The state of Texas is home to many of the elite schools that play collegiate football. The Longhorns, Aggies, Horned Frogs, and the Red Raiders are just a few among many universities that play football in Texas. In 2011, the "Lone Star State" will be adding a new football squad from the University of Texas-San Antonio. The Roadrunners will be led by former Miami Hurricanes coach Larry Coker.
Coker and his assistants have been traveling throughout the state of Texas the past few months visiting multiple schools each day in effort to recruit top talent for their inaugural 2010 recruiting class. UTSA will be playing their first game in 2011 in the Football Championship Subdivision as an independent.
By 2013, the Roadrunners are hoping to join the Southland Conference with the desire to become a Division-I program someday. The plan is to play in the Alamodome which seats 65,000, as there is no football stadium on campus. Every program has to come from scratch, so Coach Coker and staff will have their work cut out for them within the next couple of years.
Aside from putting together a good staff and obviously recruiting skilled players, this new football program will need some good financial backing to help get their feet off the ground. They are in the process of a $15 million fundraising campaign and they are receiving $22 million in funding which was approved by the City and County Voters.
Although, it will be tough to bring in the best recruits to a program with no credibility, Coach Coker should be able to offset these feelings with the past achievements he has had. It might take longer then a couple of years to see success in the program, but Coker has the background and experience to get this team off to the right start.