The Miami Hurricanes are currently tied for ninth all-time with six players enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Over the next five to ten years that number could double.
All of the Miami Hurricanes alums currently in Canton played under Dennis Erickson or earlier. The majority of the next wave of ‘Canes that will see their busts in Canton played for Butch Davis and Larry Coker.
Davis took over for Erickson amidst severe sanctions from a Pell Grant scandal during the early 1990s. When Davis took over in 1994 the Miami Hurricanes had 15 consecutive winning seasons.
Davis led the Miami Hurricanes to winning seasons in his first two years for a total of 17. Miami won the Carquest Bowl in Davis’ second year after they were on probation during his first season in 1995. The Hurricanes went 8-3 in Davis’ inaugural season.
As the sanctions lifted Davis coached and recruited some of the best players in Miami Hurricanes history. He inherited Ray Lewis and then recruited players like Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, Ken Dorsey, Santana Moss, Ed Reed and Frank Gore.
Davis left Miami after coaching the Hurricanes to an 11-1 season in 2000. Some felt that Miami got snubbed in a chance to compete for the BCS Championship game.
Wayne and Moss were Seniors on that 2000 team. Under new coach Larry Coker, Johnson, Dorsey and Reed the Miami Hurricanes fielded the greatest team in the history of college football history.