“I don’t understand it. I understand some changes had to be made, but I don’t think that’s the particular change they had to make,” Moss said. “He was a great coach. He’s been a great coach since he’s been there. I don’t feel they had to get rid of him.”

Miami entered this season as the favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship, and was mentioned by some as a contender for the national title — even after a 40-3 loss to LSU in the Peach Bowl last season. Shortly after that game, Coker fired four assistant coaches, saying the program needed new ideas.

But things began spiraling out of control quickly this season.

The Hurricanes lost 31-7 at Louisville on Sept. 16, falling to 1-2 and out of the national-title mix, needed a last-second interception just to beat winless Duke, and then matched the school’s longest losing streak in nine years. Plus, senior defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot and killed outside his apartment complex on Nov. 7, adding more torment to a team already reeling from its on-field issues.

Miami was also involved in a brawl with Florida International on Oct. 14, a sideline-clearing melee that led to the suspension of 18 FIU players and 13 Hurricanes players.

“We have suffered disappointments and tragedy off and on the field,” Shalala said in a statement. “We can and will do better.”

Through it all, Coker’s public persona was calm and collected. He repeatedly said he was the right person to lead the Hurricanes and, somehow, never seemed bothered by incessant speculation about his job security.

“There were disappointments. There were opportunities, I think, to play better and we didn’t,” Dee said. “It all comes to the head coach.”

Coker came to Miami on Feb. 10, 1995, hired by then-coach Butch Davis to be the Hurricanes’ offensive coordinator. Davis resigned on Jan. 29, 2001, to become coach of the Cleveland Browns. About a week later, after Miami reportedly offered the job to Alvarez and then-Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt, the Hurricanes ultimately turned to Coker — who had never been a head coach beyond the high-school level.

He went undefeated and won the national title in his first season, then got back to the title game the next year, losing in double overtime to Ohio State.

But that was the last time Coker would play for the national crown with the Hurricanes, and he said the joy of those first two seasons is missing from the program now.

“I want to see that come back,” Coker said. “And it will come back. I don’t know the direction they’re going to go here. I’m disappointed that I’m not going to be a part of it. But I just really believe some great things will happen to this program.”

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