An Open Letter to David Benedict

[Dooley]

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.

I agree and I understand it's a financial decision. It's just very difficult for me to accept it given the fact that our AD budget is miles away from the next closest BYU and about $15M-$20M more than the next AAC school. I know much of it is subsidized and UConn, at some point, will need to decide if subsidizing track & field and other Olympics is worth the cost or if we just abandon trying to play championship caliber sports and cut that budget down in half altogether.

UConn boasted about its $72M budget in the last few months as it should - top to bottom, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better athletic department in the country. Football is quite literally the *only* thing cementing us in the G5 and I don't understand why some more of that $72M is not earmarked to fixing football. If we had a football program with a half pulse, we might be in the Big 12 right now. Yes, $5M or $3.5M is a lot of scratch for an AAC school and that's just to get him out. We still have to find and pay for a good staff to replace this one. I just think this is the last chance to get it right. There will only be one last desperate attempt to get out of the G5 when the B1G/FOX deal expires and B12 GOR comes to an end. After that, turn off the lights. If we were ever serious about restoring football back to the competitive seasons we had in the Big East, now is absolutely the time to do it. We need to fix football now so that when the last train out of G5 leaves the station, we will be competitive mode and not rebuilding fish cake fake FG mode.

 

[Dooley]

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.

Tom Herman. Matt Rhule. Justin Fuente. Heck, even Steve Addazzio had some success in the hybrid Big East/AAC at Temple before he left for BC. USF has turned it around, Navy always wins and is top 25 material, and even hot garbage like SMU, UCF, and Tulsa are putting together competitive campaigns very quickly after making coaching changes to go offensive.

I agree, perception of UConn football is awful. It's awful because we continue to dumpster dive for coaches. Pony up the money, bring in a top G5 staff. The last train out of the AAC leaves the station in early/mid 2020s. We need to be ready and not have a football program that scores 1 TD in a month on our CR profile.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Anybody laying the blame for this mess on David Benedict is barking up the wrong tree. Ask yourself if the changes he has made are positive. I think they are. I'm on board with the position that Diaco needs to go, but I do not, under any circumstance, want to lose Benedict. Can you even imagine the level of replacement we'd get for him if we dumped him for problems not of his making? Nobody. That's who. We would be blacklisted.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Thanks to the extension, UConn is in quite a bind. The options are:

1) Keep Diaco for the 2017 season. The buyouts, $5M or $3.5M, are very large for an athletic department on an AAC budget. If he is kept for money reasons (and honestly, the buyout is the *ONLY* reason he would be retained), then Benedict will absolutely have to dedicate more money into rounding out a MUCH better staff, even if Diaco disagrees. The staff he has assembled has been a disaster and it's largely due to the fact that UConn has always cut corners on paying for good assistants. We need a good OC to offset Diaco's overly-conservative tendencies - and if he's hired under a similar guise as TJ Weist was hired by Warde (over PP's head), then hopefully this will mean we will play football closer to 2017 than 1917. If Diaco is not happy with his new, well paid, staff, then maybe a cheaper buyout can be negotiated and we can turn the page quicker.

PRO: UConn saves a lot of money. Paying $750K - $1M/yr for a top flight OC is much cheaper than paying $5M or $3.5M to buy out Diaco (plus the additional buyouts to his staff). Would TJ Weist come back to UConn if we doubled his USF salary? Could we get another good OC from the G5 ranks to come here for doubled salary? I bet we could. Same applies to DC. The conservative style of coaching extends to defense (rush 3, play DBs 10-15 yards off the LOS, go into soft zone). If we increased our DC pay pool to, say, double Todd Orlando's Houston salary, would he come here? If Herman left Houston, he might bring Orlando with him to Texas or LSU or wherever. Or, Orlando might be tapped as Herman's replacement at Houston. But like OC, we need an upgrade at DC as well.

CON: Tickets sales plummet and we run the risk of yet another year where the casual fan is removed from giving a hoot about UConn football. Diehard fans will think long and hard about renewing. If diehard fans like @whaler11 are lost, that is a disaster for the program and the athletic department. Hiring a new OC and DC is not as "sexy" for the fans and won't compel many into renewing or purchasing new tickets. Skepticism will remain: who is actually calling/influencing plays - Diaco or new OC? Also, this team quit on the season during the ECU game. If he's brought back, how many players remain? And if they do remain, how much effort and heart can we expect from them? The entire team, save for a handful of guys, have been going through the motions in the ECU, Temple and BC games. The team is lost. Would bringing Diaco back for another season cement another losing season in 2017?

2. Save $1.5M and wait until 1/2/17 to fire Diaco. $1.5M is not a lot of scratch if we were in the Power-5 but, as we all know, we are not. $1.5M is a lot of scratch for an AAC athletic department when you consider that savings is roughly the equivalent level payout that we receive from ESPN for being in this second-rate conference. If they take this approach, they would run the risk of losing recruits for a full season AND not being able to land a top coach that will be needed to 1) win football games and 2) sell tickets. PJ Fleck and other top candidates will surely garner a TON of interest from ADs who have a lot more money than we have. If we can't come out of the gates (read: November 26th) with a very competitive financial offer to bring in Fleck or Moorhead or whoever, then we might have to sort through the "leftovers" bin to find our 2017 head coach. Maybe Jim Tressel will last until after the New Year, maybe he won't. Maybe Benedict can interview candidates through back channels until 1/2 and find his guy later in the coaching carousel silly season. That's a dangerous game to play when you think about the amount of top openings there are around the country.

PRO: UConn saves $1.5M. *If* Benedict can interview and reach verbal agreements on a new head coach prior to January, then it might be worth it. Obviously, canning Diaco and his staff would energize our fanbase and players. It will take years to dig out from the combined mess that PP and BD have contributed to our program, but thanks to the stall in CR in coming years, we now have years to build our football program back up to acceptable P5 levels when the next wave starts. We will just have to hope that the guy we hire on January 2nd will be good enough to keep the season tickets holders in tact.

CON: By waiting, we run the risk of not finding the right guy to be our coach. Not only do we need a new head coach, but we also have to round out a good staff too. There would be a lot of positions that would need filling and waiting until January will cut our candidate pool down considerably. UConn desperately needs to sell tickets again and circle the wagons on its diehard fanbase first, then worry about adding new casual fans later. The longer we wait to name a new guy, the more disenchanted with the program the fans will become. We would also guarantee ourselves of not being able to get a single recruit to commit to UConn until our situation "clears up". No kid is going to commit to UConn while we are in a state of coaching purgatory - and rightfully so. Yes, UConn will say all of the right things: "We are committed to Bob Diaco", but if kids don't believe it (and they probably won't), they aren't coming to UConn. And that only gives the new coach 1 month to recruit and find kids. In other words, we can toss away our entire 2017 recruiting class.

3. Bite the bullet, pay the $5M+ buyout, and fire Diaco immediately following the Tulane game. The most expensive option considering that we also need to buy out his staff *and* hire a whole new staff. Suddenly, that number swells closer to $10M than $5M, all-in. I don't know that an AAC school can afford to make that kind of financial decision without serious aid from donors or adding to the already high subsidy. The effect though, would be positive. If Diaco isn't the guy, which he has shown to everyone that he isn't, then, from a football perspective, moving on quickly would be most beneficial for all involved parties. It gives Diaco and his staff time to find another job, which they will, and it gives UConn the most time to put together a viable candidate pool for not only head coach, but an entire staff.

PRO: Everyone wins. Diaco and his staff have ample time to find another job - which they will (Paul Pasqualoni and George DeLeone found new jobs!). UConn has the most time possible to assemble a top coaching staff. The new coaching staff could energize our fanbase (very much needed!) and excite our players to the point that they start to care again on game days. Players need confidence in their coaching staff to put them in the right position to succeed and win. It's more than clear that the players have given up on this entire staff - perhaps none more evident than the way they completely gave up at Boston College after we passed up a 1Q FG, on 4th and 18, in favor of a low percentage throw by our 4th string QB. Players can read and they can read the stuff that is written by our media, the fans, and on social media. Hope is lost on every level and a quick change allows everyone to turn the page as quickly as possible.

CON: Obviously, money. When the all-in cost after a new staff is named approaches $10M, that cost will need to come from somewhere. Will UConn be forced to up their own subsidy? Probably. Will UConn pass the added cost to its alumni/fans? Probably there too. Will UConn need to think long and hard about making some cuts to other sports in its athletic department? Unfortunately, probably that too. UConn might be able to raise ticket prices if they hire a staff that brings genuine excitement, which is why getting out in front of the coaching line is important. Aside from the financial impact, there really isn't another CON (unless the new coach and staff fall flat on their faces too).

4. Do nothing - bring everyone back for 2017 under the shortest of leashes. The pros and cons of doing this are obvious. Yes, UConn saves money but it runs the risk of continuing the trend of losing fans, media, players and recruits. UConn football is a national punchline and until it isn't, we are cemented to the AAC.

If we can reduce the buyout by waiting until January, and if Diaco is better off getting himself on the market sooner rather than later, why wouldn't we negotiate a reduced buyout and have him gone sooner? It is a win win. Certainly his staff would be better off with more time to land jobs.

 

[gioff23]

Tom Herman. Matt Rhule. Justin Fuente. Heck, even Steve Addazzio had some success in the hybrid Big East/AAC at Temple before he left for BC. USF has turned it around, Navy always wins and is top 25 material, and even hot garbage like SMU, UCF, and Tulsa are putting together competitive campaigns very quickly after making coaching changes to go offensive.

I agree, perception of UConn football is awful. It's awful because we continue to dumpster dive for coaches. Pony up the money, bring in a top G5 staff. The last train out of the AAC leaves the station in early/mid 2020s. We need to be ready and not have a football program that scores 1 TD in a month on our CR profile.

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.

we were also a play from being beaten by Maine and a missed chip shot from likely losing to UVa. We are what we are, and that is a not very good team, that is clearly confused, lacking confidence, and mailing it in.

 

[gioff23]

Tom Herman. Matt Rhule. Justin Fuente. Heck, even Steve Addazzio had some success in the hybrid Big East/AAC at Temple before he left for BC. USF has turned it around, Navy always wins and is top 25 material, and even hot garbage like SMU, UCF, and Tulsa are putting together competitive campaigns very quickly after making coaching changes to go offensive.

I agree, perception of UConn football is awful. It's awful because we continue to dumpster dive for coaches. Pony up the money, bring in a top G5 staff. The last train out of the AAC leaves the station in early/mid 2020s. We need to be ready and not have a football program that scores 1 TD in a month on our CR profile.

I was not suggesting no one can win in AAC, that would be impossible. But you did kinda make my point - everyone has shown they can win in the AAC .... everyone but us. While I am in the camp of move on from Diaco, we are in a bad spot on several fronts. We are not a top G5 job right now. No one has been able to win here since RE, and his ceiling was 8-9. And the program has effectively had a handful of good years since leaving 1-AA - no history. We are not in a great geographical area for recruiting. Now, that is the perception. Whether you agree is a different issue.

But firing Diaco tells the coaching community that this is a tough place to further your career. Mr. New Hire is now coach 5 since 2009. There are no winning seasons, no quick fixes, and if it takes you more than 2 years to right the ship, you'll be gone. Ask PP and BD. Sure, you can negotiate a decent salary and UConn does have a good brand, but again, why has no one been able to elevate this program to G5 status? Oh, and you can figure that out while the state taxes the heck out of you.

For those thinking a PJF is going to seriously consider this gig (which is where this discussion was), then you're smoking something funny. Can we get an up and comer, sure. Many of us thought we did in BD. Personally, I think our fortunes are better off if we move now and move to a coach who had prior success at a high level but is currently on the outside looking in. Regardless, I think we need to move on. I might feel differently if the players played hard, but my eyes tell me they've quit on the staff. And I think we need some perspective when we do. We can get back to being a G5 program, but we are not anywhere near one today.

 

[Adios]

I was not suggesting no one can win in AAC, that would be impossible. But you did kinda make my point - everyone has shown they can win in the AAC .... everyone but us. While I am in the camp of move on from Diaco, we are in a bad spot on several fronts. We are not a top G5 job right now. No one has been able to win here since RE, and his ceiling was 8-9. And the program has effectively had a handful of good years since leaving 1-AA - no history. We are not in a great geographical area for recruiting. Now, that is the perception. Whether you agree is a different issue.

But firing Diaco tells the coaching community that this is a tough place to further your career. Mr. New Hire is now coach 5 since 2009. There are no winning seasons, no quick fixes, and if it takes you more than 2 years to right the ship, you'll be gone. Ask PP and BD. Sure, you can negotiate a decent salary and UConn does have a good brand, but again, why has no one been able to elevate this program to G5 status? Oh, and you can figure that out while the state taxes the heck out of you.

For those thinking a PJF is going to seriously consider this gig (which is where this discussion was), then you're smoking something funny. Can we get an up and comer, sure. Many of us thought we did in BD. Personally, I think our fortunes are better off if we move now and move to a coach who had prior success at a high level but is currently on the outside looking in. Regardless, I think we need to move on. I might feel differently if the players played hard, but my eyes tell me they've quit on the staff. And I think we need some perspective when we do. We can get back to being a G5 program, but we are not anywhere near one today.

Everyone but us. That proves we can win. Duh....

This P6 thing might help make it easier for UConn to can Diaco with a potential increase in media revenue on the horizon.

 

[Go Dogs!!]

David Benedict needs to look at our short history and realize that we don't deserve this product. See what Randy Edsall built from the ground up with great players that not many wanted, and just played their hearts out and loved the program. Go back in time and see the coaches and players that raised the bar every year and had so much success. Understands the emotional highs and lows that we fought through. We had unknowns that made it to Sunday's and we lost a football brother, Jasper. Look at our biggest Victory over ND just 7 years ago last weekend. Read off the names and watch them play the greatest game in UCONN History! It's amazing how many great players made plays that day and so many more. We have great history also that we want back.

Davis Benedict needs to understand the animal and realize we want to compete with the big boys and have no matter what in the past. He needs to raise the bar and get us back on track. I want to believe that if Randy Edsall knew what would happen to his program, he would have stayed and continued the climb up the mountain. I believe we'd be in a better place today. So with that, David Benedict, We just don't deserve what has happened the past few years and I'm sure the past coaches and players feel the same way so make it right again, raise the bar.

 

[FDNY99]

David Benedict needs to look at our short history and realize that we don't deserve this product. See what Randy Edsall built from the ground up with great players that not many wanted, and just played their hearts out and loved the program. Go back in time and see the coaches and players that raised the bar every year and had so much success. Understands the emotional highs and lows that we fought through. We had unknowns that made it to Sunday's and we lost a football brother, Jasper. Look at our biggest Victory over ND just 7 years ago last weekend. Read off the names and watch them play the greatest game in UCONN History! It's amazing how many great players made plays that day and so many more. We have great history also that we want back.

Davis Benedict needs to understand the animal and realize we want to compete with the big boys and have no matter what in the past. He needs to raise the bar and get us back on track. I want to believe that if Randy Edsall knew what would happen to his program, he would have stayed and continued the climb up the mountain. I believe we'd be in a better place today. So with that, David Benedict, We just don't deserve what has happened the past few years and I'm sure the past coaches and players feel the same way so make it right again, raise the bar.

Randy Edsall left because of 2 things...he couldn't stand Jeff hathaway and his body of work at UConn earned him a big $ payday.

 

[Caronimo]

I chanted "bobs gotta go" in the bathroom after the UVA win. People gave me sh.it for it but it was warrented. The guy lost the navy game and deserved to lose that game. Now everyone agrees mmhm