by Pat Turner, goUTSA.com contributing writer
SAN ANTONIO — Larry Coker saw it as a golden opportunity.
Although the coach struck gold by leading Miami (Fla.) to a National Championship, launching UTSA’s football program had the makings of being another rewarding experience.
Going into the program’s fourth season of play, fifth overall, Coker and the Roadrunners haven’t hit the big strike yet, but they have covered a lot of ground. Along the way, they have unearthed a few nuggets.
There’s a first-class practice field on campus. The popularity has grown, not only in the San Antonio area, but the entire state of Texas and then some. UTSA has Football Bowl Subdivision status and is bowl eligible this season. A winning reputation also is being developed, especially after last season’s 7-5 showing, which saw the Roadrunners stay in the West Division title hunt with Rice, North Texas and Tulane until the final week of the regular season during their Conference USA debut.
“Before I took the job, I talked to other coaches who had gone through the same thing,” Coker said. “They said I should try it. They said it would be the most fun I ever had and they were right. It has been fun.
“It’s been a work in progress. I couldn’t fathom it happening this quickly three or four years ago, but it’s been a great time. The big thing is we’ve had great support from Lynn Hickey and Dr. Romo. Those types of things are so important. When you have a team you want to do it the right way, the way you travel, the way you dress and we’ve done that.”
Still, it’s been an ongoing project.
The first year was a redshirt season with limited workouts for those who were part of the original signing class. Those drills didn’t even happen on campus. Instead, it took place at nearby Farris Stadium. Uniforms and helmets? There was one of each and there was no conference to call home.
Now, the Roadrunners have all those necessities, along with the reputation of being a program on the rise. Prior to last year’s breakthrough season, UTSA went 4-6 during its inaugural season as a Football Championship Subdivision independent. The next year, they made additional strides during their one-year stint in the Western Athletic Conference with an 8-4 campaign.
There is a chance to create more highlights with the 2014 season is underway. Thanks to experience from a well-rounded nucleus, expectations are high, as the Roadrunners are expected to once again battle for the division title.
“We’re going in the right direction and I think the kids and their parents are seeing that,” said Coker, whose Roadrunners make their home debut tonight against Arizona after defeating Houston last Friday at the brand new TDECU Stadium. “We’ve had great recruiting classes. We have a great school. Plus, we’re in San Antonio. This is a great city.
“It’s going to get better. We have 26 acres adjacent to our campus. When we get our facilities built there, I think the sky will be the limit when we get that done.”
Although word is getting out about UTSA’s success, trying to sell student-athletes on coming to a new program in the beginning was a different challenge. After all, there was no tradition or measuring stick to compare the team to others around the nation.
The Roadrunners had a few positives in their corner. The idea of being part of something new was an attraction. However, having a coach with a National Championship ring was a major selling point.
That was one of the reasons senior center Nate Leonard chose UTSA.
Since Leonard hailed from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, he wasn’t aware of the San Antonio-based school. During his junior year, he heard UTSA was adding football. That perked his interest, but the clincher came when Coker attended one of his high school team’s practices.
“We were practicing and there on the hill was a college coach wearing orange and blue,” said Leonard, who is a senior and 2014 Rimington Award (FBS’ top center) candidate. “I turned to my buddy and said ‘Larry Coker is at our practice.’ That was really neat.
“I wasn’t getting much attention from Division I coaches, because of my size. After talking to coach Coker I started thinking maybe I could play Division I football. It was exciting for me to get a chance to play for him. I was getting to play for a National Championship coach. Not everyone can say that.”
The 18 players on this year’s roster who have been there since the beginning have enjoyed the ride.
“It’s been the fastest and longest football career of my life so far,” senior linebacker Cody Rogers of San Antonio Brandeis said. “It’s been an unbelievable experience. I love playing with these guys and I am going to remember all of this the rest of my life.”
“It’s crazy how it’s grown, from our equipment, the weight room, the uniforms, our practice intensity and speed,” junior safety Mauricio Sanchez of San Antonio Warren said. “We go back to the first year and the speed of practices has increased. When we first started, we looked so slow out there. It’s been great how far we have come.
“It starts out with everyone buying into the program. Our second year was a lot better than the first. It’s gotten better every year. Coach Coker brings a lot of experience. I’m pretty sure he’s been in every situation and he knows what it takes to build a program.”
Still, a Conference USA title and bowl bid would make things even better.
The Roadrunners have their work cut out for them this season. Following tonight’s contest, there still are non-conference games with Oklahoma State (Sept. 13) and New Mexico (Oct. 4), along with the usual C-USA challenges. UTSA appears to be better prepared for such obstacles.
“We are a better football team now and certainly have more talent,” Coker said. “We have a great attitude. We have veteran players who want to win. We are going to have to play better, but we have more a more talented team. We are bigger and stronger and have more experience and all those types of things, but we still have a lot of work to do. We want to win a conference championship and go to a bowl game but we still have to qualify. That is our next step. To do that, we have to play well.”
That would be another milestone for the Roadrunners, especially for those who have been there since the beginning.
“We have an extra pep in our steps this season,” Rogers said. “We’ve always been the underdogs, but we have never backed down from a challenge and we’re not going to start now. That conference championship and a bowl game is on our mind, that’s for sure. We’re going to take it one game at a time and keep grinding. This is the seniors’ last hurrah and we want to make it as fun as it can be.”
For Larry Coker, that would be golden.