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I guess Edsall was given a choice.....

On second thought I guess they chose door number 1........
 
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This was the subject of family discussion and debate over the dinner table in upstate NY this past weekend after the HC loss. Several UConn grads present in the family and others with UConn connections. The feeling was that the HC loss was an epic low for the program and erased one of the best chances to get a win and build on something. The feeling is that UConn has made a succession of bad coaching hires since Edsall Part 1 ended.

I personally do not understand why they didn't hire a young and up and coming coach from the lower football divisions. There are some very successful coaches out there waiting for a chance to coach at a school like UConn that gives them something to promote even if UConn is just an independent. The school and the schedule is what they can promote. Benedict should look for someone who can be a program builder. There are guys out there who can and just need to be given a chance. Instead of giving them a chance UConn hired retreads and Bob Diaco, who has been fired after one year at his last 5 college stops and is not coaching anywhere in 2021. Just some bad hires. And BTW what happened to Edsall at Maryland, was he not fired after a 2-10 season at the end of his stint there?

He was 22-34 at Maryland, and is the same Edsall who made Jordan Todman tell the team he was going pro before leaving for Maryland less than 24 hours later without addressing the team or saying goodbye. He never should have been re-hired after either of those things happened.
 
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There are some very successful coaches out there waiting for a chance to coach at a school like UConn that gives them something to promote even if UConn is just an independent. The school and the schedule is what they can promote. ( and a national TV contract with CBS.) ............
TRUE..... These are exactly what all the FLA and TEX recruits said when interviewed about choosing Uconn, who has one of their highest rated classes in years... they said it was because of being an Indy
( not in spite of it).........Who knows how things will go now. ( and to a player they said Corey was the guy doing great work with recruits, not Randy) But the same old Randy playing the blame game/ always throwing players under the bus, doesn't work in this day and age. Look at a guy like Hurley, even having Alteriques back when he was sucking up the joint.

Mike Anthony wrote about RE needing to change the image after the 2019 season, but he's just the same old dinosaur that kids can't relate to, with his need to play boring old time FB. RE recently said "he doesn't give a shit if fans or whoever don't like it" . ( Hell Benedict even brought him an up tempo OC Rhett Lashlee from Auburn ( who's now at Miami), but control freak RE wouldn't let him do his thing on offense, so he left..

So now the same old Dinosaur who wouldn't change is finally extinct.
 
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Here is an article on the top 3 coaches at the FCS level. UConn should ask for permission to interview each of these guys at the end of the year:

1. Matt Entz, Head Coach, North Dakota State University

Matt Entz became the first Division I head football coach to go 16-0 in his first full season. The former North Dakota State Defensive Coordinator has been with the program for six years. The 2019 AFCA FCS National Coach of the Year dominated in his first head coaching position.
He has been an assistant coach for over 20 years and proved he has what it takes to be a head coach. He led the Bisons to a National Championship despite the departure of 24 seniors and with five new assistant coaches.

2. Curt Cignetti, Head Coach, James Madison University

Cignetti was named the program’s eight head coach back in December of 2018. The veteran head coach has been coaching for 37 years and hoists an 81-28 record in nine years as a head coach. Last season he led JMU to a 14-2 record after they were defeated in the championship by NDSU.
Cignetti was with the Alabama Crimson time from 2007 to 2010 where he was the recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach. Before landing at Alabama he was with North Carolina State as the Tight Ends and Quarterbacks coach. He recruited current Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson at the time.

3. Brian Bohannon, Head Coach, Kennesaw State University

Brian Bohannon was introduced as the first head coach of the Kennesaw State University Owls in 2013. The program did not begin playing until 2015 as they were building the start-up football program. In his first 5 seasons with the program, the Owls are 48-15 over that time including a Big South Conference record of 20-7. The program has made the college football playoffs the last seasons, including at one time being ranked No.2 in the nation.
Bohannon was named AFCA FCS National Coach of the Year following the 2017 season after going 12-2 overall losing in the NCAA Division I Quarterfinal. Prior to coming to the Owls, he served as an assistant coach with Navy and Georgia Teach for 11 seasons. The Former University of Georgia Wide Receiver has done wonders for the Owls program and deserves a shot to be hired at the next level.
 
In keeping with recent UCONN coaching hire history, they will lock in on Skip Holtz...................

This is THE worst FBS program in the country. It is not debatable.
They will attract no one with any career ambition in the business of football.

PLEASE abandon this FCS farce Benedict
Stop wasting money flying hundreds of people to Northern California and South Carolina only to be obliterated and embarrassed.

No one ruins brand recognition and flushes money down the toilet with football like UCONN

What a legacy Benedict has built
 
Pitt fan here. I hope the Huskies can make the right coaching hire and turn the program around. I love to see northeast FBS football succeed and UConn needs to be reminded that they were representing a major conference in a NY6 bowl not too long ago.

They have some unique selling points (national schedule, state’s football team, northeast media markets) that can be used, just have to get the right guy in there. Also helps that you’re given more scheduling flexibility as an independent; maybe they lighten it up and pad some wins for a few years and then work your way up from there?

Regardless, hope you guys can figure it out. We’re pulling for ya.
 
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Here is an article on the top 3 coaches at the FCS level. UConn should ask for permission to interview each of these guys at the end of the year:
Speaking of, here's an article from the Athletic....the front picture is the 38 year old Rhett Lashlee who formerly worked with Benedict as OC at Auburn ( now at Miami) who left Uconn after a year of dealing with Edsall. He spent 2 years at SMU after Uconn. SMU went 10-3 with him as OC until he got hired away by the Canes.

He runs a modern day high powered spread offense, which wasn't in line with RE's coaching philosophy
( or a guy like Diaco, or Pasqualoni for that matter). If Benedict has one last shot at this they have to get away from these boring defensive minded relics.

 
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This could be a legacy hire for Benedict, much like Geno and Jim Calhoun were for John Toner. So let's hope he gets it right. I still prefer one of the FCS Big 3, who are all proven head coaches. I see Lashlee as just another guy who uses programs as stepping stones, jumping to perceived better programs as soon as he can. If he is any good (which is questionable since he is unproven as a HC), he will be gone within 3 years and then you are back to Square 1 like you were after Edsall Part 1. Here is to hoping that Benedict can find someone loyal and in it for the long haul and will not jump ship after 2 or 3 good seasons.

Although the Athletic usually has solid sources, I think they are throwing Lashlee's name out because of the obvious connections. Let's hope that there is a true exhaustive job search, little or no cronyism and the best person is hired for this job.
 
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This could be a legacy hire for Benedict, much like Geno and Jim Calhoun were for John Toner. So let's hope he gets it right. I still prefer one of the FCS Big 3, who are all proven head coaches. I see Lashlee as just another guy who uses programs as stepping stones, jumping to perceived better programs as soon as he can. If he is any good (which is questionable since he is unproven as a HC), he will be gone within 3 years and then you are back to Square 1 like you were after Edsall Part 1. Here is to hoping that Benedict can find someone loyal and in it for the long haul and will not jump ship after 2 or 3 good seasons.

Although the Athletic usually has solid sources, I think they are throwing Lashlee's name out because of the obvious connections. Let's hope that there is a true exhaustive job search, little or no cronyism and the best person is hired for this job.
True about Lashlee and it being a stepping stone. That always goes on in CFB including with Edsall 1.0 when he tried for jobs 3 years in a row at Ga tech, Notre Dame and finally got Maryland. So it's rare to find a Geno or JC in CFB. And the constant change kills recruiting too. So they can't get another one of these 5 year plan guys, who seem to use that to protect their paycheck longer, as much as build the team. Use the portal, cut every corner you have to as long as your bringing in real student/athletes and stop playing boring FB. And if the new HC gets a better offer because he actually does his job @ Uconn and turns this around, so be it. Better than another PP, Diaco and RE 2.0.

I did check those FCS guys. None of them are young though. The 2 are 48/50 and one is 60. So they seem like guys ready for a retirement job as much making a name for their selves. Is that a good or bad thing? And if that's the case a North East guy who loves to play offense, who was Uconn's OC in 2010 until PP demoted him when he took over is Joe Moorhead. Then he turned around Penn St and is now at Oregon. He's now 47 and he also had 2 stints as head coach after Uconn ( @ Fordham where he was 38-13 ) and Miss St. But I guess like you said that's what Benedict makes the big bucks for and it could be his legacy, besides Hurley.
 
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The spotlight is on Dave "Eggs" Benedict like it never has been or likely will be in the rest of his career in athletic administration. This is his big moment to show the UConn community that he was himself a worthwhile hire. He is going to need to sort out the opportunists from the loyalists and the Diaco-like pretenders from the real program builders. I personally think either Entz or Bohannon could make UConn the final stop in a decorated coaching career, but it's all for Eggs to figure this out in the interview process. Maybe there is some young assistant out there we have never heard of that blows him away with the interview and he ends up striking gold like Toner did with a young Virginia assistant named Geno Auriemma, whom nobody knew. We forget that Geno was 32 and never head coached anywhere when UConn hired him. Whatever the case, this is his big moment, and Eggs needs to pick a winner and get it right after the last 3 disaster coaching hires.

The Hurley hire gives us some hope that he will get it right again. Honestly, I had my doubts about Hurley for various reasons, but he has proven he can build a program and is a true program builder and legitimate upper echelon college basketball coach. I believe that all the kids in the UConn program would run through walls for him, and we need the same kind of guy as football coach.
 
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The Hurley hire gives us some hope that he will get it right again.
From what I read a few outside things are what brought Edsall back and limited DB . RE was cheap and the donors and former FB Alum supported / helped pay for him. Diaco's buyout and not much of a budget for FB, until it was paid off was part of the problem, but it looks like you get what you pay for. They've paid Randy about 1/3 of what Dan Hurley makes. If they're gonna get this hire right it will probably take $$$. So maybe it's time for some of the big money guys to step up like the donor from Pitt.
Pitt changes head coaching job title after $20M donation

If they believe enough in Uconn FB to have a say, which guys like Burton or Shenkman have already shown with their millions in the past then, "Show me the Money ! " Because despite shitty to no FB ( in 2020) during Randy 2.0 , Benedict and the AD did have a good 3 years $$$ wise, while Uconn was paying him on the cheap:

"Donations in fiscal year 2021 totaled $21.4 MM,
which was the fourth-highest mark in UConn history and increased the three-year (FY19, FY20, FY21) donation average to $20.8 MM. For reference, the average over the previous three years (FY16, FY17, FY18) was $10.4 MM. In fact, the last two years mark the highest two-year total in the history of UConn Athletics. "

 
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Like you said, they got what they paid for. Either they want to be competitive and pay, or not. If not pull the plug on the program. Hoping one of the big money donors steps up with a huge donation might be like Waiting for Godot. It may not happen, and you may wait and wait and get no donation and then have to decide whether to hire someone on the cheap again.
 
Good read from Uconn grad/ former Uconn beat writer for the JI/CBS sports and SNY now running the Uconn Daily....

of note : "Even though Edsall signed a contract extension that lasts through the 2023 season earlier this year ----the athletic department will owe him nothing."

SPANOS TAKES OVER: Spanos, 50, is in his second year as the defensive coordinator after he spent a season as an analyst at Alabama. Once the defensive coordinator at UCLA, Spanos coached linebackers in the NFL for 21 seasons. • He will try to salvage this season and the recruiting class and set UConn up for the future. He seems to have the personality of a mortician, but the less drama the better with UConn these days. ( :D:D:D )

Who Could Replace Edsall at UConn?

The Story: Let’s do what everyone does when a coaching search begins by breaking out the dartboard and haphazardly discussing some people who coach football.
OUR CALL GOES TO … Moorhead. Make him say no. (Heck, you might even get Breiner with him.) He’d put butts in the seats, sell the hell out of the program and bring credibility after the two previous new hires, Pasqualoni and Diaco, were met with a whimper. If he’s not willing to do it — and that’s a distinct possibility, given all of the reasons we mentioned — go outside the Edsall “coaching tree” and get someone who will make UConn exciting again. Just hope he doesn’t start speaking in Latin during his introductory press conference

Edsall Out; All Hell Breaking Loose

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Did you think anyone could have had a messier exit than Edsall did the first time he left UConn? Here we are again.
• UConn released a statement saying it was a mutual decision, but it really isn’t. This is Benedict’s call and The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman tweeted that there were “locker room fireworks” in the wake of Edsall’s decision to retire at the end of the season. Continue reading
 
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The Gov chimes in: “Look if you don’t want to coach for the rest of the season, it’s probably time to leave,” Lamont said at an event in Milford. “[Players] need somebody who believes in them and they believe in that coach, and they’re ready to fight their hearts out for the rest of the season.”

 
Even with a new interim coach, I was looking at the remaining schedule and trying to see where the wins are. I don't see the game at Clemson as a win. Maybe at UMass? Middle Tennessee? Which of the remaining games will be wins? Anyone want to predict a win on this schedule?

 
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Well after the 0-5 start the best chance for a win seems to be the 3 game stretch between Vandy and Yale. I read MTSU was supposed to be so so, but they destroyed Monmouth in their opener. Uconn did beat Umass 56-35 in Amherst for their last win in 2019, so there's that. And don't look now but Vandy pulled a Uconn and lost to (FCS) ETSU 23-3 in their opener. When Uconn travels to TENN the question is..... will anyone be watching ?

Some UF Gator fan, for reasons unknown, posted this Vandy pick 2 years ago on the Storrs Central fooball board, before Uconn even had them on the schedule. It's a pretty bad look for a supposed P-5/ SEC team. I have to be honest and even though I donated/bought FB season tix to support the AD/ Uconn. I believed in Edsall so little that I couldn't be bothered driving to the Holy Cross game. Guess Vandy has alot of those fans who show up as empty seats too. So if Uconn was to win would anyone
even know ?

 
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The problem is that Vanderbilt is possibly going to go into the UConn game winless as well, as they have games at Colorado State, Stanford at home and then at #2 Georgia. You do not really want to face an 0-4 team at home and licking its chops at perhaps its first chance for a win. After the UConn game Vanderbilt's schedule gets really harsh, they have to play all the SEC teams, and I do not see any wins on the rest of their schedule. It's possible that the UConn game could be their only win.

I would expect Vanderbilt women's hoops to be better under the watchful eye of Shea Ralph. They have that and an excellent baseball team that really develops great pitchers.
 
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One more note on Vandy. They were the 12th game Uconn added this year, in Benedict's scramble to put an Indy schedule together for 2022, because most teams schedule years out. Vandy was supposed to play Houston at home instead but they were willing to do a swap out to play Uconn. While the Huskies gets Houston at home. Now we know why Vandy was all about it.
 
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Here is another interesting note. I took a look at the Real Time RPI of all college football teams, FBS and FCS. UConn is a somewhat respectable #102, ahead of #103 Nebraska which is 1-1. There are many FBS teams below UConn including Vandy at a moose ball sucking #159. Of non FCS teams, I think Idaho might be the only lower rated FBS team at #248, which is kind of weird because Idaho has not yet played a game. So Vandy is the lowest ranked of FBS teams who have actually been out on the field this year and played a game:
UConn's SOS rank is #56, so Dave Benedict's scrambling was effective, even if his position in college football was not QB.
 
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The spotlight is on Dave "Eggs" Benedict like it never has been or likely will be in the rest of his career in athletic administration. This is his big moment to show the UConn community that he was himself a worthwhile hire. He is going to need to sort out the opportunists from the loyalists and the Diaco-like pretenders from the real program builders...... I believe that all the kids in the UConn program would run through walls for him, and we need the same kind of guy as football coach.
Here's an interview with the New Haven Register on DB, RE and this hire:
" Typically, previous success is a great indicator of future success. And that certainly weighed heavy on my decision in bringing Coach Edsall back. But as we know, things change and college athletics have changed a lot, so there are no guarantees.” It sounds like RE tried to beat DB to the punch on his future with Uconn FB. " The day after the Holy Cross loss, a Sunday, Benedict reached out to Edsall to set up a Monday meeting. Edsall called Benedict back and said he was going to retire at the end of the season and that announcement was made..... “I don’t know that it’s appropriate to get into a conversation about why I think it didn’t work out. I’ll do a lot of soul searching on that as we move forward, because that’s something we have to take into consideration as we look at the type of person we want to come in.”

“We’re going to need someone who doesn’t look at [engagement] as being a burden or something they don’t want to do,” Benedict said. “We’re going to need someone who has the want-to, to get out in the state and this community and really sell our program and get people engaged. ( It's called Winning !) That’s a big part of what we need right now. It’s a critical component. ”......“We have to do a great job of bringing UConn to the ( HC candidates) we are interested in because you might not have the opportunity to bring them to campus,” Benedict said. “There’s a chance, if you’re not familiar with us, or have never been on our campus, that your assumption or opinion might not necessarily be accurate.”

Benedict said he feels for UConn players and that he’s confident the right leader can be hired.
" We’ve got to do better for them. We’ve got to help them be successful moving forward. … This is a great job and the right person will come here and be very successful.”

To me this isn't that complicated, anyone who doesn't want to play modern day offensive CFB should be out. And somewhere between the "play it safe", miserable old curmudgeon RE and the delusional (horrible recruiting) over the top wack job like Diaco (who also wouldn't play aggressive FB) , probably lies the truth. Dare to be great, aggressive and fun, while putting out a product that's worth watching needs to happen for Uconn FB !

 
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To me this isn't that complicated, anyone who doesn't want to play modern day offensive CFB should be out....... Dare to be great, aggressive and fun, while putting out a product that's worth watching needs to happen for Uconn FB !

I guess DB isn't gonna wait around until next year on offense, Mazzone has been OC with Arizona (2018-20), Texas A&M, UCLA (w/Spanos), AZ St. , Ole Miss, NC St. & Auburn (+ 3 years w/ the NY Jets staff):

"Mazzone’s footballing philosophy evolved and was shaped by radical coaches like Dana Holgerson and Mike Leach........Mazzone calls his offense the “N-Zone” and its philosophy is straight forward: Be fast, play in space, be balanced, attack and keep it simple. It often mirrors modern NBA basketball in theory: pace and space. His idea is to have the quarterback act as point guard, spread the ball around, get the ball to his best offensive weapons in space with favorable one-on-one matchups, and do so with a quick tempo and as little communication as possible."

 
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That comment that "we need someone with charisma" was a cutting shot at Edsall. Not that it wasn't correct, but it's almost like "tell us how you really feel, Eggs." I do respect the candor.
 
That comment that "we need someone with charisma" was a cutting shot at Edsall. Not that it wasn't correct, but it's almost like "tell us how you really feel, Eggs." I do respect the candor.
True, I had one former Uconn FB player tell me after Diaco it was good to have a grown-up back running the team. But Randy was nothing but a wet blanket.

Maybe the tough disciplinarian, who wants to play ball control and win 17-14 games, worked 20 years ago when he started round one in a grind it out BE, but it doesn't work anymore. He said he'd change, an that it's a new game with 7 on 7 camps, etc. But then he reverts right back to the same old boring Randy FB, whining about everything when he fails, about not only his team but anything in CFB. Talked about played out, SMH !

Mike Anthony had it right 2 years ago, like I posted above.
 
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Well after the 0-5 start the best chance for a win seems to be the 3 game stretch between Vandy and Yale.
Well, I guess it wasn't hard to predict, but at least with Edsall out of the way, Uconn/Noel Mazzone's offense has finally allowed the team to show a pulse. Especially in last weeks 24-22 loss (vs. Wyoming 4-0 who was a 31 point favorite). With Uconn marching down the field for a TD in the last seconds, but missing the 2 point conversion to end the game. So the road trip to Vandy is up next. They're 1-3 and 14.5 pt favorites on Saturday... (ESPN-U at 7:30pm)

Here's an article from 24/7 Sports, nothing new, but it does have some quotes from "Eggs" / DB and the next hire which we discussed above....

"UConn's on-field criteria for its new coach: someone who can score loads of points, but they do not have to be an acting head coach or offensive coordinator. Names that come to mind include former UConn offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, now Oregon's play-caller after a brief stint as Mississippi State's head coach. The offer letter will be competitive on the Group of Five level. Edsall's salary of $1.26 million ranked higher than 41 head coaches in Group of Five conferences, according to USA Today's database of coaches' salaries in 2020. "

( This is a frickin crime, for RE to be rated that high in the G-5, with the high end facilities he has, while driving this program further into the ground. Because of his stubbornness and refusal to play modern day offensive FB, while staying w/his antiquated clock control style, just like the last 2 losers, Pasqualoni & Diaco)

"We're looking for someone that's going to be dynamic," Benedict said. "They're obviously going to have to come in and inject energy and personality into our program. We've lost some of that. And so we need someone that's going to be willing to come in and obviously, build the passion back in our program, both inside and outside. They need to recruit prospects into our program but also recruit our fans back."
 
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Well after the 0-5 start the best chance for a win seems to be the 3 game stretch between Vandy and Yale. I read MTSU was supposed to be so so, but they destroyed Monmouth in their opener.....

Well after the last sec FG to loss to Vandy, 30-28 after a 2 TD Uconn comeback....




and the no show at Umass under their 3rd head coach of the year, they finally held on, despite trying to blow 21-0 lead in the 3rd quarter for the 1st WIN, making UConn 15-2 against Yale since 1982. Can they make it 2 in a row Friday vs. MTSU ?

 
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