Hurricanes
experience some of that as he tries to save the season.
His checklist includes the following: rally the players, make any necessary changes, and guide Miami (4-3, 1-2 ACC) — fresh off the most lopsided loss in program history, a 58-0 clubbing from Clemson — through a challenging Coastal Division schedule that continues Saturday at No. 22 Duke (6-1, 3-0).
“We’re preaching to the kids, life is 10 percent of what happens to you and 90 percent of how you deal with it,” said Larry Scott, who was warmly applauded by a large group of UM fans as he made his first public comments on WQAM’s on-campus coaches show Monday night. “We’re going to attack tomorrow. We’re going to attack each day.”
Kevin Patrick, one of Scott’s closest friends, believes UM promoted Scott from tight ends coach because of his organizational skills, work ethic and ability to communicate.
“There’s nobody better to lead,” said Patrick, a UM Sports Hall of Famer as a defensive end who currently coaches North Texas’ defensive line. “He’s very smart. He has an excellent offensive mind, very analytical, very well-spoken.”
He and Scott met in 1996 as members of the first football team at South Florida. Scott, an offensive lineman, was a member of the first recruiting class. Patrick was one of the first assistants.
One of the things Patrick always liked about Scott: “He’s got Hurricane in his DNA.”
LaVaar, 36, and Larry, 38 — both born on Jan. 2 — are the only children of Ernestine
There has been quite a drop-off in success since the heyday at UM: Howard Schnellenberger 1979–1983 Jimmy Johnson 1984–1988 Dennis Erickson 1989–1994 Butch Davis 1995–2000 Larry Coker 2001–2006 Randy Shannon 2007–2010 Jeff Stoutland 2010 Al Golden 2011–2015
Stone, a retired nurse who lives in Sebring.
“She kept us off the streets. We weren’t those type of kids,” LaVaar Scott said. “Larry worked in high school and we both played football. We made it out of this place. There’s not a lot of tradition where we’re from. Not a lot of coaching trees or state titles or anything like that. We both went to bigger and better things.”
They grew up Hurricanes fans (“We developed a dislike for the Gators very, very early,” Larry said) and were coached by UM Hall of Famer Ronnie Lippett at Sebring 57 61 72 71 75 50 1 57
L41 16 52 9 63 9 51 20 60 15 28 22 0 1 32 25 .719 .852 .875 .718 .800 .560 .000 .561
High. LaVaar signed with UM as a linebacker in 1998, then became a defensive end. He played behind Jerome McDougle on the Hurricanes’ 2001 national title team.
After graduating from USF in 2000 with a degree in communications, Larry Scott coached at three area high schools before taking a behind-the-scenes job under Bulls coach Jim Leavitt in 2005. He was promoted to tight ends coach in 2007 and later coached offensive linemen and running backs. In six seasons under Leavitt, he earned a reputation as a tireless and personable recruiter
Larry Scott’s brother
across South Florida.
In three years at Miami, he coached tight ends and was running game coordinator under Golden, assisting offensive coordinator James Coley in play-calling.
LaVaar Scott believes his brother will make changes based on “what those kids can handle,” knowing he has a short time to work.
“I think he’ll evaluate what Al did well, and he’ll use it,” he said. “But there were some things that had flaws, and I guarantee he’s going to find them and fix them.”
He said he told his brother to approach the next five weeks as an extended interview for his next position — at Miami or elsewhere.
“You never want to attain your ultimate goal in such a way, knowing that it’s probably a temporary role,” LaVaar Scott said. “You don’t really feel like you’ve obtained that ultimate goal, but you are wearing a hat. You’ve got to wear the hat. So put it on, saddle up and let’s go.”