news from the "U"

[smazza]

Miami's Coker feeling heat, but AD staying patientESPN.com news services

The Fire Coker movement has never been stronger in South Florida, yet the man at the storm's epicenter insists he's not bothered. Miami's athletic director isn't ready to make a move yet, either.

Tropical Depression

A look at Miami's run of 107 consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25 football poll, which ended Sunday:

THE BEGINNING: Miami dropped out of the poll Nov. 14, 1999, one day after a 43-10 loss at Virginia Tech. The Hurricanes returned two weeks later at No. 23 after beating Rutgers 55-0 and Syracuse 45-13.

THE NUMBERS: Miami spent 88 of those 107 weeks ranked among the nation's top 10, including 34 weeks as the nation's No. 1 team. The Hurricanes' average ranking during the streak is No. 5.

THE RECORD: Miami faced other ranked teams 32 times during its streak, going 23-9. Overall, since returning to the poll, the Hurricanes were 68-12.

THE STREAK: Texas now has the longest current consecutive streak of poll appearances; the defending national champions have been ranked for 96 straight weeks, starting Oct. 15, 2000. Georgia is second with 82 straight weeks, followed by Florida State (74) and USC (71).

THE END: The Hurricanes fell from the rankings after losing Saturday in Louisville, 31-7.

-- The Associated Press

''Larry Coker is the head coach of the team, and we're looking forward to the rest of the season,'' Miami AD Paul Dee told The Miami Herald by phone Sunday night. "It's our hope we can rise to a great level of success this year with an opportunity go win our ACC Coastal Division and perhaps play in the league championship game."

Coker certainly understands a 1-2 record is unacceptable at Miami -- and Sunday, he said it causes him more anguish than any sports-radio caller or Web-site poster could possibly understand.

"I've been in high-profile programs before at Oklahoma and Ohio State, so I understand it," Coker said. "And I understand the frustration of our fans. We have great fans, this is a great program and they expect greatness out of the program. Believe me, nobody wants to win more than I do."

The problem is, wanting to win clearly isn't enough for the Hurricanes anymore.

Now unranked for the first time in nearly seven years, and out of the national championship picture before fall even begins, Miami is looking like a program in serious trouble.

"I really think and know that a lot of people, the fan base and everywhere else, are probably ready to give up on this team," Coker said. "We're not ready to do that here in our inner circle. Obviously, we've got work to do, but certainly, this season is not over. We've got a lot of season left. We've got a lot to play for."

The Hurricanes were soundly beaten in Louisville on Saturday, a 31-7 defeat that knocked Miami out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since Nov. 28, 1999 -- a span of 107 weeks.

That, though, is the least of Coker's issues these days.

He's aware of the he's-gotta-go pleas, rumors that the university's board of trustees was convened for an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the coaching situation -- a school spokesman denied any meeting would take place -- and a perception that the Hurricanes have fallen from their once-prominent perch.

"I'm not really concerned about job security. I'm really not," said Coker, who's in the second year of a five-year extension signed last year. "I'm not concerned about that at all. I'm concerned about getting our football team back to where it needs to be, winning football games. If we do that, job security will take care of itself."

It's not going to be easy.

Miami is 0-2 against Division I-A schools this year, having lost 13-10 to Florida State in the season-opener, five days before beating up on I-AA Florida A&M 51-10 in Week 2. And on Saturday, the Hurricanes were beaten in all areas -- offense, defense and special teams.

Plus, they had no answers after falling behind -- again. In Miami's last seven losses, going back to Nov. 6, 2004, it has been outscored 79-3 after halftime, including 21-0 in the final two quarters Saturday.

"I've got to find the answer," Coker said. "And it's my job to do that."

His job may depend on it, too.

The Hurricanes are off until Sept. 30, when they begin a three-game homestand against Houston -- and there's two distinct schools of thought on the bye week. Some would say that it comes at a bad time for Miami because the Louisville loss will linger; others, like Coker, suggest that the team can use the time to get better.

"You're either with us or you're not," linebacker Jon Beason said after Saturday's loss. "Still a long season to go. We've just got to go back and we've got to find ourselves. Everybody on this team, individually as a player, you've got to find yourself. I don't fault the coaches."

No team has ever won the national championship with two losses, yet all hope is still not necessarily lost.

Miami -- the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference title -- has seven league games remaining and could still win the ACC's Coastal Division. Do that, and Miami would have a berth in the ACC title game in Jacksonville on Dec. 2. A victory there, and the Hurricanes would find themselves back in the Bowl Championship Series for the first time in three seasons.

"To look at the future, it's hard right now," Miami center Anthony Wollschlager said. "But you take a step back, there's still everything. There's the ACC, there's the BCS, there's a lot of stuff like that. But in order to do that, we need to get a lot of things right with ourselves and right now, we're not getting the job done."

[smazza]

bring back butch davis

[TyBull]

bring back butch davis

agree. Butch has already saved the program once. That was his Natl Championship that Coker won.

The Hurricanes have now been downgraded to a Tropical Depression.

[Joe]

They won't rehire Butch, many expect Davis to go to Kentucky at this point. However, he will also draw interest from schools like Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Michigan State if those jobs open.

More realistic candidates:

1) Greg Schiano - This is number 1 on their list if the job opens.

2) Barry Alvarez - Musberger said it, has to have some legitimacy

3) Gene Chizick - Guy is due for a coaching job.

4) Gary Patterson - TCU anyone?

What you have to remeber is 2 things:

1 - Miami will not hire a guy who runs a non pro style offense. They have built their program and their recruiting on the idea that they send players to the pros and they play right away. Switching to the spread option or some college form of the west coast offense won't cut it.

2 - They don't have a lot of money to spend. They won't go out like Florida and spend 2.1 million on a coach because they don't really have it.

[DawgPound]

I want Chizick to get it.  He has Florida ties with his days as the UCF DC and has proven to be very qualified.

[flsportsfan83]

Greg Schiano is the former OC. He will be welcomed back.

[bulls96go]

schiano

one more loss and coker does not make it to seasons end

[E.T.]

No mention of their DC, Shannon ... imagine he would be the man and keep it in house ... again.

[smazza]

I want Chizick to get it.  He has Florida ties with his days as the UCF DC and has proven to be very qualified.

who?

never happen

miami will not take ftu/ou/oc reject in this lifetime

[smazza]

i hear rick kravitz is being mentioned