Two-time Florida Dairy Farmers Coach of the Year, Tim “ICE” Harris, Sr. is once again leaving the head coach position at Booker T. Washington in Miami to take a position with the University of Miami Hurricanes.
The news, first reported by Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald, reports that Harris accepted the Assistant Director of Football Operations with the Coral Gables-based university. He will assist in coordinate community service events for current student-athletes alongside being the primary liaison to high school school coaches under Al Golden.
This is not the first time that Harris has walked away from the head coaching position at Booker T. Washington for a position with the University of Miami. Harris coached Booker T. Washington in his first stint from 2003 until 2007 before following his son Brandon to the Hurricanes as a special assistant to the head coach under former coach Randy Shannon from 2008 to 2010. Harris once again became the head coach of the Tornadoes in 2011.
During his second stint with Booker T. Washington, Harris was able to take the team right into the state finals from the start. In 2011 his team finished as the Class 4A Runner-up to Bolles out of Jacksonville. The 2012 and 2013 seasons saw the Tornadoes win the Class 4A state championship under Harris, both times beating Bolles for the trophy.
His 2013 team however will likely be the one he will remember the most of the four teams he lead to the state finals in his two stints.
The Tornadoes finished the 2013 seasons with the No. 1 overall ranking in the final rankings of many national high school football polls including the No. 1 ranking in the HSFB100 National Rankings on National HS Football. Booker T. Washington finished with a 42-20 victory over Bolles to finish 14-0 on the season.
However, the question who will take over the Tornadoes program has already been answered. That answer will be Tim Harris, Jr., the son of the Harris Sr., according to Navarro.
FYI, Tim Harris Jr. will be named the coach at Booker T. Washington and will be formally introduced to the team later this afternoon
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) March 3, 2014
With Harris being the all forgone conclusion of becoming the next head coach, it has people talking around the state and nationally. However, one national analyst thinks that the change could mean the team might take a step back in national relevance.
“I think the program could take a step back and that is no disrespect to Tim Harris, Jr.,” Dallas Jackson of National HS Football said. “One of the greatest qualities that ICE had was the ability to get his players to want to play for him and want to play hard. I don’t think too much will change schematically with most of the assistants likely to remain in place but that emotional focus could be hard to replace,” Jackson said.
Overall though, despite the changes, the Tornadoes are set to prepare to defend their national title this fall and that will start with a trip to Georgia to take on Tucker High out of Georgia Week 1, followed by another huge showdown with Miami Central in Week 2.
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The Coaches Moving Van: View full list of off-season head coaching changes here
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