Why is Larry Coker being admitted to the Hall of Fame?

[TerragonSix]

He should be in the HOF in the same vein that Derrick Crudup is a national champion.

The only difference is that I *like* Derrick Crudup.

People hated it when Dennis The Menace got in because he was partly responsible for deep-sixing the program in the 90's.

Yes, he won with JJ's guys. But he did it twice. No other coach here has done it twice.

So begrudgingly, yes, I will admit he should be in. So should Coker.

I might catch heat for it, but Randy Shannon should be in as well. For his contributions as both a player and a coach.

 

[OriginalCanesCanesCanes]

You're right. The TALENT Butch left behind is light years ahead of anything Bama has had.

“Left behind” is correct. At least clappy won something with that talent. Something the ginger has never managed anywhere. With all the talent Butch amasses everywhere, and there is no question that he has, he just doesn’t seem to get over the hump with it.

So Coker can flash him the ring and thank him during his HOF induction speech.

 

[deleted3746]

BoRtch Davis is a football Gawwwd!!!

 

[ThomasM]

“Left behind” is correct. At least clappy won something with that talent. Something the ginger has never managed anywhere. With all the talent Butch amasses everywhere, and there is no question that he has, he just doesn’t seem to get over the hump with it.

So Coker can flash him the ring and thank him during his HOF induction speech.

With all due respect, we were ranked #2 I’m every decent poll I’m 2000, and should have played for the title. Bowden and Spurrier both said Miami should have played for the title. So if people want to give Coker credit for winning 2, Butch should get credit for winning one, because we would have rolled OU in the Irange Bowl.

 

[OriginalCanesCanesCanes]

With all due respect, we were ranked #2 I’m every decent poll I’m 2000, and should have played for the title. Bowden and Spurrier both said Miami should have played for the title. So if people want to give Coker credit for winning 2, Butch should get credit for winning one, because we would have rolled OU in the Irange Bowl.

Of course we got screwed in 2000, just like we got screwed in 2002. If we’re going to go back and right wrongs, then Butch gets one NC (assuming he didn’t do something stupid and lose to Oklahoma like we did to Washington that year) and Clappy gets 2 NC’s instead of 1.

We can go round and round.

I’m not a Coker apologist. In retrospect he wasn’t the right guy, but it was the administration’s fault he was in there. He was hired and at least he didn’t ***** up number 5. He was the coach and no one can take that away.

Who knows what happens if they bring in somebody else. Maybe there’s a player revolt and things go sideways with no NC. You never know.

 

[GOCANES05]

I never understood the hatred by fellow Cane fans towards Coker .

What did he ever do to deserves this level of hate from a proclaimed CANE FAMILY ?

GOCANES

 

[Earnest T. Bass]

I respectfully disagree. Ask yourself this. If Saban retired tomorrow and Alabama wins the national title next season, then return to mediocrity within 5 years, would that replacement coach be a HOFer? I sure as **** don't think so. The University of Miami made a huge mistake in hiring Coker, because a real HOF coach not only would have won the title in 2001, but 2002, and possibly beyond. He sure as **** wouldn't have been in charge while the program burned like the Springfield tire fire.

Then you must be arguing that the pass interference call was legitimate. I hold the view of many others...we won "6" National Championships, but one was stolen away. I've come to learn that this blog is only happy when they are tearing down the Canes football program; be it former coaches, current coaches, former players, current players and everybody in between. There have been many teams who have had stacked rosters that did nothing due to poor coaching. The hate party line that Coker only warmed a seat is preposterous. Larry Coker earned the right to be in the UM Coaches Hall of Fame and it is something Canes fans should celebrate...not denigrate.

PS: Later, he also earned the right to be fired!

 

[Earnest T. Bass]

One of the best parts of The U Part 2 was Najeh's reply to what Clappy did in '01, "Nothing".

Don't hold that ridiculous statement against Najeh, because good people make stupid statements all the time. In the case of Najeh claiming that 'Larry Coker did nothing', well that comment belongs in the 'Hall of Fame of Stupid Comments'.

 

[canestim]

He won a NC, almost two. He's an upstanding man and loved Miami. I had the pleasure of meeting/having dinner with him and can't say enough good things about him. You win a ship in any sport you deserve a spot regardless of any other BS that went on.

 

[troyskiles]

He brought a Chip so he is in.

 

[MainLineCane]

How do you let a coach you fired into the Hall of Fame? I don't know how many other schools even have a Hall of Fame, but does any other school seriously let in a coach they fired?

Coker basically lucked into the job because Davis left in late January and there probably weren't a lot of coaching options at that point. About 71 months later, he had gone 8-8 and presided over 2 massive brawls in his last 16 games, and was out as UM coach after a one point win over Nevada.

However he got there, No matter how bad he was afterwards, Despite his incessant clapping, Regardless of all his flaws

You can say that he only got out of the way of the players, that he contributed little, whatever else you want....None of that matters.

For one great year Coker did what it took to lead that team to an NC, to take us to the ultimate prize!!.....and if that ref didn't decide to cheat it would have been two in a row!!......and we at Miami should always reward success

Coker belongs in our HOF

 

[ThomasM]

Then you must be arguing that the pass interference call was legitimate. I hold the view of many others...we won "6" National Championships, but one was stolen away. I've come to learn that this blog is only happy when they are tearing down the Canes football program; be it former coaches, current coaches, former players, current players and everybody in between. There have been many teams who have had stacked rosters that did nothing due to poor coaching. The hate party line that Coker only warmed a seat is preposterous. Larry Coker earned the right to be in the UM Coaches Hall of Fame and it is something Canes fans should celebrate...not denigrate.

PS: Later, he also earned the right to be fired!

How the **** is me talking about how HE tore down the program actually tearing down the program?

No, that was a brutally bad PI call at the end of the game, but that game should have never been that close. Anyone that thinks we played up to our potential, and it was just that one bad call that cost us the game, is crazy.

 

[ThomasM]

Don't hold that ridiculous statement against Najeh, because good people make stupid statements all the time. In the case of Najeh claiming that 'Larry Coker did nothing', well that comment belongs in the 'Hall of Fame of Stupid Comments'.

I am pretty sure we saw how Larry Coker actually coached when all that talent was fading away. He sucked without all world talent, and he had no clue how to get the most out of what he brought in, or even how to identify the right talent for what he was trying to accomplish. Never forget, we had our punter taking WR reps in practice because of his recruiting. He was a horrible head coach, and the further away he got from Butch's talent, the worse he looked. Coincidence? Really? I will always believe a better coach wins, actually wins, the first two titles, then at least competes for more. Not only did we stop competing for more, but we looked like straight up trash towards the end. A HOF coach doesn't let that happen to a program. Now it's one thing had he been the coach to build it, but he wasn't.

Coker is a good guy, and I wish he'd have won more and could have stuck around a lot longer. He couldn't, and he deserved firing. When I think of HOF coaches, I think of Howard and JJ. Butch, maybe, for building that monster from absolute ashes. Remember, Butch built that team from literally nothing. Coker took the greatest assembly of talent in history and ran it into the ground. If you can't see the difference, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[CaneinBroward]

Just for fun, say Bowden had hung on another year or two and fsu had been forced to fire him, you'd say he shouldn't be in their hall of fame?

I agree with the thinking that Coker should be in the HOF just because he won a 'ship, but your hypothetical is apples and oranges, no? Bowden coached for 30+ years with like 20 top 5 finishes and 2 'ships compared to a guy who lucked into arguably the best assemblage of talent in college football history and ran it into the ground within 6 years?
Coker is a nice guy and good man from what I can tell. However, the Fiesta Bowl was a bad omen of what was to come. Forget about the bad PI call, it should have NEVER come down to that in the first place.

 

[g8rh8rMD]

He is a decent, humble man, who gave this program everything he had. He was elevated above his abilities, but he loved this U and was sitting in that chair when we won 1.5 NC’s.

I’m fine with him in the Hall.

 

[nycane]

he won two NC. EVERYONE knows we got jobbed vs. OSU.
Im not a fan of him. I wanted him out as OC. I dont know if people understand how great our position coaches were back then.
butch ran practice, was hands on. Coker let the position coaches run with it.
Butch left him the greatest collection of college football talent ever amassed.
He did panic and fire coaches here and that lead to his downfall.

side note, the players fought for coker because they didnt want alvarez. not sure anyone will ever get the true story behind
what shalala wanted with alvarez, but she def wanted him here over butch.

 

[ThomasM]

Of course we got screwed in 2000, just like we got screwed in 2002. If we’re going to go back and right wrongs, then Butch gets one NC (assuming he didn’t do something stupid and lose to Oklahoma like we did to Washington that year) and Clappy gets 2 NC’s instead of 1.

We can go round and round.

I’m not a Coker apologist. In retrospect he wasn’t the right guy, but it was the administration’s fault he was in there. He was hired and at least he didn’t ***** up number 5. He was the coach and no one can take that away.

Who knows what happens if they bring in somebody else. Maybe there’s a player revolt and things go sideways with no NC. You never know.

I just don't feel "not ******** up #5" gives him a pass for bringing on a decade plus of ineptitude. I completely agree it is all on the administration for hiring him, Shannon, and Golden. That and that alone ruined the program. Coker was not ready for such a job, and that, to me, means he is not a HOF coach.

Again, I liked Coker as well. Great man and person. He was simply not ready for the HC job at UM.

 

[kryptonite]

I agree with the thinking that Coker should be in the HOF just because he won a 'ship, but your hypothetical is apples and oranges, no? Bowden coached for 30+ years with like 20 top 5 finishes and 2 'ships compared to a guy who lucked into arguably the best assemblage of talent in college football history and ran it into the ground within 6 years?
Coker is a nice guy and good man from what I can tell. However, the Fiesta Bowl was a bad omen of what was to come. Forget about the bad PI call, it should have NEVER come down to that in the first place.

I was specifically responding to the question "how do you let a coach you fired into the hall of fame?"

My point is that there are circumstances under which you might fire a legendary coach and that having been fired wasn't necessarily a reason you couldn't make the HOF.

I think everyone agrees that Coker wasn't a great coach. His greatest achievement was letting the '01 and '02 players run the show, and that shouldn't be undervalued. Most coaches would have come in and started installing new systems and those teams would have lost 1-2 games per year. So hats off to Coker for that.

Is that enough to get him into the HOF? Apparently it is, but there are very valid arguments that it shouldn't be.

 

[OriginalCanesCanesCanes]

I just don't feel "not ******** up #5" gives him a pass for bringing on a decade plus of ineptitude. I completely agree it is all on the administration for hiring him, Shannon, and Golden. That and that alone ruined the program. Coker was not ready for such a job, and that, to me, means he is not a HOF coach.

Again, I liked Coker as well. Great man and person. He was simply not ready for the HC job at UM.

Look at the coaches on the list now. Based on that he’s in. The NC gets him in, in any objective measure if you take the emotion out. But you’re entitled to your opinion, of course.

But the opinions that count, those of the people on the selection committee, indicate he deserved it, and they hold the weight. So people can rant and rave all they want, he’s in, and that’s not going to change. So...that’s that.

 

[ThomasM]

Look at the coaches on the list now. Based on that he’s in. The NC gets him in, in any objective measure if you take the emotion out. But you’re entitled to your opinion, of course.

But the opinions that count, those of the people on the selection committee, indicate he deserved it, and they hold the weight. So people can rant and rave all they want, he’s in, and that’s not going to change. So...that’s that.

The list is bad, for sure.