I was talking to former Miami coach Larry Coker the other day for a story you'll be reading before the Florida State-Miami opener on Labor Day and thought you'd be interested in how Coker is doing in his new job at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

The school was granted permission to start a football program in December 2008 and it introduced Coker as its head coach last March 6. Since then, Coker's been busy helping build a Division I-AA team from the ground floor -- which is something new for him.

"I don't know if there's any one magic way to do it,'' he said. "For sure, the people in charge, your athletic director and president have to be really committed to it and that's what I was so encouraged about here.''

He's also spent time with two other coaches who launched programs -- Florida Atlantic's Howard Schnellenberger and USF's Jim Leavitt.

"I've known Jim a long time, from back in his Kansas State days and knowing Howard and his backgroun at the University of Miami,'' Coker said. "They've both been unbelievable in what they’ve done with their programs. ... Howard and Jim have done what we hoped to do here.

"What I've learned from both of them is a little bit of everything. Facilities. How many washers and dryers do you need? How many helmets. I’ve got a chance to see both facilities, what they’ve done and how they’ve done it. You have to put your own stamp on it, but by the same token some things both of them were very open to share with me, "Hey, this was really good. I wish I’d done this differently.' ''

Coker, who had been an television analyst after he was inexplicably fired after the 2006 season (yes the Hurricanes were 6-6 that year, but the guy was 59-15 overall and won a BCS title), is excited about the opportunity he has in San Antonio. He hired three assistants in April and will sign his first class in February. The team will practice next fall and then begin play as an independent in 2011.

"When you see the potential here (it's even more exciting),'' he said. "There’s no Division I team. There’s no professional (football) team here. You’ve got great high school ball here and great coaching. In a way, it’s more advantageous than even Miami, with all the teams you have now in south Florida it’s very competitive. Obviously, it’s going to be competitive here, but when you look at it, we have 28,000 students here; we're the second largest school in the university of texas system behind UT-Austin and if we were a Big 12 team, we’d be the third largest school in the Big 12. We've got a great location.
we’re playing our home games in the Alamodome which is a great place to play. The Cowboys just left. That’s their preseason home. It’s just a beautiful facility, a great facility for football, so we have a lot to sell. ... The more you’re around it and the more you see it, the more special you see it.''

(Photo: Times staff photographer Willie Allen Jr., Miami coach Larry Coker (right) talks to Florida State coach Bobby Bowden before their teams' 2006 game.)