What Will It Take For You to Want PP Back?

[Marty Jackson]

You're kidding right? Two games under where he should be? We really (again, considering the schedule we faced) only have had .500 talent during P's tenure here?

I can begin by pointing out two games against WMU where we were completely unprepared each time. I'll follow that up with the season ending games against Cincy (each of his two years here) where (with a bowl bid on the line no less) the team also looked unprepared for the game and did not start playing (did make each game competitive however, which is both a comment on the team's heart and an indictment on their preparation for these critical games) until after spotting the Bearcats large leads in each game. There is no way that you can convince me that the Iowa St team that visited the Rent early in the 2011 season was a better team than we were nor can you convince me that we did not give away the game against Vandy the week before.

Being conservative I see five or six games we lost over the past two seasons that an adequate coach would have won. Being a fan of the program I would have difficulty accepting a coach who was merely adequate. There is no way in hell that I will not complain about the joke who is currently running the football program.

Are you high? In the past 8 seasons, how many times has Uconn won more than 8 games in a season, not counting the bowl game? Once. But you think a team can win 8 games with Johnny Mac as the QB? Seriously?

How about the games he won that he should have lost: UofL, USF, and Rutgers. Oh, I forgot, those are the games where the team's heart overcame PP's inability to coach.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Marty, I believe that you are the one who is high. Our schedule the past two seasons wasn't loaded with world beaters. The only game in 2011 where we did appear to be both adequately prepared and ready to go from the opening kickoff was Rutgers in 2011. If you want to call that a game we 'should have lost', fine, it is then a wash with WMU from that year. It still doesn't cover ISU or Vandy.

As far as USF (2011 I imagine) as a game we should have lost, what the hell are you smoking? When has that team beaten us at the Rent? What about our game against them in 2012? They beat us at a time when they couldn't beat anyone. This may (may) at best wash with the win at Louisville but there are still the Temple and WMU losses in 2012 in the minus column.

All kidding aside, please, set your expectations higher.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

you need to seperate your bias as a fan vs what impact PP could have made in his first year. hired late, minimal impact on recruits, installs a new system and has minimal talent at QB. And you really thought he could do better than 5-7?
Just don't see it.

If you don't like the guy, or don't think he can improve our program I get it. Nothing I say will convince you otherwise.

But, if he gets 7-8 wins this year, don't be surprised if he comes back for another year.

Here's the thing. I don't care if P overperformed, underperformed, or performed right up to his capabilities. We've lost ground and lost out. If he couldn't step in on day one and put a .500 team on the field he was the wrong hire. It's not like we were competing in the B1G or even the ACC. Solid improvement leading from nowhere to conference titles proir to P's arrival then immediate also-rans. Hell, also-ran is an overstatement. 2nd place is an also-ran. We're back of the pack. In the conference re-alignment race, we're a DNF -- did not finish. Hires like Pasqualoni have "AAC in perpetuity" written all over them. It's not about liking anyone. It's about getting noticed so we can get out.

 

[freescooter]

If he wins 9 against this schedule it would be the best season we have had, and you would want him fired?

IMO 7 regular season wins probably buys another year, 6 is not good enough.

I think 7 wins is the bare minimum. That and signs of significant improvement as the season progresses. Remember, though the schedule is way better than the last couple, Buffalo, Towson, Temple and Memphis are games UConn absolutely should win. So that means to get to 7 he only has to win 3 of the remaining 8. And getting 3 wins from Houston, SMU, Maryland, and South Florida isn't exactly impossible. Bottom line is I would say minimum of 7 wins, no bad losses and at least 1 good win, Louisville, Michigan, etc. and some signs that the offense is making reasonable progress. If they lose to Buffalo, Towson or Memphis he should not be allowed back into the locker room. Lose to Temple and he's allowed back only long enough to clean out his desk.

 

[RS9999X]

I don't see how Warde defends a losing record. A win over Maryland and 6-6 he's a lock to come back. A bowl and he comes back.

 

[J187Money]

I loved the 2010 team. Being at USF was one of my all time favorite sporting experiences. And I will reiterate that I don't think PP is the guy. And that there is no way we shouldn't have gone to bowls the last two years.

But I just went back through the 2010 schedule. Heart and guts we had. A little luck also. But let's stop acting like PP took a 10 win juggernaut and turned it into a 2 win non-competitive team. 7 turnovers at home and it took OT to score 16 points to beat WVU. We couldn't score at USF also.

Just like we were 3 or 4 plays from 7-5 last year we were 3 or 4 plays from 5-7 in 2010. This conference nonsense has got all of our blood boiling but this team was never as good as some are remembering nor as bad as some are saying it is now.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I loved the 2010 team. Being at USF was one of my all time favorite sporting experiences. And I will reiterate that I don't think PP is the guy. And that there is no way we shouldn't have gone to bowls the last two years.

But I just went back through the 2010 schedule. Heart and guts we had. A little luck also. But let's stop acting like PP took a 10 win juggernaut and turned it into a 2 win non-competitive team. 7 turnovers at home and it took OT to score 16 points to beat WVU. We couldn't score at USF also.

Just like we were 3 or 4 plays from 7-5 last year we were 3 or 4 plays from 5-7 in 2010. This conference nonsense has got all of our blood boiling but this team was never as good as some are remembering nor as bad as some are saying it is now.

I don't think if-only losses and wins are fungible. Excuses move the needle in a negative direction.

There doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency among some on this forum. We need outstanding on-field performace now, not a decade from now. Because our coach has led us backward for two years is, in my mind, is no reason to find incremental improvement over poor results a justifiable rationale for continued unsatisfactory outcomes.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I don't see how Warde defends a losing record. A win over Maryland and 6-6 he's a lock to come back. A bowl and he comes back.

The question really was what would it take for you to WANT him back, not what you think will get him back.

 

[Marty Jackson]

The question really was what would it take for you to WANT him back, not what you think will get him back.

If P goes 7-5, and beats one of Rutgers, L'ville, or Michigan I take him back. That's the bare minimum results that would have me wanting him back. With this year's schedule, 7-5 sets us back on the right track, builds momentum for the following year, and will get the fans excited for 2014.

10 wins gets an extension for P.

 

[Waquoit]

I think it's hard for a lot of coaches in their first year. ...

That's true, but that was a factor in his getting the job. His experience was supposed to flatten the learning curve. As such, it's unacceptable to use it (not saying you MJ) as a reason for his lack of success.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

If P goes 7-5, and beats one of Rutgers, L'ville, or Michigan I take him back. That's the bare minimum results that would have me wanting him back. With this year's schedule, 7-5 sets us back on the right track, builds momentum for the following year, and will get the fans excited for 2014.

10 wins gets an extension for P.

Why such low expectations? Or, two years ago, would you have said that 5-7, 5-7, and 7-5 would be satisfactory?

 

[freescooter]

Why such low expectations? Or, two years ago, would you have said that 5-7, 5-7, and 7-5 would be satisfactory?

No, but it isn't two years ago. We are where we are, so looking forward 7-5 with at least 1 good win would demonstrate that UConn has turned the corner and is now on the right track. It took longer than I would have liked to make the turn, but I think it would be a sign that we finally did it. My view of the past two seasons is that 2011 was a bit worse than it should have been but given the change in systems, and the lack of a true D1 quarterback, and the losses from a functioning if unexciting offense it wasn't that much of a surprise. We left a couple of wins on the field no doubt, but we also hit some teams that were better than they were expected to be. 2012 was the real disappointment. Easy schedule, more experienced team, solid defense. But the offense was virtually non-existent. With 2011's offense UConn is 7-5 or better. That has been the real issue of the Pasqualoni regime in my mind. An offense that went from plodding but effective under Edsall to utterly ineffective by last season. I think an improved offense will be crucial going forward.

 

[J187Money]

I don't think if-only losses and wins are fungible. Excuses move the needle in a negative direction.

There doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency among some on this forum. We need outstanding on-field performace now, not a decade from now. Because our coach has led us backward for two years is, in my mind, is no reason to find incremental improvement over poor results a justifiable rationale for continued unsatisfactory outcomes.

You are 100% right. I'm not trying to excuse anything. We have a serious problem. I'm just not sure we moved as far backward as some are suggesting. The fan base is pretty much in the same place it was when we were 3-4 in 2010. We won 5 games in a row to close it out. It was awesome. Kinda like FGCU's run in the tourney. All I'm saying is that PP didn't turn Alabama into Prairie View. And in my opinion, the mediocrity of the team over the last two years isn't the thing that kept us out of the ACC and B1G. I think the people that are thinking "if we were only 8-4 the last two years it would have made all of the difference" have lost perspective of where we are in the national landscape (as it relates to football only).

 

[RegisteredUconn]

You are 100% right. I'm not trying to excuse anything. We have a serious problem. I'm just not sure we moved as far backward as some are suggesting. The fan base is pretty much in the same place it was when we were 3-4 in 2010. We won 5 games in a row to close it out. It was awesome. Kinda like FGCU's run in the tourney. All I'm saying is that PP didn't turn Alabama into Prairie View. And in my opinion, the mediocrity of the team over the last two years isn't the thing that kept us out of the ACC and B1G. I think the people that are thinking "if we were only 8-4 the last two years it would have made all of the difference" have lost perspective of where we are in the national landscape (as it relates to football only).

I don't disagree with what you say at all (except for that first sentence which is just downright redonkulous ). Were we now sitting in a BCS conference, I'd have more patience with Pasqualoni, but we're not. Taking a "business as usual" approach as if we were already cashing our B1G checks, as our athletic ship bears down on the iceberg is absolutely the wrong message to be sending. 8-4 next year does very little to excite me because such a record in a conference like the AAC marks us as a failure, not a success.

 

[Jimdish255]

If P goes 7-5, and beats one of Rutgers, L'ville, or Michigan I take him back. That's the bare minimum results that would have me wanting him back. With this year's schedule, 7-5 sets us back on the right track, builds momentum for the following year, and will get the fans excited for 2014.

10 wins gets an extension for P.

If we're moving forward on offense and maintaining a high level on D this scenario would make it hard to roll the dice on a new coach. 7-5 and Weist running an organized productive offense would do it for most of us. Some decent blocking as the season progresses probably gets it done for coach P and his sidekick. 8-4 or better puts us in the conversation as a serious program moving forward, and that's we're we need to be in the next 2 years.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

If we're moving forward on offense and maintaining a high level on D this scenario would make it hard to roll the dice on a new coach. 7-5 and Weist running an organized productive offense would do it for most of us. Some decent blocking as the season progresses probably gets it done for coach P and his sidekick. 8-4 or better puts us in the conversation as a serious program moving forward, and that's we're we need to be in the next 2 years.

I honestly don't see 8-4 in the AAC as getting us anywhere except U Who? 8-4 will not get us into the Best of the Rest Bowl. Ever. Why would 8-4 be our expectation? Back when there was an expanasion feeding frenzy going on 8-4 would keep us in the conversation. Now, if we are to mo ve, we're going to have to kick down the door and announce our presence in such a way that we can't be ignored. 12-0 does that. 11-1 does that, albeit less loudly.

 

[J187Money]

I honestly don't see 8-4 in the AAC as getting us anywhere except U Who? 8-4 will not get us into the Best of the Rest Bowl. Ever. Why would 8-4 be our expectation? Back when there was an expanasion feeding frenzy going on 8-4 would keep us in the conversation. Now, if we are to mo ve, we're going to have to kick down the door and announce our presence in such a way that we can't be ignored. 12-0 does that. 11-1 does that, albeit less loudly.

Agreed. We need to dominate the AAC. Anything less than that cannot be the goal.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

To all: If the job were now vacant and PP a candidate, knowing what is now known, would any of you recommend PP? If the answer is "no," why on earth would you recommend or support re-hire?

If I am correct and PP's contract expires after next season, why in the world would a 7 and 5 or 8 and 4 season warrant an additional year. First, PP wouldn't agree to a year-to-year arrangement. Finally, the present recruiting environment is not being helped by the perception of a "lame-duck" staff. "Lame-duck" X 2 is really stupid.

 

[pj]

To all: If the job were now vacant and PP a candidate, knowing what is now known, would any of you recommend PP? If the answer is "no," why on earth would you recommend or support re-hire?

If I am correct and PP's contract expires after next season, why in the world would a 7 and 5 or 8 and 4 season warrant an additional year. First, PP wouldn't agree to a year-to-year arrangement. Finally, the present recruiting environment is not being helped by the perception of a "lame-duck" staff. "Lame-duck" X 2 is really stupid.

PP has 3 years left on his contract. His buyout declines each year.

I agree that if he went 7-5 and his contract expired we would probably look elsewhere, but it's reasonable to be reluctant to pay a $1 mn (or close) buyout if he's showing progress and can argue the 1st year QBs and o-line learning the system and ineffective OC who has been replaced as the issues in 2011-12. Given the difficult conference situation, we can do worse than P.

 

[Marty Jackson]

That's true, but that was a factor in his getting the job. His experience was supposed to flatten the learning curve. As such, it's unacceptable to use it (not saying you MJ) as a reason for his lack of success.

its not a learning curve... its getting your system installed. its getting your players to accept new coches and a new system. for that reason, along with the level of talent at qb, i can accept the 5-7 his first year.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Why such low expectations? Or, two years ago, would you have said that 5-7, 5-7, and 7-5 would be satisfactory?

7-5 against this schedule is not low expectations.

michigan, l'ville, and rutgers i would assume we're underdogs. that's 9-3 assuming we win every other game.

 

[Marty Jackson]

I honestly don't see 8-4 in the AAC as getting us anywhere except U Who? 8-4 will not get us into the Best of the Rest Bowl. Ever. Why would 8-4 be our expectation? Back when there was an expanasion feeding frenzy going on 8-4 would keep us in the conversation. Now, if we are to mo ve, we're going to have to kick down the door and announce our presence in such a way that we can't be ignored. 12-0 does that. 11-1 does that, albeit less loudly.

you are in for a long season buddy.

 

[Jimdish255]

its not a learning curve... its getting your system installed. its getting your players to accept new coches and a new system. for that reason, along with the level of talent at qb, i can accept the 5-7 his first year.

I don't think what we've seen the last 2 years can be considered acceptable. If you saw my letter to WM you'd be sure of that. But the fact is Coach P is here this year and has 3 years left. So the question of what would it take to want him back is the same as whether it is worth it to fire him. 7-5 this year with a new look and at least 1 good win OOC and 8-4 the next year just barely gets him to year 5 unless recruiting goes over a cliff or some unforeseen circumstance. Is it ideal? No. Does it build us a bridge towards attracting the next coach and quality athletes? Yes.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I don't think what we've seen the last 2 years can be considered acceptable. If you saw my letter to WM you'd be sure of that. But the fact is Coach P is here this year and has 3 years left. So the question of what would it take to want him back is the same as whether it is worth it to fire him. 7-5 this year with a new look and at least 1 good win OOC and 8-4 the next year just barely gets him to year 5 unless recruiting goes over a cliff or some unforeseen circumstance. Is it ideal? No. Does it build us a bridge towards attracting the next coach and quality athletes? Yes.

I consider 7-5 or 8-4 seasons running in place at best. We'd probably get to play in one of those Who Cares Bowls. It would mean four years and all we'd have to show for it would be another search committee.