Is there a chance we get a New Year's Surprise

[The Funster]

UConn is walking a thin line here. I think the plan is for BD to come back but there may be second thoughts due to the negative feedback about STs for next year.

 

[businesslawyer]

UConn is walking a thin line here. I think the plan is for BD to come back but there may be second thoughts due to the negative feedback about STs for next year.

And by "negative feedback" you mean "potential armageddon?"

I'm not even sure what my decision would be on renewing if I was asked today. I don't mind losing and I don't mind rebuilding but there needs to be some hope as to where we're going at least. And at the moment, I just don't feel hopeful.

 

[HuskyHawk]

UConn is walking a thin line here. I think the plan is for BD to come back but there may be second thoughts due to the negative feedback about STs for next year.

The silence suggests to me that they are stalling and nothing has been decided. Keeping BD and bringing in an OC is the default. But there is no posted job for OC yet.

I imagine whether he stays beyond January 2 depends on a number of things. Can they get a booster to help cover the cost? Can Bob secure something elsewhere (ND fans say they'd like him back as DC)? Do we have a coach in mind? What does that coach cost?

 

[Jimdish255]

IMO if we actually hire a new OC that means Diaco stays. Could that guy be Benedict's guy and the new HC in waiting? Possibly but who would take that job given the uncertainty? If the position remains open and it drags on it's because HCBD is not being allowed to make ANY financial moves in advance of a possible coaching change. Open position equals possible change. If they fill it we are in purgatory for an entire season.

 

[RioDog]

So this thread has raised a question in my mind. Is it typical for football coaches' contracts to end with the calendar year? Given the bad coincidence with a crucial time in the recruiting cycle, would it make more sense for a HC's contract to end shortly after the regular season? There doesn't seem to be a need to accommodate bowl games; most coaches making bowls aren't getting fired.

 

[FDNY99]

So this thread has raised a question in my mind. Is it typical for football coaches' contracts to end with the calendar year? Given the bad coincidence with a crucial time in the recruiting cycle, would it make more sense for a HC's contract to end shortly after the regular season? There doesn't seem to be a need to accommodate bowl games; most coaches making bowls aren't getting fired.

I can tell you that under Edsall the Assistant's worked on a contract that went year to year and any bowl games that put them over were considered carry-over from the contract they were working off of and covered under those terms. I'' not sure if things have changed since then though.

 

[gioff23]

And by "negative feedback" you mean "potential armageddon?"

I'm not even sure what my decision would be on renewing if I was asked today. I don't mind losing and I don't mind rebuilding but there needs to be some hope as to where we're going at least. And at the moment, I just don't feel hopeful.

I think the only hope one could find is that 16 was simply one of those years when everything went wrong. I will readily admit I saw hope in 15, with a .500 record, bowl bid, big win, cool grey uni's and very good play by a bunch of underclassmen. That's what BD has to be selling - sothe question is whether the powers that be are drinking the Kool-Aid (and buying in to the hope, none of us see)

 

[Jimdish255]

So this thread has raised a question in my mind. Is it typical for football coaches' contracts to end with the calendar year? Given the bad coincidence with a crucial time in the recruiting cycle, would it make more sense for a HC's contract to end shortly after the regular season? There doesn't seem to be a need to accommodate bowl games; most coaches making bowls aren't getting fired.

Totally agree. The contract should be structured so that the end date is 1 week after the regular season concludes. That makes the most sense given the timetable of today's hirings and recruiting schedule. You can always front-load payments to include CCG and Bowl Games if necessary or make that part of the buyout - but we don't have to worry about those provisions.

 

[huskymedic]

So this thread has raised a question in my mind. Is it typical for football coaches' contracts to end with the calendar year? Given the bad coincidence with a crucial time in the recruiting cycle, would it make more sense for a HC's contract to end shortly after the regular season? There doesn't seem to be a need to accommodate bowl games; most coaches making bowls aren't getting fired.

The vast majority of Head Coaches contracts that I have read run calendar year (a few vary by +/- a week). I don't know if that coincides w/ the University fiscal years or not.

 

[Uconnalliance]

Let's not hope Benedict doesn't belly flops into an empty pool

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Oh if only we could be flys on the wall inside the Burton Family Football Complex and in Athletics over the next few weeks... I can't imagine the conversations that are taking place around this program right now. There's a case to practically fire every single coach- including Diaco himself! And Diaco is the evaluater! I say there's a 10% chance Benedict cuts Diaco loose after Jan. 1, but that's only with someone already lined up. We just need a solid OC- and that's going to be a tough job to fill I think given the dire situation this individual will be faced with coming in. Who's going to want to come in and have the target already on them knowing that we're a program that was nearly dead last in scoring in the FBS the year before? Quite an uphill climb.

 

[CL82]

Listen you have to admit you'd be thrilled.

I will lead your victory parade if you are right.

 

[Pudge]

I say 10-20% probability is about right.

 

[BlueMAB]

Benedict needs to select the OC. He needs to be somebody that Benedict would be comfortable giving the HC job too. It's an extremely difficult situation for all, but I'm not of the opinion we can't find an OC willing to take on the challenge.

Success isn't guaranteed, it's common for OCs only last 1-3 years (successful or not). If I'm an OC who is confident that I have the support of my AD, I accept the challenge. If you don't perform as an OC you're looking at 1-2 years before you're replaced anyway. If you do perform well you're setting yourself up for the next opportunity, whether it's at UConn or elsewhere. We basically have the worst offense in the country, if you can come in and make us even average, that's going to look good on a resume.

 

[RMS25CT]

So this thread has raised a question in my mind. Is it typical for football coaches' contracts to end with the calendar year

My understanding is that most schools have coaches contracts end with the school year (generally June 30) and not calendar year end. I learned this when UConn assistants almost coached the Fiesta Bowl without contracts because they expired on 12/31 and renewals weren't approved until that day.

 

[Adios]

Benedict needs to select the OC. He needs to be somebody that Benedict would be comfortable giving the HC job too. It's an extremely difficult situation for all, but I'm not of the opinion we can't find an OC willing to take on the challenge.

Success isn't guaranteed, it's common for OCs only last 1-3 years (successful or not). If I'm an OC who is confident that I have the support of my AD, I accept the challenge. If you don't perform as an OC you're looking at 1-2 years before you're replaced anyway. If you do perform well you're setting yourself up for the next opportunity, whether it's at UConn or elsewhere. We basically have the worst offense in the country, if you can come in and make us even average, that's going to look good on a resume.

If Paul Pasqualoni and George DeLeone can still get jobs....

Coaching is clearly personality type job.

 

[BlueDogs]

Benedict has to fire him Jan 1st. If he is not allowed to do so (unlikely) , I believe scores of players will transfer and we will have decommits from many recruits. My educated guess tells me SH knows just as well as DB what's at stake here, and has gotten the blessing of the BOT to do what's necessary. I'd be shocked if DB has not already had discreet informal conversations with some coaching candidates. Losing to Tulane like we did was bad enough but burning Williams redshirt was huge.

Burning his Red Short might turn out to be the best thing that happened. It dispelled the hype and exposed the fact we need to go find a franchise QB. DW is not even remotely the guy and showed little ability to move the needle. There is no natural superstar there either in the air or on the ground. I'm not talking abut DW being great out of the box, but saw very few, if any, flashes of brilliance. He lacks foot quickness, is not a naturally deceptive runner, his field vision is atrocious and his accuracy is very poor. Can he improve? Of course he can. Is he an obvious big impact player with raw talent that compensates for inexperience? Not even close from what I see. DW is a Diaco hype product.

 

[NavinRJohnson]

Only surprise would be if Diaco is a Gene Chizik type hire. Indiana please call BD.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

The Verducci announcement that he was moving into a new position next year and not being dumped into Long Island Sound killed any day dreams I had about Diaco not surviving this.

Or the optimistic view is that BD is pretty sure he is going to be cut loose after the New Year. So why fire his long time buddy and friend, only to be fired himself a month later? Just "reassign" him to another position for a month to spare him the "has been fired" label on his resume if BD is on the same life boat off the Titanic anyway.

One can hope anyway.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

I can tell you that under Edsall the Assistant's worked on a contract that went year to year and any bowl games that put them over were considered carry-over from the contract they were working off of and covered under those terms. I'' not sure if things have changed since then though.

In fact, IIRC, hadn't Edsall's assistants already signed their contracts for the next year before the Fiesta Bowl thinking that there was no chance HCRE was not going to be at UConn in 2011? IIRC, it left both UConn and the assistants in an awkward position with the newly signed one-year c0ntracts (since almost all assistants are on a one year contract) and having a new coach looking to assemble a new staff--thus causing PP to retain many of HCRE's coaches? But I am getting old--so maybe I don't recall that correctly.

 

[junglehusky]

Or the optimistic view is that BD is pretty sure he is going to be cut loose after the New Year. So why fire his long time buddy and friend, only to be fired himself a month later? Just "reassign" him to another position for a month to spare him the "has been fired" label on his resume if BD is on the same life boat off the Titanic anyway.

One can hope anyway.

yeah not happening

 

[junglehusky]

New Offensive coordinator hire...








SURPRISE!!!

 

[UConnDan97]

When I look for blind hope and unending optimism, I turn to...Whaler??

This thread makes me happy...

 

[Papadukes]

I wonder what it would cost to have Uconns towel waving guy call the plays

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

maybe they are trying to use Shirref's injury as a smoking gun to force diaco out. Or something else we don't know about. There may be a clause in his contract that states he has to actually understand the rules and strategies behind the game of football?

The silence is...unusual