McHugh weighs in on Diaco hire (OMG)

[ruskin]

Let me get this right. The same guy who pushed Hathaway to bring Pasqualoni here (pissing off a major donor in the process) is now acting as if he had nothing to do with it?

Well, at least this time he had the sense to back away and leave the search to professionals. But jeez, don't pretend you didn't help put UConn in this position.

BTW nice job Horde holding McHugh accountable for his role in Jan. 2011. And another thing. Can we quit talking about Yale in the 1940s????????

From Courant today:

Bringing fans back and attracting new ones is one of Diaco's duties. Lawrence McHugh, chairman of the UConn Board of Trustees and former football coach at Xavier High in Middletown, nodded his approval Thursday as Diaco talked about his passion for football and his plans for the program.

McHugh said the foundation is in place, thanks to the work of Edsall.

"We've had a tough time the last few years, but we were really just a few plays away from a winning record this year," McHugh said. "So we're not far."

Standing inside a team meeting room at the Burton Family Football Complex, McHugh said the on-campus building puts UConn ahead of many older, more established programs. That base, McHugh said, will help UConn on the path to consistently winning and tapping what he sees as a potentially large fan base.

"I think it's a huge fan base," McHugh said. "Football in general in Connecticut, it's always been popular. You look at the crowds in 1920s and 1930s and 1940s at the Yale Bowl. ... There's a history here and there's still a base of football fans here. I think that base can be activated and we can just get the enthusiasm back. I'm very optimistic."

 

[huskyblooz]

How come those fans that were at the Yale Bowl don't go to UCONN games?

 

[junglehusky]

Link: http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-uconn-football-1215-20131214,0,546078.story
http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-uconn-football-1215-20131214,0,546078.story
Regarding that last line there about 1920s Yale, there's no way that have been a serious statement from a UConn trustee. Paul Doyle must have gotten McHugh's phone number mixed up with Butchy.

Unless...

OH MY GOD...

 

[rbny1]

Mr. McHugh is absolutely right. Just exhume the bodies of all those people who went to games at Yale Bowl in the '20s, '30s and '40s, and we'll have a huge fan base.

 

[epark88]

Larry McHugh is the Richard Blumenthal of UConn sports...

 

[Uconnalliance]

Complete empty headed assh@le! Go back under your rock with PP,GDL,&Hathaway @ Xavier

 

[CL82]

Can we quit talking about Yale in the 1940s????????

....
"I think it's a huge fan base," McHugh said. "Football in general in Connecticut, it's always been popular. You look at the crowds in 1920s and 1930s and 1940s at the Yale Bowl. ... There's a history here and there's still a base of football fans here. I think that base can be activated and we can just get the enthusiasm back. I'm very optimistic."

In his defense, he probably doesn't remember all that much since the mid 1950's so it likely doesn't seem like all that long ago.

"Wait, Eisenhower isn't President anymore? Well, when the heck did that happen?"

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

McHugh really didn't have much to do with hiring P other than give our idiot AD his blessing.

 

[ruskin]

McHugh really didn't have much to do with hiring P other than give our idiot AD his blessing.

The ultimate untold story. Think it went a lot further than that. A LOT further. From Courant Jan. 2011:

Larry McHugh, the chairman of UConn's Board of Trustees and former Xavier football coach, called Pasqualoni a perfect role model for young coaches in the state..

"His integrity and his passion for that game of football just comes out and he never forgot his roots and people know that and that's why all these coaches are here and why they think so highly of him," McHugh said. "He's never forgot the guys in this state and they knew he was always a phone call and away and always willing to give them his time."

Here is the whole puke-inducing story about how the state HS coaches loved the P hire.

 

[rich1122]

Seems to be Penske material.

 

[Uconnrick]

Mr. McHugh is absolutely right. Just exhume the bodies of all those people who went to games at Yale Bowl in the '20s, '30s and '40s, and we'll have a huge fan base.

They might cheer more loudly than the "fans" in the corporate seats.

 

[Durks07]

Here is the whole puke-inducing story about how the state HS coaches loved the P hire.

Thank you for posting this. I have been trying to lose weight over the last few weeks, and just couldn't quite will myself into taking the next step to bulimia. I have finally succeeded. Thank you.

 

[Yonick]

I still have no idea on how McHugh became BOT director for UConn. In all his years as HC at Xavier he sent absolutely none of his players to Storrs. After Xavier he became Middlesex Co. chamber of commerce director. I have no idea where he went to college. But, his qualifications for the UConn BOT director do not seem compatible.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

The ultimate untold story. Think it went a lot further than that. A LOT further. From Courant Jan. 2011:

Larry McHugh, the chairman of UConn's Board of Trustees and former Xavier football coach, called Pasqualoni a perfect role model for young coaches in the state..

"His integrity and his passion for that game of football just comes out and he never forgot his roots and people know that and that's why all these coaches are here and why they think so highly of him," McHugh said. "He's never forgot the guys in this state and they knew he was always a phone call and away and always willing to give them his time."

Here is the whole puke-inducing story about how the state HS coaches loved the P hire.

What about that leads you believe that McHugh did anything more than give his stamp of approval? Because he said nice things about the new coach at the time?

He said nice things about Diaco too. Why don't you assume he had a big role in this hire?

Serious questions.

 

[huskymedic]

I still have no idea on how McHugh became BOT director for UConn. In all his years as HC at Xavier he sent absolutely none of his players to Storrs. After Xavier he became Middles e x Co. chamber of commerce director. I have no idea where he went to college. But, his qualifications for the UConn BOT director do not seem compatible.

He went to SCSU. Before UConn BOT he was the longtime Chair of the Connecticut State University System Board of Trustees. Dig deeper into his political allies - ultimate power broker.

 

[Adios]

Link: http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-uconn-football-1215-20131214,0,546078.story
Regarding that last line there about 1920s Yale, there's no way that have been a serious statement from a UConn trustee. Paul Doyle must have gotten McHugh's phone number mixed up with Butchy.

Unless...

OH MY GOD...

"Standing inside a team meeting room at the Burton Family Football Complex, McHugh said the on-campus building puts UConn ahead of many older, more established programs. That base, McHugh said, will help UConn on the path to consistently winning and tapping what he sees as a potentially large fan base."

Many older programs? 1896, dammit!

So...nope. lol

 

[ruskin]

What about that leads you believe that McHugh did anything more than give his stamp of approval? Because he said nice things about the new coach at the time?

He said nice things about Diaco too. Why don't you assume he had a big role in this hire?

Serious questions.

Follow the CT HS FB coaches assn. ties. McHugh still closely associated with the Filippone-Marinelli crowd, the same one that wrote the infamous "endorsement" letter. IMO Larry had them write it to pave the way for P.

I've said before than overall McHugh has done a great job for UConn. But he screwed up royally pushing P and has never been called on it outside this board. Now he's trying to pretend he had nothing to do with bringing P here?

 

[uconnfan68]

I still have no idea on how McHugh became BOT director for UConn. In all his years as HC at Xavier he sent absolutely none of his players to Storrs. After Xavier he became Middles e x Co. chamber of commerce director. I have no idea where he went to college. But, his qualifications for the UConn BOT director do not seem compatible.

You do know McHugh hasn't coached at Xavier for about 30 years? Do you remember what level UConn football was then? His top kids were playing D-1 football.

 

[Fishy]

Follow the CT HS FB coaches assn. ties. McHugh still closely associated with the Filippone-Marinelli crowd, the same one that wrote the infamous "endorsement" letter. IMO Larry had them write it to pave the way for P.

You're wrong.

 

[Rumrunner]

Since the BoTs do a lot more for UConn than manage its sports teams, and what they have done outside the fb situation has been pretty darn good lately (overseeing Herbst, state $'s, state relations,academics, nextgen, jackson, research park) McHugh's background may not be that of a typical Board chairman, but the proof is in the pudding, and the pasqu tragedy is an acceptable screw up.

 

[metsfan2323]

The OP is acting like a loon.

 

[ruskin]

McHugh really didn't have much to do with hiring P other than give our idiot AD his blessing.

Which in itself is at least a 15-yard penalty. "Yes Jeff you have my blessing to completely ignore a multi-million-dollar donor". JH didn't wipe his rear end w/o checking with Larry. JH is guilty of lots of things but find it very hard to believe he didn't go to Larry and say "you know, Burton is going to be really really pissed if we hire P".

And Mets, why don't you ask the loon who has his name on the football building what he thinks of how the P hire went down?

 

[ruskin]

McHugh's background may not be that of a typical Board chairman, but the proof is in the pudding, and the pasqu tragedy is an acceptable screw up.

In normal times I would agree with that. It could be argued the P hire allowed Louisville to jump UConn in the CR mess, at which point the acceptability level of the screw up becomes much lower. But you're right, LMcH has his power base and his P mishandling isn't going to dislodge him. Maybe he (and all of us) have caught a big break with Diaco.

 

[Yonick]

You do know McHugh hasn't coached at Xavier for about 30 years? Do you remember what level UConn football was then? His top kids were playing D-1 football.[/quot
Very much aware McHugh hasn't coached Xavier in around 30 years. In that time, however, he had plenty of D1-AA prospects. None of which went to UConn.

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

"You look at the crowds in 1920s and 1930s and 1940s at the Yale Bowl"

What??!! Time for this guy to ride into the sunset. Seriously. F-that. We have built a tradition here at Uconn over the last 10 years as a FBS program. And PP has demolished that over the last couple of years. Time to build that back wiht HCBD at the helm. Plain and simple. McHugh should be worrying less about Yale and how many fans went to that #y stadium in the 1920's and worry more about gaining more donors to fund this thing, and filling the UConn Club Seats and luxury boxes with corporate $'s at The Rent. Maybe its just me but more games this year half if not more of them didn't have any lights on.