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 Friday, December 13, 2002
Q&A with Larry Coker
By Terry Bowden
Special to BCSfootball.com
Bowden's Weekly Chat Show
ABC college football analyst Terry Bowden chatted with new Miami football coach Larry Coker about the Hurricanes' upcoming season. In Part I of their Q&A, Coach Coker talked about taking over for Butch Davis and what makes Ken Dorsey special. Here is Part II:
Terry Bowden:
You lost three outstanding wide receivers. A lot of people say you can't replace that, but you have to. You have some young talented guys. Tell us about them.
Larry Coker:
|  | | The loss of Santana Moss should be short-lived with the quality of receivers that Miami has ready to step in. |
We are not going to complain about talent here at receiver. We have talent. Now those guys have to become receivers. Just to go out and run go routes and run fast is one thing, but they have to go out there and make the adjustments you have to make as a good receiver.
With Andre Johnson, he's probably as talented as a receiver we have ever had here. He's big, he's fast, he's strong, he's all of those things. He's Michael Irvin-type big, maybe bigger, and without question, he's faster.
Kevin Beard and Daryl Jones are back. Daryl Jones has won games for us with his last four catches. He won a double-overtime game against Boston College with a post corner. He won a game against West Virginia with a little under route to win that game late. He's a fifth-year guy. We expect him to be the mature guy. He actually opted to redshirt to get behind (Santana) Moss, (Andre) King and (Reggie) Wayne, so that he could have his year.
Terry Bowden:
I look at your offensive line and think of Michigan. You always have a couple of first-round picks. This may be the best offensive line I have seen at Miami in a long time. Do you agree?
Larry Coker:
I think it is. I would be disappointed if it is not. Talent-wise, it is there. Basically all of these guys have played. Our right tackle was a starter, our left tackle was a starter. They were all on some of the All-America teams. The guy who is often the forgotten guy is our right guard, Martin Bibla. He's actually our best offensive lineman in terms of productivity and the way it was graded out. He was on some of the preseason All-America teams himself.
Brett Romberg has a chance to be an exceptional center. We had a great center, K.C. Jones, who plays with Denver. I wouldn't put him in that category, but he is about as good as any I have been around. He's very talented, and I think he will be a great player here.
Terry Bowden:
I don't usually talk with teams who use tight ends. You have a good one. What kind of an impact do you get from that position?
Larry Coker:
We try to sell that, that we are a team that still plays with a tight end. We signed Jeremy Shockey. Jeremy came on board with us last year as a sophomore, coming out of a freshman year at Northeast Oklahoma Junior College. He couldn't come in until August. He eventually showed up, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize he was pretty good. It was just a matter of whether he could make the adjustment, and he did. He's very tough, he's very much a competitor. He's another one of those, where the only problem he has is that he wants the ball every snap. If he catches 40 balls, he wants to catch 80.
We talk about maturity and we talk about unselfishness. In the spring, he talked to me, "Coach, I am going to block today." I said, "Jeremy, your blocking has really improved." He said, "Coach, I know that I can catch the ball. I want to become a better blocker." I was like, "Wow." Now if everybody on our football team feels that way, coaches and players, we have a chance to be really good. Work on your areas that need work and not necessarily your fun areas.
Terry Bowden:
If you can get to the Rose Bowl, or win the championship, it would be because of defense. Dan Morgan was an athletic and inspirational leader. Who's goiug to replace him?
Larry Coker:
Jonathan Vilma was a true freshman last year, a very smart football player. He's a very good football player. He actually played a lot against Florida State last year, then he was IV-d at the half and missed some time. He really came in and stepped in as a freshman and did a great job. He's the heir apparent there, depending on what we do with D.J. Williams. We moved (D.J.) from offense to defense. As an offensive coordinator, I didn't like that move, but as a head coach, I was like, This sounds like a good move. He's extremely talented, but he doesn't have the experience there yet. Jonathan had to have offseason surgery, and depending on how he is able to go in August, D.J. could obviously move into that position and be a linebacker.
Howard Clark played there in the spring a great deal, and we moved him from the weakside linebacker into the middle. Same with Ken Dangerfield.
Terry Bowden:
Who do you look to for leadership and playmaking ability up front?
Larry Coker:
Both our defensive ends -- Cornelius Green and Jamaal Green -- are back from a year ago. I think their games are going to improve. I don't know if they are great defensive ends like we've seen from Florida State or maybe even Kenny Holmes or Kenard Lang, but I think they are making progress to that level. We think they are going to offer some leadership.
Our interior people, William Joseph and Matt Walters, are better players. We will see more leadership out of them. We will probably have more depth on the front than in years past.
Terry Bowden:
|  | | Ed Reed is the leader of Miami's very talented secondary. |
Depending on which preseason magazine you read, a different Miami player is leading the list for the Jim Thorpe Award? In this day of pass first, run second, teams need a strong secondary. Talk about your bunch.
Larry Coker:
They are experienced. A lot of lists have Ed Reed, our safety. Our corners, I have been impressed with them in the spring. Mike Rumph and Phillip Buchanan are both very talented and experienced. I have seen a lot of progress in them. Rumph has gained a lot of confidence this spring. Like any program -- like Auburn, Florida State and Florida -- with our secondary and receivers going against each other (every day in practice), they help make one another better. Those three guys are standouts. We need to find a strong safety to replace (Al) Blades, but I think we'll be OK there.
Terry Bowden:
What is the one thing this team needs to have that special year?
Larry Coker:
The team has to be unselfish. We obviously have to stay healthy and stay focused. You have a lot distractions when you have the number of good players we have because the NFL draft is out there. We have to be an unselfish football team. We just have to be one of those where we don't care who gets it done, do whatever it takes.
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