Anthony: Behind the Scenes with Randy Edsall

[Jimmy Serrano]

Let’s hope whomever the player is - is more Andre Dixon and less like Eric Kureacza.

 

[ZooCougar]

Man. I am probably the least likely person to say it, but I really missed Randy Edsall.

I used to fly thousands of miles to see a game, home or away.

It might finally be time to get invested in this team again.

 

[Hornet22]

Does anyone reasonable on here disagree with 2-4 wins? Like you said, everyone from AD David Benedict to Edsall have been pretty clear about that this spring without saying we're gonna lose a bunch of games explicitly.

It’s tough to predict. So many things can change the landscape of each team in the conference. Injuries and continued attrition, adapting to a new staff and other variables can change the outcome of games.
All I want to see is a competitive, physical and disciplined (stupid penalties kill) team. I reasonably believe that people can stomach a rebuild no matter how many wins and losses as long as you see those things.
The culture he’s building within the locker room and the building will have players holding each other accountable. And for the ones that don’t want to accept they will leave or get the boot.

 

[UConn66]

““I told you that when we recruited you. I'm not going to be two-faced or not hold you to the standards we've said we’d hold you to. I'm not going to cheat you. Then you’re home sitting on the street and then what? … Look at me when I'm talking. You've been allowed to get away with things and nobody has held you accountable like I'm going to. This is the best thing for you.”

To me this beautifully summarizes what college athletics is about and what makes a great coach.

This is Randy Edsall at his best, and that translates to performance on the field and in life. Way to go, Coach.

 

[freescooter]

We've discussed this at the time.

PP and GDL were lazy and just playing it out on their terms.

Disco was an incompetent nut.

Neither regime respected the program enough to push expectations. They all thought UConn's lot in the FB world was make a crappy bowl game once in a while with whichever scouting service rejects decided to come here. They never went out and did the work to find the good players no one knew about.

I think the big difference was that Pasqualoni actually knew what he should have been doing. He just couldn’t be bothered actually doing it. Plus he didn’t get that it was no longer 1987 and you need to run a program 365 days a year now.

Diaco was different. He was clueless about how to run a program or evaluate talent but I also thought he didn’t respect the program enough to think he should or could get real D1 players. He saw UConn as many in the media do, little more than a glorified 1AA program. And that was the level of recruit he landed.

 

[Palatine]

I think the big difference was that Pasqualoni actually knew what he should have been doing. He just couldn’t be bothered actually doing it. Plus he didn’t get that it was no longer 1987 and you need to run a program 365 days a year now.

I think this is spot on. P. said all the right things and never followed through on them. He just couldn't bring himself to hold players (or coaches) accountable. He coached like the fire was gone.

 

[huskysupporter]

I think this is spot on. P. said all the right things and never followed through on them. He just couldn't bring himself to hold players (or coaches) accountable. He coached like the fire was gone.

Without a doubt. College head coaches have to be invested 365 days a year. Looked like he didn’t have the passion anymore. Wish he realized this (or uconn did) before he accepted the position.

Diaco was a complete dumpster fire - Coaching and Recruiting. It’s not that he had no passion, it’s just he had no idea what he was doing. His game day coaching was abysmal.

 

[freescooter]

Except for the snazzy red pants...he was a sartorial trendsetter

 

[Redding Husky]

It sounds like we're getting our $1 million out of him.

 

[Husky68]

2017 UConn was 3-9 and had legit shot at going anywhere from 0-12 to 5-7 (UCF sound familiar). That's how seasons turn on a few plays.
UConn's wins were by 4,6,7 points. Not hard to see these as potential loses given just one bone head play, great play by opponent or bad call.
UConn's losses were by 1 and 3 as the only two close loses. Were in both games and needed a kick, stop or something to pull them out. Rest of games (7 in total) were lost by 17 to 40 points and some weren't even as close as score showed as opponent took foot off the gas.

Progress to me would be:

1. In more than 5 games (nice to be within one score but at worst have the ball in 4th quarter with a chance to score and make it one possession game should be most games). More games decided by one score gives more chances for wins.
2. No games losing by 39 and 40 points. Not 5 loses by 17 to 25 points.

2017 with all the complaints about speed, strength, new defensive system, new offensive system, lack of buy in, etc. still were in 5 games till the end. Need to show progress by being in more than half of games till the end (even if lose by more than 7 due to late opponent score). Need to show progress by no 40 point loses.

Need to be competitive, make other teams think "what was that" (in a good way as to "damn those guys came to play") when they walk off.

 

[Woof 101]

Nicely done by M. Anthony.

I agree Exit this was a very extensive article on this forums favorite topic. I also think MA has come a long way from his days of covering a team and discussing chicken wings more than the sport...However he could have done without the comment "The three-season Bob Diaco era, while entertaining, was a disaster."

Not sure who found the Diaco disaster entertaining other than opponents and writers with a disdain for all things UConn. Des Conner comes to mind poking fun at the program even with the limited opportunities he now has.

 

[whaler11]

I agree Exit this was a very extensive article on this forums favorite topic. I also think MA has come a long way from his days of covering a team and discussing chicken wings more than the sport...However he could have done without the comment "The three-season Bob Diaco era, while entertaining, was a disaster."

Not sure who found the Diaco disaster entertaining other than opponents and writers with a disdain for all things UConn. Des Conner comes to mind poking fun at the program even with the limited opportunities he now has.

If you don’t care who wins off the field it was entertaining.

On the field it might have been the least entertaining football that has been played at this level in 30 years.

The longest memory I’ll have of the Diaco era will be going through security as the worst PA man in the country announced - at quarterback for UConn - Donovan Williams. Only a penchant for black comedy kept me from turning around and leaving.

 

[TheDoggPound]

I think Pasqualoni was absolute poison to the program. I heard enough indirectly and observed enough as a fan to believe he allowed the culture to jump into the abyss. Ward did the right thing canning him mid-season. Diaco, to be kind, just was not ready and I don't think he had even the slightest clue how to recruit and build a roster. He recruited about 4,000 DE/TE types over his three classes and yet we're without DEs and our TEs are largely from position changes. I'm not sure a single one of his recruits will sniff the NFL and he could not have build a slower team.

Edsall can rebuild this. The question is how long it will take.

Peart and Mayala will sniff the NFL. My guess is that DeGeorge and Van Demark will as well. Also Vontae Diggs was signed as a UDFA no?

 

[Exit 4]

"The three-season Bob Diaco era, while entertaining, was a disaster."

Not sure who found the Diaco disaster entertaining other than opponents and writers with a disdain for all things UConn. Des Conner comes to mind poking fun at the program even with the limited opportunities he now has.

Mike Anthony has yet to reveal himself as a fan of another rival program, so until then comments like that don’t bother me at all.

 

[Stainmaster]

Mike Anthony has yet to reveal himself as a fan of another rival program, so until then comments like that don’t bother me at all.

Mike hates Diaco's guts. The "entertaining reference" is tongue-in-cheek.

 

[RedSoloCup]

Mike hates Diaco's guts. The "entertaining reference" is tongue-in-cheek.

right?!? a nice way of saying it was a snowshow that you drove slowly by...

 

[ZooCougar]

The game passed Pasqualoni by. This was why he was fired at Syracuse. He didn’t transform or adapt at UConn either.

Edsall has changed with the times. While it doesn’t assure success, at least we will have a chance at it.

 

[J187Money]

Amazing how Roy Williams can't care about the academics of 13 kids.