UM grad Earl Little steps down as Miami Jackson coach

University of Miami alumnus Earl Little announced he has resigned as football coach at Miami Jackson High after a brief but successful two-year run.

"A lot of the kids were disappointed but it was good for them because they’ve been hearing a lot of rumors about whether or not I was leaving for a while now, Little said. "Loyalty to my kids is something very important to me so I wanted to be straight with them and have them hear it from me.

"All we can do is be honest to our kids. My whole reason for coaching more than winning championships is about mentoring these kids and making them better."

Little led the Generals to a 6-5 record and a trip to the first round of the Class 5A playoffs in 2014. That season was highlighted by Jackson’s first Soul Bowl victory over Northwestern since 2002.

This past season, Jackson labored through a 3-6 campaign in a brutal District 16-5A, missing the playoffs but still managing to finish in third place behind Plantation American Heritage and Hallandale.

Little, 42, played eight seasons as a safety in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers, and finished with 27 career interceptions.

Prior to his stint at Jackson, Little was a defensive coordinator at Cypress Bay, Cooper City, Miami Central and Miami Dr. Krop.

Little, whose son Earl, Jr., is in seventh grade and a rising star on the youth league scene said he is not looking to coaching at any other high school for the time being.

"My son has one more year of elite football on the youth level and getting close to high school so for now I’m going to focus on spending time with him and coaching him," Little said. "I’m not looking for anything else, but if a good opportunity presented itself, I would listen."

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 2:58 PM with the headline "UM grad Earl Little steps down as Miami Jackson coach."