AD Manuel is not the right guy for the job

[upstater]

I'd argue the "lets be realistic" mantra is part of the reason we are in this mess. I think UCONN is a great place to be and Id gladly take a guy who wants to make a name for himself and move on, because that means he must have succeeded and the program got better for it.

Right, that's exactly what I'm saying. That guy is going to come here if he knows he has the support to turn things around, whereas at Michigan he knows the long knives are out early, and the boosters will do a RichRod number on you in an instant. UConn is not going to attract the kind of coach that is going to risk everything. Not if that same coach can wait a year and land at, say, South Florida. Remember, our braintrust didn't call Addazio. They should have. He went to Temple. But a guy like that could easily end up at a school with a program on UConn's level. He doesn't need UConn.

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

No one fires coaches after 2 years. It's just not done.

If ADs are canned for giving bad coaches 3 years, then Louisville should can Jurich.
ND gave Weis 3 years, Miami gave the last guy 3 years, everyone gets 3 years. Ty Willingham got 3 years at both ND and Washington.

those guys all should have been fired after two years and their programs would have been better off

 

[upstater]

Of course he was hired for the PR value of having "fixed" Buffalo's APR problems. go bakc and read the stories about him. Go back and read about his appointment. that was front and center in EVERYTHING written at the time. Now nobody is going to admit to that now, but at the time, that was clearly on everyone's mind. Go back and read the Buff news from his tenure there. It and hiring the football coach are his top accomplishments en virtually every story about him. It was the thing that made him a "rock star." Had UConn not had its own APR issues at the time, it would not have been enough to get him in the door. But it did and it was.

I'm at Buffalo. I deal with athletics all the time. What you're writing is 100% unadulterated bunk.

First off, I know exactly what they did to bump up the scores, since it was done prior to Manuel getting there. Secondly, the scores went from 890 before he got there to 920 when he left.

Here's the kicker. He wasn't there long enough to make a big impact. APR scores are 4 years behind. The 20 point jump took scores from 4 years prior to Manuel getting there, and the bump happened immediately. It coincided with his presence, but the scores were 4 years old. Did APR scores rise after that initial jump to 920? NO. After Manuel left, did the scores from his tenure contribute to rises? NO. The scores have been at 925 for many years now. Hmmmm, 925, the cutoff. Those are football scores.

I don't know why people were saying bad things about UB basketball. Those scores have always been in the mid 900s. Reggie Witherspoon always did a pretty good job with that. It was the football team that had been hovering in the 890s.

 

[upstater]

those guys all should have been fired after two years and their programs would have been better off

Kansas fired Turner Gill after 2. Are they better off? How does 1-11 sound?

 

[junglehusky]

I was going to write something about CR.....but I came to the same conclusion that you did. To think working the phones and making a pitch would've made even an iota of a difference is just complete nonsense.

I would only add to that - UConn was working the phones, and w were making a pitch. Louisville had a better pitch, and they had a better grasp of ACC politics. If the tobacco road schools had more clout it would've been UConn, not UL.

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Bezzz]

This is Uconn. Not Michigan. Anyone who comes here is looking to make a name for himself and move on. Let's be realistic.

Yup. Just like Geno in '85. And Calhoun in '86.

 

[upstater]

Yup. Just like Geno in '85. And Calhoun in '86.

You realize we're discussing football, right? Little difference between football and women's basketball.

 

[Adios]

I am of those who think 3 years is a wise move. What a shame his likely last year had to be against a home schedule as we have for this season.

 

[Bezzz]

You realize we're discussing football, right? Little difference between football and women's basketball.

I'll give you women's BB as a rare bird but this is not unlike men's BB where UConn was an also-ran in '86 and is now a blue-blood program. UConn's football problems seem to be conference and geography...can these be overcome by a great head coach?

 

[upstater]

I'll give you women's BB as a rare bird but this is not unlike men's BB where UConn was an also-ran in '86 and is now a blue-blood program. UConn's football problems seem to be conference and geography...can these be overcome by a great head coach?

UConn can be AT LEAST as good as Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers and Boston College, and they are all in P5 conferences. But every single school in our cohort, including Cincy and Louisville, have had coaches make a name and then move on (Marrone, Jagodzinski, Schiano, Kelly, John L Smith, D'Antonio, Petrino, etc. Other than Beamer, I can think of absolutely no other long termer, and Virginia Tech is in a very fertile recruiting ground.

 

[Chief00]

Sometimes leadership is about just doing the right thing. In this case the right thing is clearly terminate Coach P immediately.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Where is jags?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

That is reality dude.

We actually came out looking worse on the other end simply because they dithered . There was no fight in those dogs.

But how do you know they were dithering? There are a handful of people that actually know what went on behind closed doors. None of those folks are posting on the BY. People are looking for a scapegoat and ignoring all the reasons why Ville was selected and we weren't.

 

[ZooCougar]

It's not scapegoating, it's pointing to a mentality. I honestly don't believe that they knew what game they were playing, I think they thought they were in and did not understand the groundswell that erupted against them.

And as Warde loves to say: they were not postured to act.

 

[freescooter]

I'm at Buffalo. I deal with athletics all the time. What you're writing is 100% unadulterated bunk.

First off, I know exactly what they did to bump up the scores, since it was done prior to Manuel getting there. Secondly, the scores went from 890 before he got there to 920 when he left.

Here's the kicker. He wasn't there long enough to make a big impact. APR scores are 4 years behind. The 20 point jump took scores from 4 years prior to Manuel getting there, and the bump happened immediately. It coincided with his presence, but the scores were 4 years old. Did APR scores rise after that initial jump to 920? NO. After Manuel left, did the scores from his tenure contribute to rises? NO. The scores have been at 925 for many years now. Hmmmm, 925, the cutoff. Those are football scores.

I don't know why people were saying bad things about UB basketball. Those scores have always been in the mid 900s. Reggie Witherspoon always did a pretty good job with that. It was the football team that had been hovering in the 890s.

I'm not making this up. Rightly or wrongly, he got the credit. I quoted from the Buffalo's own athletic web site. He was there for about 7 years, so he was there for at least 1 full APR cycle plus. Here's the link.
http://www.buffalobulls.com/information/directory/bios/manuel_warde
And I can also tell you that a member of the BoT who I know casually (we work in the same building)told me when he was hired that UConn would be getting an APR waiver because they had hired the best APR guy in the country as AD. Turns out he was wrong, but that was absolutely the perception among many associated with UConn.

 

[freescooter]

I'm at Buffalo. I deal with athletics all the time. What you're writing is 100% unadulterated bunk.

First off, I know exactly what they did to bump up the scores, since it was done prior to Manuel getting there. Secondly, the scores went from 890 before he got there to 920 when he left.

Here's the kicker. He wasn't there long enough to make a big impact. APR scores are 4 years behind. The 20 point jump took scores from 4 years prior to Manuel getting there, and the bump happened immediately. It coincided with his presence, but the scores were 4 years old. Did APR scores rise after that initial jump to 920? NO. After Manuel left, did the scores from his tenure contribute to rises? NO. The scores have been at 925 for many years now. Hmmmm, 925, the cutoff. Those are football scores.

I don't know why people were saying bad things about UB basketball. Those scores have always been in the mid 900s. Reggie Witherspoon always did a pretty good job with that. It was the football team that had been hovering in the 890s.

I'm not making this up. Rightly or wrongly, he got the credit. I quoted from the Buffalo's own athletic web site. He was there for about 7 years, so he was there for at least 1 full APR cycle plus. Here's the link.
http://www.buffalobulls.com/information/directory/bios/manuel_warde
And I can also tell you that a member of the BoT who I know casually (we work in the same building)told me when he was hired that UConn would be getting an APR waiver because they had hired the best APR guy in the country as AD. Turns out he was wrong, but that was absolutely the perception among many associated with UConn.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I'm not making this up. Rightly or wrongly, he got the credit. I quoted from the Buffalo's own athletic web site. He was there for about 7 years, so he was there for at least 1 full APR cycle plus. Here's the link.
http://www.buffalobulls.com/information/directory/bios/manuel_warde
And I can also tell you that a member of the BoT who I know casually (we work in the same building)told me when he was hired that UConn would be getting an APR waiver because they had hired the best APR guy in the country as AD. Turns out he was wrong, but that was absolutely the perception among many associated with UConn.

Kinda ruins the whole credibility thing with your BoT source, no?

 

[upstater]

I'm not making this up. Rightly or wrongly, he got the credit. I quoted from the Buffalo's own athletic web site. He was there for about 7 years, so he was there for at least 1 full APR cycle plus. Here's the link.
http://www.buffalobulls.com/information/directory/bios/manuel_warde
And I can also tell you that a member of the BoT who I know casually (we work in the same building)told me when he was hired that UConn would be getting an APR waiver because they had hired the best APR guy in the country as AD. Turns out he was wrong, but that was absolutely the perception among many associated with UConn.

That BOT member read a press report.

The UB numbers are all available on the NCAA website right now. They are as I reported them. Manuel's numbers did NOT go up. Anyone who says they did is a phony. Manuel started there in late 2005. At the earliest, 2006 is the year he would have installed new programs. I was there earlier and dealt with the new programs in place since he got there. Since APR scores are reported 4 years after the fact, the earliest you'd see a bump for new programs installed in 2006, is 2008 or 2009. When you look at the NCAA numbers, you see that Buffalo's numbers haven't gone up in that period. They are up from 2005-2006 for football.

This statement is totally false:

After inheriting four programs – football, men’s basketball, wrestling, and baseball – that fell far below the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) cut score of 925 when he arrived, diligent work and a focused academic plan led to all four sports – and indeed all 20 of UB’s intercollegiate sports – posting a four-year APR rate above the cut score. At the end of 2009-10, 10 of UB’s 20 sports had scores of 975 or above.

Go look up UB basketball's APR at the NCAA site. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/newmedia/public/rates/index5.html

2005: 941
2006: 946
2007: 975
2008: 971
2009: 943
2010: 943

It looks to me like Manuel's time there coincided with a DECREASE in UB's basketball scores.

Here's another Q for you: guess who is responsible for writing one's bio on a website? Hah, the same as the name at the top. And really, the facts don't support the claims.

I'm going to give UConn some credit in actually vetting the guy's CV and knowing which claims are puffy and which are real. If they didn't, then UConn is not very savvy. If they did, then everyone understands this is a dog-and-pony show, which is what I've been saying about APR all along.

But if it's a dog-and-pony show, then why is Susan Herbst denigrating the NCAA and APR scores as a measure of anything real?

 

[CodyJ.]

you guys are all awesome. This is some good info. Some of what I already knew, a lot of what I didnt. Insight and view points that I was looking for.

I personally just want to see some action and some life in this team and school.

 

[J187Money]

Well, the money was there. The money WAS NOT the issue.

This is important. If Burton (or someone else) offered to pony up the money and Warde said no, that is different than Warde going into the coffers. I have no way of knowing if something like that happened, however.

 

[ZooCougar]

This is important. If Burton (or someone else) offered to pony up the money and Warde said no, that is different than Warde going into the coffers. I have no way of knowing if something like that happened, however.

That is the question.

 

[freescooter]

But how do you know they were dithering? There are a handful of people that actually know what went on behind closed doors. None of those folks are posting on the BY. People are looking for a scapegoat and ignoring all the reasons why Ville was selected and we weren't.

Jimmy you keep saying that but by virtually every measure UConn was superior. market:Hartford New haven is #28, L

ouisville 50. Academics, UConn is comparable to most ACC schools, Louisville is comparable to Manchester Community College. Basketball: both are good, but UConn is superior by any measure. Football: Over any reasonable time period it is a push. Throw out our transitional year and we're 4-4 all time. Charlie Strong went 7-6, 7-6 before last year, so UL hasn't exactly been Oklahoma under Bud Wilkinson during his tenure either. And we beat their best team in a decade on the road. Geographic continuity: UConn makes more sense. Warde monitored like a sumbitch while his counterpart form UL worked the phones, emailed, lined up political support, submitted largely bogus academic improvement plans and otherwise sold his school. Warde monitored the hell out of the situation, though. As I'm sure he's doing with the football program right now.

 

[sdhusky]

Jimmy you keep saying that but by virtually every measure UConn was superior.

except one. What was it? Oh yeah. Football.

 

[freescooter]

sd, that is interesting but not really accurate. Louisville had 1 good season, and lost to UConn! People talk as if Louisville is this great power program. With the exception of the Petrino years they have been fine, but nothing special. yeah, they had a good season last year, but come on. Even if you just look at Strong, he was 6-6, 7-5 his first two years. he had a very nice team with an all american quarterback last year and the same guy htis year. let's see if he goes 11-2 again next year when he's got to replace Teddy Bridgewater.

 

[zls44]

Where is jags?

Georgia State OC. A stunning fall.

 

[J187Money]

sd, that is interesting but not really accurate. Louisville had 1 good season, and lost to UConn! People talk as if Louisville is this great power program. With the exception of the Petrino years they have been fine, but nothing special. yeah, they had a good season last year, but come on. Even if you just look at Strong, he was 6-6, 7-5 his first two years. he had a very nice team with an all american quarterback last year and the same guy htis year. let's see if he goes 11-2 again next year when he's got to replace Teddy Bridgewater.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville_Cardinals_football#Modern_Era_.281985-Present.29

5 top 25 finishes including 2x at #6. Trust me if the facts were reversed we'd be trumpeting them in our favor. By any objective measure they are better.

 

[upstater]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville_Cardinals_football#Modern_Era_.281985-Present.29

5 top 25 finishes including 2x at #6. Trust me if the facts were reversed we'd be trumpeting them in our favor. By any objective measure they are better.

# of players in NFL?

 

[J187Money]

# of players in NFL?

 

[freescooter]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville_Cardinals_football#Modern_Era_.281985-Present.29

5 top 25 finishes including 2x at #6. Trust me if the facts were reversed we'd be trumpeting them in our favor. By any objective measure they are better.

They're fine but over the same period they also had 8 seasons where they won 3 games or less, too. They had a great and impressive run under Petrino. Before and since they have been pretty average, where they will return once Bridgewater graduates. But that's part of the issue. Their AD managed to paint a picture of Louisville as Oklahoma 1954-58 when they went 51-2. Our AD monitored the bejeesus out of the situation. Louisville is a nice program, somewhat ahead of where UConn is, but not so far ahead that they outclassed us. I think that is the major point. They aren't friggin' Notre Dame or Alabama. Though to read this place or some of the nonsense written about them during the ACC process, or to hear the stuff being spouted by Jurich at the time, I sometimes thought we were hearing about Michigan or Alabama or maybe USC. They have a longer, though not overly impressive history than UConn. But they are not so far ahead of us that we go into the game thinking we have no chance (well maybe we do this year, but we had no chance against Towson, so I'm not sure this year means much).

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Jimmy you keep saying that but by virtually every measure UConn was superior. market:Hartford New haven is #28, L

ouisville 50. Academics, UConn is comparable to most ACC schools, Louisville is comparable to Manchester Community College. Basketball: both are good, but UConn is superior by any measure. Football: Over any reasonable time period it is a push. Throw out our transitional year and we're 4-4 all time. Charlie Strong went 7-6, 7-6 before last year, so UL hasn't exactly been Oklahoma under Bud Wilkinson during his tenure either. And we beat their best team in a decade on the road. Geographic continuity: UConn makes more sense. Warde monitored like a sumbitch while his counterpart form UL worked the phones, emailed, lined up political support, submitted largely bogus academic improvement plans and otherwise sold his school. Warde monitored the hell out of the situation, though. As I'm sure he's doing with the football program right now.

This post is riddled with so many inaccuracies and false assumptions I literally have no idea where to begin.