Larry Coker Larry Edward Coker ( born June 23 , 1948 ) is an American football coach and former player . He is currently the head coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio , whose Roadrunners football team began play in 2011 . From 2001 to 2006 , Coker served as the head coach at the University of Miami . His 2001 Miami team was named the consensus national champion after an undefeated season that culminated with a victory in the Rose Bowl over Nebraska . Coker was fired by Miami on November 24 , 2006 following his sixth loss that season . After a stint as a television analyst for ESPNU , Coker was announced as the head coach for the Roadrunners . Coaching career . Coker has served as an assistant at several universities including Ohio State University , the University of Oklahoma , and Oklahoma State University . He was Miami ' s offensive coordinator from 1995 to 2000 before taking over as head coach following the departure of Butch Davis to the Cleveland Browns of the NFL . Miami . 2001 season . Coker was hired as head coach of Miami after lobbying by the players , who had been edged out of the BCS Championship Game the year before . Coker had immediate success , guiding the Hurricanes to a 12 – 0 record and the national championship in his first season after dominating a Nebraska Cornhuskers team in the Rose Bowl . For his efforts , Coker was given numerous honors , including the Paul " Bear " Bryant Award and the AFCA Coach of the Year . 2002 season . The Hurricanes won their first 12 games in 2002 , pushing a winning streak that dated back to the 2000 season to 34 games and giving Coker an unblemished 24 – 0 record heading into the 2003 Fiesta Bowl , which served as the BCS National Championship Game . In a controversial game , the 11½ - point underdog Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes , 31 – 24 , in two overtimes to win the national championship . With the Buckeyes trailing 24 – 17 and facing a fourth - and - 3 from the Miami 5 - yard line in the first overtime , Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel threw a pass to the right corner of the end zone to receiver Chris Gamble , who was being covered by Miami defensive back Glenn Sharpe . Gamble reached back and got his hands on the ball , but could not hold on . Fireworks were set off and Miami players and fans streamed onto the field in celebration of what they thought was another national championship . However , several seconds later , official Terry Porter threw a flag on the field and called Sharpe for pass interference for pushing Gamble . Three plays later Ohio State scored a touchdown and send the game into a second overtime . The Buckeyes quickly scored a touchdown at the start of the second overtime period to take the lead and clinched the championship when the defense stopped Miami and quarterback Ken Dorsey on a fourth - and - goal pass play from the Ohio State 1 - yard line . Despite the loss , Coker tied Walter Camp for the best record by a college football head coach in his first 32 games at 31 – 1 . 2003 season . In 2003 , things took a different turn when a pair of late season losses kept Miami out of the BCS National Championship Game for the first time during Coker ' s tenure . Nevertheless , the ' Canes won the Big East Conference and defeated their arch - rivals , the Florida State Seminoles , for the second time that season in the Orange Bowl . Miami finished the campaign with an 11 – 2 record and a # 5 ranking in both major polls . 2004 season . Miami joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004 and the team finished with a somewhat disappointing 9 – 3 record and # 11 ranking in the final polls . The Hurricanes ended the season by beating the rival Florida Gators , 27 – 10 , in the Peach Bowl Atlanta . 2005 season . In late September 2005 , Coker agreed to a five - year contract extension with the university . The new contract would have paid Coker in the neighborhood of $ 2 million per season , making him one of the highest - paid coaches in college football . The 2005 season ended on a disappointing note for Coker and Miami , as the Hurricanes lost two of their last three games , including a 40 – 3 loss to LSU in the Peach Bowl . This was the worst bowl defeat in school history , and included a post - game fight in the tunnel leaving the stadium . In the wake of this loss , Coker fired four longtime Miami assistants . The team finished 9 – 3 for the second consecutive season . Coker was reported to be on the hot seat entering the 2006 season , with many speculating that he would need to at least take the team to a BCS bowl in order to keep his job . 2006 season . Miami began the 2006 season 1 – 2 , with losses to Florida State and Louisville , leaving the team unranked in the AP Poll for the first time since 1999 . The Louisville loss led to rumors that Coker ' s firing was imminent , but Miami Director of Athletics Paul Dee gave Coker a vote of confidence , stating that he would coach at least through the end of the season . After the team ' s October 14 win against FIU was marred by a bench - clearing brawl , questions were raised in the media as to whether Coker would resign or be fired , but he was again given a vote of confidence by the school administration . The next week , with 13 players suspended by the ACC , Miami defeated winless Duke , 20 – 15 . All but one of the players returned the next week , as Miami jumped out to a 10 – 0 lead over Georgia Tech , but struggled in the fourth quarter , losing the game 30 – 23 . This left the team at 5 – 3 , further encouraging speculation that Coker would be dismissed by season ' s end . The following week , the ' Canes lost to Virginia Tech , 17 – 10 , as ESPN College Football analysts questioned Coker ' s management of the clock in the game ' s final minutes . This was the first time Miami had been an underdog at home in Coker ' s six seasons as coach . The team fell to 5 – 4 and 2 – 3 in the ACC , suffering its first four - loss season since 1999 . Firing . Miami defeated a ranked Boston College team on Thanksgiving to finish the regular season 6 – 6 . Revealing an apparent lack of communication between Coker and UM President Donna Shalala , Coker predicted after the victory that he would be back as head coach in 2007 . The following day , however , Coker was fired . On December 8 , 2006 , the University of Miami announced Larry Coker ' s successor to be Randy Shannon . Shannon had been UM ' s defensive coordinator from 2001 to 2006 under Coker . Coker was allowed to coach the team in the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl on December 31 , 2006 . in which Miami defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack , 21 – 20 . In January 2007 , Coker interviewed for the head coaching position at Rice University . According to several media sources , Coker was one of two finalists for the position . However , Rice selected David Bailiff , formerly head coach at Texas State University , and Coker was not affiliated with any team at the beginning of the 2007 season . UTSA . In February 2009 , Coker applied for the first head coach position for the University of Texas at San Antonio ' s new football team . On March 5 , it was reported that he would be the head coach for the school ' s inaugural season .