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- Aug 29, 2011
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How did a anyone think P was going to be a good idea? It seems so obvious stated this way.
I thought P was a good idea, because I was aware of the recruiting problems that were progressively worsening and then fell off the cliff when Edsall left a different flight after the Fiesta Bowl, and one of the biggest names out there, that immediately suggested knowledge, experience and success in recruiting for a place like UCONN was Pasqualoni. I never thought Deleone was a good idea.
I was expecting fireworks on the first Wednesday of February 2011 - from EDSALL. I thought the guy couldn't possibly really have only 8-10 recruits solid at that time - and was keeping everybody under wraps - as he did in the past - given that we were on a 5 game win streak that 2010 season and on our way to a BCS bowl, and that after 2008-2009-2010 - we needed a HUGE class.
Didn't happen, and that - is what I will never forgive Edsall for - not the way he left - I could care less about that - the guy let this program slide, and then skipped out with it about to fall off a cliff.
I made the mistake (in this internet forum) of pimping for Pasqualoni - and talking up how they guy will be able to push us up to having a solid, respectable division 1A roster for the first time ever. I'm still catching crap from the regular suspects on that. My reasons for believing the guy:
#1. Respect from decades ago.
#2. His instince that the new recruits would immediately impact special teams with their size, speed.
#1 - for me is gone. The guy's loyalty to Deleone superceded his program building, and he lost his job not once, but twice because of it. Pathetic. Results matter.
#2, has not changed. I remember watching our players against Oklahoma, against Michigan, against Rutgers, and WVU< and so many others over the years. Edsall recruited speed adequately, but not size - and no where did is show up more than special teams. Why did we have so much trouble on punt protection with Edsall? Hmmm. We had returners with speed, that could break with a crease, but when our kick units were running down the field against other programs, they looked like mighty mites against high schoolers. We didn't have the size to go with the speed, across the board under Edsall, and it showed up when we went against the best nationally.
Edsall let recruiting slide with simple numbers in NLI cycles for 3 progressive years - right up to his departure, and we've been playing catch up ever since. Pasqualoni started addressing that by filling maximum numbers of scholarship offers allowed per year, and stacking players up in prep schools. Not all panned out, but he was leading the program to at least catch up in numbers. He brought in players that were BIG - and have speed. THey are on the field now. We are lacking still in OL production though - Deleone and OL recruiting has been the albatross for the past 4 seasons.
I really REALLY hope that the guys that Diaco are bringing in have the speed to play at the level we want to be at - top 25 - nationally relevant. If so - Diaco will make good on my prediction that I made for Pasqualoni that still gets me grief - for the first time having a true division 1A that can get us to the top 25 regularly, a roster from top to bottom in size and speed, rather than in just #1's.
We'll see.
Christmas morning for college football is tomorrow.
happy signing day eve to all you fellow crazies.