Congrats on the Obscure New Job, Larry Coker! Now Let's Watch That FIU Brawl Again

In hindsight, it's tough to argue that Larry Coker didn't get a little bit screwed. He got canned as University of Miami head coach in 2006 after piling up a 60-15 record and bringing a national championship to Coral Gables -- a record pretty much any other program in the...

By Tim Elfrink

March 5, 2009

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

In hindsight, it's tough to argue that Larry Coker didn't get a little bit screwed. He got canned as University of Miami head coach in 2006 after piling up a 60-15 record and bringing a national championship to Coral Gables -- a record pretty much any other program in the country would take in a heartbeat.

His reward, now that it's all said and done? Three years out of college football and a new gig as head coach at the University of Texas-San Antonio, which is expected to announce Coker's hiring on Friday. If you've never heard of the mighty Roadrunners, it's because their football squad won't actually join Division 1 (or the "Football Championship Series" if you prefer inane corporate euphemisms forced upon the sports press) until 2011.

But lest we all forget the real reason Coker got the axe -- and it wasn't just because his team skidded to a 6-6 record in '06 -- Riptide suggests we celebrate his return to the sidelines with a replay of the much lamented but actually pretty awesome brawl between his 'Canes and FIU that led to 31 suspensions and helped kill Coker's rep.

Seriously, how often do you see this many football players blatantly swinging helmets, kicking each other in the head and body slamming each other in a pure rage? Not often enough, we say. For that, we salute you Mr. Coker.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Tim Elfrink is a former investigative reporter and managing editor for Miami New Times. He has won the George Polk Award and was a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.

Contact: Tim Elfrink

Follow:

Twitter: @timelfrinkmia