An Open Letter to David Benedict

[NEforceUConn]

I think negotiations begin on 11/27 and Diaco settles for $3.8 or $4 mio, stepping down in early Dec. UConn then immediately communicates he is gone and hopefully Benedict announces a new HC a week after. This would give us a new HC by say 12/15. This assumes the decision was made and communicated to him that he is gone. If that's the case Diaco will accept less than $5 mio because he knows its only $3.5 mio on Jan 2.

If UConn is going to give him another year then all is moot - including the fb program.

I believe Whaler said although the buyout is large it is reduced by any new job (salary) that Diaco earns as a DC (or assistant). The payout is also over a few years and if his new anticipated earnings does reduce the payout then its doable.

Maybe a sanity clause exists which would trump the buyout.

New HC wise I like Schiano but if OSU makes the playoffs he would not be able to start until Jan, and getting someone to start sooner would be much preferred. But UConn cn not take a flyer on a HC, it needs to be a recent proven winner. Because with the final CR due in say 6 years we have a lot of ground to make up.

 

[Walker11]

Can we please not mention Fleck as a possibility?

 

[Dooley]

@Dooley It's not my money obviously but I think that we need to go all in and make one last push to be a top 40 to top 50 consistent program. That is unequivocally not happening with Diaco.

UConn athletics are at a cross roads. I think we empty the war chest one last time and go all in for football to try and improve by the early 2020s when CR maybe revs up again.

If it all fails and CR doesn't happen again? We may be effed anyway and be begging for a Big East invite and dropping football anyways.

I tend to agree. I think the longer Diaco remains our coach, the more damage it does to the program, the fans, alumni, and the school. It sucks to the fans who pay for the tickets and will likely be asked to subsidize some of the cost on replacing the coach, but this is our last shot of getting out of the AAC. I'm actually in the camp that would prefer to fire Diaco now and commit to paying a new coach at the top of the entire G5. What good is a $72M AD budget if we continue to cheap out in the one and only thing that cements us to the AAC? Even if it means that my ticket prices go up to bring in a top coach or that a few of Olympic sports are cut, so be it. The damage that our national punchline football program is doing to the entire school and athletic department is real. We need to win football games and sell tickets desperately. I think that if we earmark $3M/yr to a top head coach and commit to paying for good assistants, than we can correct this much faster than going an economic route and hoping for the best bringing in an untested coordinator.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Can we please not mention Fleck as a possibility?

If Fleck is Schiano i disagree. Yes we don't like him, but he knows NJ and was a proven winner at RU, and doesn't have too shabby a position as DC at OSU.

 

[Dooley]

Can we please not mention Fleck as a possibility?

No. UConn needs to aim high and position itself to paying its next head coach at the top of the G5. If he wants to coach in the P5, then so be it. But UConn should absolutely make a full pitch to try to lure him here.

 

[BlueDogs]

If Fleck is Schiano i disagree. Yes we don't like him, but he knows NJ and was a proven winner at RU, and doesn't have too shabby a position as DC at OSU.

Unless it is an OC with a track record of putting up numbers, I don't want to hear about it.

 

[huskymedic]

I believe Whaler said although the buyout is large it is reduced by any new job (salary) that Diaco earns as a DC (or assistant). The payout is also over a few years and if his new anticipated earnings does reduce the payout then its doable.

I do not believe either the initial contract agreement or the contract extension contains future salary offset language.

If Diaco leaves on his own accord to accept another HC or Asst HC job (D1 or pro team) he owns UConn the following:

1/15/2016 to 11/26/2016 - $700k
11/27/16 to 11/26/17 - $350k
11/27/17 to 11/26/18 - $175k
11/27/18 to 11/26/19 - $100k
11/27/19 to 11.27/19 - $50k

 

[Walker11]

No. UConn needs to aim high and position itself to paying its next head coach at the top of the G5. If he wants to coach in the P5, then so be it. But UConn should absolutely make a full pitch to try to lure him here.

Your post was a great summary of the options, I just think that one tidbit is 100% unrealistic. Fleck is going to land a very good job this winter.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

@Dooley The point about the impressive $72M budget but cutting corners in football spending (in all aspects except buyouts for whatever reason..) drives me insane too. Where is all the money going to? I hate to be so calloused but we need to reel in and or at worst cut some sports and make one last push for the P5. It's the only thing that can balance our budget. And if we get into the P5? Programs can be brought back. It sucks that we are here but we are certainly not allocating our resources with regard to what can later return the most return on investment if we are dumping money into womens hoops, men's soccer, hockey, etc.

 

[Dooley]

Your post was a great summary of the options, I just think that one tidbit is 100% unrealistic. Fleck is going to land a very good job this winter.

I don't disagree with you. Fleck will likely end up at a P5 job. But I still want UConn to reach out to him aggressively.

 

[BlueDogs]

@Dooley The point about the impressive $72M budget but cutting corners in football spending (in all aspects except buyouts for whatever reason..) drives me insane too. Where is all the money going to? I hate to be so calloused but we need to reel in and or at worst cut some sports and make one last push for the P5. It's the only thing that can balance our budget. And if we get into the P5? Programs can be brought back. It sucks that we are here but we are certainly not allocating our resources with regard to what can later return the most return on investment if we are dumping money into womens hoops, men's soccer, hockey, etc.

Benedict might be another loser in an increasingly long line of bad hires. I see nothing from the guy in terms vision, leadership or engagement. You can't go into hiding and ignore this ephing unbelievable mess. This includes men's BB and its ongoing decline. If you can't anchor your sports with men's football and basketball, the rest is a side show. Those are the only sports that can generate big revenue. You need to take action, even if it is symbolic action.

 

[Dooley]

@Dooley The point about the impressive $72M budget but cutting corners in football spending (in all aspects except buyouts for whatever reason..) drives me insane too. Where is all the money going to? I hate to be so calloused but we need to reel in and or at worst cut some sports and make one last push for the P5. It's the only thing that can balance our budget. And if we get into the P5? Programs can be brought back. It sucks that we are here but we are certainly not allocating our resources with regard to what can later return the most return on investment if we are dumping money into womens hoops, men's soccer, hockey, etc.

Agree 1000%. We are the top total budget in the G5 but barely crack the top half of football spending...in the AAC.

 

[Caronimo]

He has to be fired. Sure he might get us 6 or 7 wins (probably not) but it will still be boring as$ football that will result in more empty seats. He has also lost the casual fans. The only people who still attend are boneheaded die hard bone yarders and half of us don't even bother anymore.

 

[gioff23]

I don't disagree with you. Fleck will likely end up at a P5 job. But I still want UConn to reach out to him aggressively.

We need a serious dose of reality. Do you really believe UConn is perceived to be a step up from WMU? The sad reality is that we would be perceived as a lateral, at best. My fear is we are perceived as a step down. We need a guy who is desperate to get back in and could turn this place on a dime - Shady, Briles, etc. We have a better chance at Tom Herman than we do at PJ.

 

[Hoophound]

We need a serious dose of reality. Do you really believe UConn is perceived to be a step up from WMU? The sad reality is that we would be perceived as a lateral, at best. My fear is we are perceived as a step down. We need a guy who is desperate to get back in and could turn this place on a dime - Shady, Briles, etc. We have a better chance at Tom Herman than we do at PJ.

We pay a lot more.

 

[Dooley]

We need a serious dose of reality. Do you really believe UConn is perceived to be a step up from WMU? The sad reality is that we would be perceived as a lateral, at best. My fear is we are perceived as a step down. We need a guy who is desperate to get back in and could turn this place on a dime - Shady, Briles, etc. We have a better chance at Tom Herman than we do at PJ.

I think Fleck ends up in the P5 but why do you think UConn is lateral to W Michigan?? Fleck makes less than $1M/yr at W Michigan. Even if we offered him Diaco money, that almost doubles his salary alone. The AAC > MAC. UConn has much better football facilities than Western Michigan. While I don't think he'll leave to come to UConn (unless we offer him some serious money), I don't understand how you think UConn is not a step up from any MAC job.

 

[Fishy]

Finances will make this decision.

If they can afford to fire him, they will. If they can't, they won't.

Our reality is that we're not Texas or USC or even Kansas who can pay multiple coaches not to coach while going out with a blank check for the next guy.

 

[polycom]

I'm sure a major UConn donor has seen enough...the issue are they willing to write the check for BD or KO....

 

[UConnJim]

Unfortunately, Fishy is correct. The $5 million buyout is an albatross around Benedict's neck. Can you really see UConn paying Diaco $5 million to walk away plus spending big money on a new football coach and staff given the financial condition of the athletic department and the state of CT? It's not happening.

I've given up on Diaco, but I understand the financial situation and I'm thinking he returns next year. If he does come back, I just hope he stops speaking in gibberish.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

If there was a guaranteed, can't miss hire out there, it would make absolute sense to can Diaco tonight and start working on bringing in his replacement, even if it means taking a five million dollar cash advance on a credit card.

Whoever we hire will be some form of a gamble so we will need to be very prudent with how we will move on. Think about what we make in television money for all sports and how long it would take to earn five million (or even three and a half million) dollars.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Let's try some math:

When we were selling out the Rent - if you say the average ticket was $35 (plus seat donations, etc) 40k x $35 = $1,400,000 x 6(at least games = $8, 400,000 in ticket revenue plus.
25,000tickets sold x $35 = 875,000 x 7 games = 6,125,000
Next year if Diaco stays
$15,000 x $35 = $525,000 x 7 games = 3,675,000

6,125,000 - 3,675,000= $2,450,000 lost revenue in ticket sales

New blood can keep us at 25k and ultimately get us back to 30 -35 k ATTENDANCE in the AAC.

This is why Diaco has to go- we can't afford the lost revenue in ticket sales. There is enough room to double ticket revenue annually with a competent coach and program. Jan 1 he needs to go.

 

[gioff23]

I think Fleck ends up in the P5 but why do you think UConn is lateral to W Michigan?? Fleck makes less than $1M/yr at W Michigan. Even if we offered him Diaco money, that almost doubles his salary alone. The AAC > MAC. UConn has much better football facilities than Western Michigan. While I don't think he'll leave to come to UConn (unless we offer him some serious money), I don't understand how you think UConn is not a step up from any MAC job.

read the post, please. The PERCEPTION of UConn football is not good.

Our next coach will be our 4th this decade, not including TJ. Each progressively worse than the other. We need to stop touting facilities built over a decade ago. Like on the field performance, most schools have facilities equal to or better than ours. And we have a small off campus stadium, poor geography to recruit from, a small fanbase, etc. Worse, I am increasingly of the belief that the football program does not have the support of the administration in terms of paying for staff, recruiting athletes, accepting juco's etc. You can win at a directional MAC program and land a P5 job - no one has proven that you can win here in the AAC. The next coach that can't win here will have others believing this is a place where good coaches come to die. And coaches talk to each other. We need to figure out what we want to be and how we are going to get there as of now we are rudderless, on and off the field. And we need to start with the reality that we have been passed by countless programs we catapulted past when we began this journey in to 1-A.

 

[politics]

read the post, please. The PERCEPTION of UConn football is not good.

No one has proven that you can win here in the AAC.

Never mind the nattering negativity in the rest of the post. Randy Edsall shared two Big East titles and beat Notre Dame and South Carolina, and West Virginia in addition to staying competitive with Rutgers, Syracuse Louisville and Pitt. We were 1 freaking inch from beating Navy, four stupid play calls from beating Syracuse, and numerous more from beating UCF before Diaco lost the team. Get a competent offensive coach (and line coach) here and the gap that does exist narrows in a hurry. This is a stepping stone job, yes, but it's a stepping stone up, not down. You can keep talking down UConn like it's Kent State or Ball State but thankfully most people in the business don't view it that way.

 

[CTMike]

read the post, please. The PERCEPTION of UConn football is not good.

Our next coach will be our 4th this decade, not including TJ. Each progressively worse than the other. We need to stop touting facilities built over a decade ago. Like on the field performance, most schools have facilities equal to or better than ours. And we have a small off campus stadium, poor geography to recruit from, a small fanbase, etc. Worse, I am increasingly of the belief that the football program does not have the support of the administration in terms of paying for staff, recruiting athletes, accepting juco's etc. You can win at a directional MAC program and land a P5 job - no one has proven that you can win here in the AAC. The next coach that can't win here will have others believing this is a place where good coaches come to die. And coaches talk to each other. We need to figure out what we want to be and how we are going to get there as of now we are rudderless, on and off the field. And we need to start with the reality that we have been passed by countless programs we catapulted past when we began this journey in to 1-A.

Unfortunately there is a lot of harsh truth in this post. We couldn't afford to sink any lower after P yet here we are. We may have had a leg up on the competition 6 years ago but that is no longer the case until someone comes in here and fixes this never ending disaster.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

Unfortunately, Fishy is correct. The $5 million buyout is an albatross around Benedict's neck. Can you really see UConn paying Diaco $5 million to walk away plus spending big money on a new football coach and staff given the financial condition of the athletic department and the state of CT? It's not happening.

I've given up on Diaco, but I understand the financial situation and I'm thinking he returns next year. If he does come back, I just hope he stops speaking in gibberish.

That's like asking Arndt Schwarzenegger to stop speaking with an accent. Never gonna happen.