Offseason Interview Series Part I: Diaco Talks Offense
Credit: THE BONEYARD BLOG – Kallie Elizabeth
So you weren’t happy with the production from the Huskies offense last season? It was a unit, after all, that finished 122nd in the nation in scoring at 15.5 points per game, 123rd in first downs and 123rd in total offense out of 125 total FBS teams. It should come as no surprise that UConn Country was beyond frustrated throughout 2014.
Well, you’re not alone. Head coach Bob Diaco wasn’t nearly satisfied either. Think disappointed times ten.
“The offense underachieved,” he told me Friday afternoon inside the Burton Family Football Complex. “Were they going to be a buzz-saw, were we going to be a juggernaut? No. They underachieved, that’s a fact. Whatever we were going to be, it was less than. That’s a coaching responsibility and accountability. I am going to get that right, period. So there will be changes over there to make sure that that looks the way we want it to look. And whatever we achieve, we achieve. But we will not underachieve. We will be working at the level we should be at, we’re not going to be working beneath that level.”
Diaco would not comment on the rumored departure of offensive line coach Mike Foley, however, he did answer with the following.
“I’m working a plan. The catalyst for that, the quote we say all the time, every player gets graded, every play, every day. So every player, every play, every day is being evaluated. So are the coaches. It’s not like it’s a player’s standard and not a staff standard. It’s a staff standard and we underachieved offensively.”
One of the situations that hindered the offense was losing his starting quarterback, Casey Cochran, for the season and his career, after just four quarters as a head coach. That will put any team behind the eight ball. With the departure of senior Chandler Whitmer, the position is once again wide open and Diaco reinforced he will settle the starting spot by the end of spring.
Sophomore Tim Boyle returns for his junior season, transfer Bryant Shirreffs is now eligible after leading the look team throughout 2014, after his transfer from NC State and Tyler Davis will be arriving on campus within days, a true freshman from Long Island.
“We are going to have a legitimate quarterback competition,” Diaco said. “We’ll see in the spring, may the best man win.”
As far as what he wants to see from his starter next season?
“You’re going to protect the football or you’re not going to play. You’ve got to manage our game, you’ve got to manage our offensive game, you’ve got to protect the football. Before we even get to winning the game, can you throw a third down and medium, can you throw a third down and long, can you convert points in the red zone? We’re not even going there yet, we’re not at that point. The first two things to ask are, will you protect our football and will you manage our offense? If you won’t manage the offense or can’t and you won’t protect the football or can’t, you’re out. You’re out, period. We’re not even at step one yet.”
Diaco knows he needs to improve on things himself, including balancing the time he spends in the different areas of the program.
“I think that a lot of offensive work, a lot of offensive focus and a lot of offensive time is counter-productive to the organization’s success. Other areas have to not get the attention that they need and not necessarily defense or special teams, it could be anything. It could be relationship building, it could be ticket sales, engagement with UConn Country with our great supporters and keeping them engaged with what we’re doing. You only have so many hours in a day, you spend fifteen of them in an offensive think tank situation, it’s not productive.”
Diaco has a plan in place, an ideal offense he wants, something that looks like an Alabama or Stanford that can go up against the high flying offenses that have become the norm in college football and take the ball out of their hands. This offseason will be dedicated to getting that put in place in time for September 6th, against Villanova.
“I need to be sure the offense is functioning at a high level or at a level that fits and suits the personnel,” he said. “I’m going to get that done. I’m in the process of doing that.”
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