Spanos out

[Waquoit]

When all is said and done, this is a positive development. For starters, it seems to me that the root cause of the problem was a disagreement over how we go about winning games. Not someones hurt feelings or ego. I've heard many praises sung to date about the ability of our assistant coaches. They are the ones out there getting the players. When it became evident to Mora that the status quo was untenable, he made a call. That speaks to his crisis management, I'm sure this won't be the last. I don't get all the handwringing. If one's afraid to make a mistake, one doesn't try. I like it this way, give it a shot and if it doesn't work out take prompt action.

 

[Bongo Fury]

He’s definitely had a stressful year. Does anyone recall him having an issue with Jon Wholley couple years back?

 

[huskysupporter]

When all is said and done, this is a positive development. For starters, it seems to me that the root cause of the problem was a disagreement over how we go about winning games. Not someones hurt feelings or ego. I've heard many praises sung to date about the ability of our assistant coaches. They are the ones out there getting the players. When it became evident to Mora that the status quo was untenable, he made a call. That speaks to his crisis management, I'm sure this won't be the last. I don't get all the handwringing. If one's afraid to make a mistake, one doesn't try. I like it this way, give it a shot and if it doesn't work out take prompt action.

He made the decision a week before the season.

 

[Chin Diesel]

So, are us BY'ers to now be conditioned to wake up between midnight and 2am to get the scoop on UConn football??

 

[LoyalFanCT]

I have no idea why Spanos is taking an LOA, but UConn is better able to replace the DC than the OC at this point. I think Charlton can run the offense as he has experience as both an OC and a HC. Mora can run the defense as he has experience as both a DC and HC.

I really think Mora needs to hire someone, even just for the season, to be defensive coordinator. UConn may not be able to cough up $500,000 for the job. But half that salary may get us someone decent. Mora has a lot of responsibilities already at UConn. I don't think we should add to them.

 

[ZooCougar]

The media obviously sat on the story. Which leads me to believe that it’s not 100% performance related.

Football coaches often have a terrible work/life balance. It’s totally possible that it’s all of the above. Personal, medical, family or otherwise.

Our best writers aren’t cutthroats yet. I am totally in the camp that other considerations led to the timing of the release.

No more need to drag Loose Panels through the mud. He never gave up last year and he managed a pretty crappy situation about as well as one could expect.

 

[huskysupporter]

I really think Mora needs to hire someone, even just for the season, to be defensive coordinator. UConn may not be able to cough up $500,000 for the job. But half that salary may get us someone decent. Mora has a lot of responsibilities already at UConn. I don't think we should add to them.

I think it would have to be promoting from within - who can he get at this late point? It would have to be someone very familiar with the defense and terminology and I doubt there is anyone out there at this point.

Whether he promotes someone or not Coach Mora will have to be heavily involved which is not ideal for a head coach.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I'm still going to lean on the less cynical but still very upsetting side that it's probably stress/health related. He's a high intensity guy and probably pushed to far and needs to step away in order to get things right. I fully believe Spanos was going to turn things around defensively this year with a HC that will actually let him run the defense schemes and not meddle as much as Edsall did. I hope whatever ails him passes quickly and it's a speed recovery.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Last year, we couldn't hire another coach or coordinator because RE was still technically on the staff. Does LS LOA prevent UConn and Mora from hiring another coach?

 

[CL82]

So, are us BY'ers to now be conditioned to wake up between midnight and 2am to get the scoop on UConn football??

What? You weren’t doing that already?

 

[DCUconnfan]

Lou Spanos 3 month leave of absence! Defensive staff and Lou could not get on the same page. Tough to find a coordinator less than 2 weeks before the season !

So to change the subject, any chance you'll be commenting on the Conference Realignment Board about a B1G membership anytime soon?

 

[McLovin]

So I was never enthused about the PP, Disco, or RE2.0 hires. And I was not initially enthused about JM (incurring the wrath of Pudge), but in the preseason he has impressed me -- leaving aside the fact that the rubber is really about to hit the road and will account for a lot more.

But I am just a bit curious. How do you know that Spanos is bad? Do you have some data that say that? Yes, we know the statistics, but he had one quality DT and one quality LB last year and the D was always on the field. That may be a slight exaggeration but you get the point. And a program where a lot of the better players posted out. Are you close enough to the program to have observed bad coaching?

Lmao how did people know Spanos is bad? Ummmm people watched the games last year.

Yes, you’re correct that we didn’t have great talent on the roster. But this team was FUNDAMENTALLY bad on the defensive end last year. Not just athletically bad. Heck, they got run all over by a FCS team (and also by a terrible UMass).

Wish Spanos the best of luck. He seems like a great person. But will be glad if he isn’t going to be a part of the program going forward.

Glad that Mora didn’t wait until the end of the season to fix his mistake.

 

[CL82]

Lmao how did people know Spanos is bad? Ummmm people watched the games last year.

Yes, you’re correct that we didn’t have great talent on the roster. But this team was FUNDAMENTALLY bad on the defensive end last year. Not just athletically bad. Heck, they got run all over by a FCS team (and also by a terrible UMass).

Wish Spanos the best of luck. He seems like a great person. But will be glad if he isn’t going to be a part of the program going forward.

Glad that Mora didn’t wait until the end of the season to fix his mistake.

And yet apparently he wasn’t bad at UCLA.

I have no idea what the deal is with this, but if the Band-Aid had to come off I’m glad it came off before the start of the season.

 

[McLovin]

And yet apparently he wasn’t bad at UCLA.

I have no idea what the deal is with this, but if the Band-Aid had to come off I’m glad it came off before the start of the season.

At one point Randy Edsall and PP were good coaches, too. The game changes and coaches sometimes lose their fire & desire to adapt.

Bad timing, but I agree the team will be better off without a potential locker room distraction looming behind closed doors all season long.

 

[06029]

I'm still going to lean on the less cynical but still very upsetting side that it's probably stress/health related. He's a high intensity guy and probably pushed to far and needs to step away in order to get things right. I fully believe Spanos was going to turn things around defensively this year with a HC that will actually let him run the defense schemes and not meddle as much as Edsall did. I hope whatever ails him passes quickly and it's a speed recovery.

So at BC when Spaziani was there, there was a disagreement/fight between the head coach and OC at halftime of a game. Not confirmed by media but generally well known. He was given a leave of absence for personal reasons the next day and media was asked to respect his privacy. Press release was nearly identical to the UConn release.

90% probability that the health issue is Mora told him to go away.

 

[Waquoit]

He made the decision a week before the season.

Better than a week into the season.

 

[BlueandOG]

I can’t imagine him being canned one week before the first season unless it was Sandusky-level bad. Never mind the just cause language he probably has in his contract. It’s destabilizing for the players and distracting for the program. I suspect Lou is dealing with something.

 

[BlueandOG]

First season with the new Head Coach

 

[Huskyforlife]

I give the OP props for being first on the story, but if it’s football related, why wait until now to make a change? It doesn’t make sense.

 

[jdb50]

One thing that crossed my mind is we have a whole new staff on D except LS. I hope it is not medical related. Lou did a great job last year not making it a death march for the players. No yelling or screaming during the games. Kept it positive. They are kids.

 

[uconnbill]

I hope coach Spanos is okay health wise and his family.

Bottom line, Mora has coached defenses before and this isn't his first rodeo. I think UConn will be fine as it can be after the past few years

 

[RSTuthill]

I give the OP props for being first on the story, but if it’s football related, why wait until now to make a change? It doesn’t make sense.

It just means he has a friend in the SI office, probably an intern, who leaked it to him during a grace period. Not sure props are appropriate.

 

[freescooter]

I’m inclined to think it is actually personal given timing and all. Plus, as the saying goes you can’t beat somebody with nobody. If this were really about performance, my guess is a pro like Mora has a replacement ready to go pretty quickly, even if it’s interim.

 

[CL82]

It just means he has a friend in the SI office, probably an intern, who leaked it to him during a grace period. Not sure props are appropriate.

He definitely gets credit for breaking the story.

 

[RSTuthill]

He definitely gets credit for breaking the story.

Each to his own.