving to take the same role at Penn State, Lashlee asked Likens if he’d be interested.
“He knew of my reputation for developing receivers through Sonny and through some other people, and that’s how that kind of started,” Likens said.
Likens said he had other offers at the time but he kept thinking back to his first time coaching against Miami.
At Temple, Likens had his first chance to call plays in a game against the Hurricanes in 1999 as UM was on the verge of building what many feel is the most talented college football roster ever assembled in 2001.
“Those were the best 12 first downs I ever got in my life. That was the greatest defense I had ever seen,” Likens said.
“When I just hear ‘The U,’ Miami, I hear the name of it, it elicits a different response,” he said. “One of the handful of places across the country where you can go, ‘Man, I would love to coach there.’ ”
How a rough upbringing and the right connections landed Rob Likens at Miami to coach Hurricanes receivers
There’s more to Rob Likens landing at Miami to coach Hurricanes receivers than it just being one of a bevy of offseason coaching moves across college football. Long before Likens, 52, arrived…
www.sun-sentinel.com
Not sure if it's a paywall - here's a brief summary:
-
Likens grew up in a rough neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio. His father left when he was very young -3 or 4 years old. His mom worked a couple of jobs. He lived with different family members in his home - no real positive role model in his life and in his words " I was heading down the wrong path.”
A move in his adolescence to live with his father in southern Mississippi led him to first learn football.
“My high school coach, he saved my life. High school football saved my life. That’s why I got into this profession,” Likens said. “My high school coach put his arm around me and got me to come out for high school football. The rest is history. Taught me everything I needed to know." “After high school football, I knew what I was going to do for the rest of my life," Likens said. "In some capacity, I was going to be a coach, and I was going to give back and feed kids positivity, speak life into them and be a positive role model for them.”
Likens played WR at Mississippi St in the late 1980's and got his first job coaching WR and RB at DII school North Alabama under Coach Bobby Wallace. Wallace ran the triple option offense and won three DII national championships.
“I’m glad I cut my teeth in the triple option because it taught me about defensive structure, how to call plays running the football, how to run the football and that’s been a huge influence,” Likens said.
Likens followed Wallace to Temple in 1998. With the Owls, they were bound to transition to an Air Raid offense, and Likens was sent to Kentucky for a few weeks to learn the offense from coach Hal Mumme, who was friends with Wallace and made a move from Valdosta State to Kentucky the year before. On Mumme’s staff with the Wildcats were such names as Mike Leach and Sonny Dykes.
Likens remained at Temple through 2003 and then after a few other stints at various places as OC, he reunited with Sonny Dykes at La Tech in 2010, becoming his assistant head coach and QB coach. He went to CAl with Dykes in 2013.
Through Dykes was how Likens and Lashlee were connected, Lashlee as Dykes’ offensive coordinator at Southern Methodist the past two seasons.
“We knew each other through him,” Likens said. “When Rhett got this job, I texted him. I said, ‘Congratulations. That’s an awesome opportunity. I’ve been waiting to see Miami run the spread offense. I think it’s going to be so cool.’ ”
Talks progressed. With Likens available after his stint at Arizona State and previous Hurricanes receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield leaving to take the same role at Penn State, Lashlee asked Likens if he’d be interested.
“He knew of my reputation for developing receivers through Sonny and through some other people, and that’s how that kind of started,” Likens said.
Likens said he had other offers at the time but he kept thinking back to his first time coaching against Miami.
At Temple, Likens had his first chance to call plays in a game against the Hurricanes in 1999 as UM was on the verge of building what many feel is the most talented college football roster ever assembled in 2001.
“Those were the best 12 first downs I ever got in my life. That was the greatest defense I had ever seen,” Likens said.
“When I just hear ‘The U,’ Miami, I hear the name of it, it elicits a different response,” he said. “One of the handful of places across the country where you can go, ‘Man, I would love to coach there.’ ”
