Assistant Coach Wish List

[FfldCntyFan]

Listed alphabetically is my wish list for assistant coaches. Those with an asterisk can be hired immediately following the expiration of the job positing.


Tom Bradley* – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as DC.
Quality coach, experience as DC, DB and LB coach. Of primary importance he can recruit Pennsylvania.

Jedd Fisch – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as OC.
Availability pending Arizona’s decision. Quality coach, experience as OC, QB & WR coach. From NJ and should have contacts there. Can be lead recruiter in critical state.

John Marinelli – Prior work with Noel Mazzone (referred to him as a second father). I’m sick of the childish soap opera that has been going on between our football program and a handful of coaches (especially a few down here). He can help alleviate the stupidity and can recruit the state (all of NE and NY in fact).

Noel Mazzone* – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as OC.
Available, quality coach, experience as OC, QB & WR coach, has worked here as an offensive analyst. Has very good relationship with both Mora and Spanos (I will be stunned if this isn’t already a done deal awaiting the formality of the posting expiration).

Lou Spanos* – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as DC.
I believe that this is already a done deal, save the formality and I believe he played the largest role in bringing Mora here. That by itself should earn him a spot on the staff. I also believe that without RE forcing and entire spring and summer building an exceptionally vanilla defense he may have been able to show more.

Marques Tuiasosopo – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as QB Coach
Currently OC/QB coach at Rice. Has also coached TE’s at Cal, USC and UCLA. I want him if he has established some Texas connections. If he can recruit Texas he would be worth his weight in gold.



From the above list we should be able to fill special teams coach and may be able to fill the RB coach roles. With the remaining three spots we will need an offensive line coach and a defensive line coach (and possibly a running backs coach).

We will need on the staff someone to recruit Florida/southeastern states, someone to recruit VA/MD and someone to recruit Ohio. Hopefully the completed staff will be able to fill in all of the necessary roles.

 

[McLovin]

Our defense is terribly coached. Not just bad schemes, but bad fundamentals. The players seem to like spanos but why would we want him back? We got to find someone better.

 

[UConnJim]

Our defense is terribly coached. Not just bad schemes, but bad fundamentals. The players seem to like spanos but why would we want him back? We got to find someone better.

In today’s college football with the transfer portal, every kid is on a 1 year scholarship and you have to be continually recruiting your own roster. Spanos seems well liked and he would provide some continuity for the players so he may help retain the young talent. I wouldn’t be surprised if 2 coaches are kept to help with player retention. If they don’t work out, Mora can let them go after next season.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Listed alphabetically is my wish list for assistant coaches. Those with an asterisk can be hired immediately following the expiration of the job positing.


Tom Bradley* – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as DC.
Quality coach, experience as DC, DB and LB coach. Of primary importance he can recruit Pennsylvania.

Jedd Fisch – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as OC.
Availability pending Arizona’s decision. Quality coach, experience as OC, QB & WR coach. From NJ and should have contacts there. Can be lead recruiter in critical state.

John Marinelli – Prior work with Noel Mazzone (referred to him as a second father). I’m sick of the childish soap opera that has been going on between our football program and a handful of coaches (especially a few down here). He can help alleviate the stupidity and can recruit the state (all of NE and NY in fact).

Noel Mazzone* – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as OC.
Available, quality coach, experience as OC, QB & WR coach, has worked here as an offensive analyst. Has very good relationship with both Mora and Spanos (I will be stunned if this isn’t already a done deal awaiting the formality of the posting expiration).

Lou Spanos* – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as DC.
I believe that this is already a done deal, save the formality and I believe he played the largest role in bringing Mora here. That by itself should earn him a spot on the staff. I also believe that without RE forcing and entire spring and summer building an exceptionally vanilla defense he may have been able to show more.

Marques Tuiasosopo – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as QB Coach
Currently OC/QB coach at Rice. Has also coached TE’s at Cal, USC and UCLA. I want him if he has established some Texas connections. If he can recruit Texas he would be worth his weight in gold.



From the above list we should be able to fill special teams coach and may be able to fill the RB coach roles. With the remaining three spots we will need an offensive line coach and a defensive line coach (and possibly a running backs coach).

We will need on the staff someone to recruit Florida/southeastern states, someone to recruit VA/MD and someone to recruit Ohio. Hopefully the completed staff will be able to fill in all of the necessary roles.

While on paper this list looks great, what I don't know is how well these coaches can recruit at UConn? Do they still have the fire? Will kids find them relatable?

We heard a lot about the success a young Corey Edsall did on the recruiting trail...we didn't hear a lot about recruiting success and Spanos (at least I didn't)

I would think some of those names make sense...but there has to be a good chunk of the staff who are young aggressive recruiters. Especially since you have a head coach who has extensive experience.

 

[Yup!]

I’m not a fan of Spanos.. he was a DC at UCLA and his success there was definitely Moras doing. His only other DC position was UConn and we all know how that’s been going. We’ve been getting smacked on defense pretty much every game since he’s been here. Numbers don’t lie.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

To be clear, Spanos is on my list solely because I have a strong suspicion (mostly a gut feeling) that he is why we have Mora and part of the agreement was that he will remain. I would greatly prefer he end up as LB coach instead of DC (always a possibility) and I do not see him as a recruiter.

I also believe that Spanos' defense without the omnipresence of RE (until game three this season) may be a bit different than what we've seen.

 

[Buffett10]

I’d drop Spanos and add in Brett Maxie. Damn good recruiter who brought 2 4 stars to Vandy and has ties to IMG

 

[Watchdog]

Why not Corey Edsall?
Sure, there's an elephant in the room, but he's young, seems to have done a good job with the tight ends, and has done a great job recruiting.
Plus, he's a big boy and knows his future hinges on continuing to do a good job so it's not likely he'd be sabotaging the new coach.

 

[uconnbill]

If you keep Spanos I like his as linebacker coach and then give him asst head coach as a title. He has done well with linebackers at Pittsburgh for years. He knows the position.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I’m not a fan of Spanos.. he was a DC at UCLA and his success there was definitely Moras doing. His only other DC position was UConn and we all know how that’s been going. We’ve been getting smacked on defense pretty much every game since he’s been here. Numbers don’t lie.

Tbf, the defense is on the field almost twice as long as the offense. Teams are putting up big numbers because the defense is getting gassed by the 3rd quarter. If you look at the games where the defense was able to actually get some rest between series, they looked much better than the final numbers showed. That being said, I love Spanos's fire, but if Mora moved on from Spanos then I would not be terribly disappointed.

 

[huskysupporter]

Staff needs to be laser focused on geographical area around UCONN that is a short plane or car ride. We are not a national program and unless a coach or athlete in Texas or a state in the west puts out feelers we should focus attention elsewhere. Get staff who can recruit areas we need to recruit.

Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, Virginia

 

[huskysupporter]

Marinelli is an absolute no brainer and has ties to coaches that worked with Mora before. He can be the lead CT and New England recruiter while also assisting with New Jersey. Get him here as QB Coach.

 

[huskysupporter]

For running backs coach: Nate Cole, current running backs coach at Toledo. Excellent recruiter with strong Ohio ties.

Nate Cole - Bio

 

[huskysupporter]

Defensive Line Coach: Phil Dicapito, current Defensive Quality Control coach for Pitt.

Familiar with Pennsylvania and has strong ties to Ohio as well:

Phil Decapito - Bio

 

[ktuck911]

We got less than a week til we start hearing about who's going to be joining our coaching staff... Seemed like forever, but it's finally almost here... good to know all the speculation is just about done.. None of us experts had a clue it'd be Mora as HC, now, pretty sure we'll see a boatload of more surprises to come...

 

[huskysupporter]

We got less than a week til we start hearing about who's going to be joining our coaching staff... Seemed like forever, but it's finally almost here... good to know all the speculation is just about done.. None of us experts had a clue it'd be Mora as HC, now, pretty sure we'll see a boatload of more surprises to come...

Coach Mora emphasized he would recruit hard in the fertile recruiting areas around CT. This is his first test to me. Is he going to hire assistants that have strong ties to those areas? Or is he going to bring in position coaches that are more familiar with areas UCLA recruited? This is a huge deal.

 

[UConnJim]

Has the assistant coach salary pool been released? If it's not close to $3 million, Mora will struggle to hire a top staff.

 

[Nextmanup]

Anyone hear any rumors on who could be on the staff? Mora has to have his staff in place by now? Surprised nothing has leaked on the new coaches yet

 

[ktuck911]

Anyone hear any rumors on who could be on the staff? Mora has to have his staff in place by now? Surprised nothing has leaked on the new coaches yet

Wouldn't be surprised one bit if it happens by the weekend... I'd be shocked if we didn't have any assistant coach info by then in fact...

 

[UCFBFAN91]

Doug Shearer

Special Team Coordinator at Miami Ohio currently. Uconn Graduate. From Shelton, CT. Was a GA under Paul P. and spent time at NC State as well.

 

[CTMike]

All I want is the best OL coach money can buy and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[Huskygrad88]

I’m not a fan of Spanos.. he was a DC at UCLA and his success there was definitely Moras doing. His only other DC position was UConn and we all know how that’s been going. We’ve been getting smacked on defense pretty much every game since he’s been here. Numbers don’t lie.

He was good in a good situation and it is all credit to Mora, but bad in this disaster of prior leadership and a coaching change and it is all on him? I don’t think you can have it both ways.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Tbf, the defense is on the field almost twice as long as the offense. Teams are putting up big numbers because the defense is getting gassed by the 3rd quarter. If you look at the games where the defense was able to actually get some rest between series, they looked much better than the final numbers showed. That being said, I love Spanos's fire, but if Mora moved on from Spanos then I would not be terribly disappointed.

TBF, even in the first half, defense has been horrible on 3rd down. A terrible offense doesn't help but the defense hasn't helped itself either.

 

[ktuck911]

All I want is the best OL coach money can buy and the rest will take care of itself.

Preach brother... Preach....

 

[businesslawyer]

Listed alphabetically is my wish list for assistant coaches. Those with an asterisk can be hired immediately following the expiration of the job positing.


Tom Bradley* – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as DC.
Quality coach, experience as DC, DB and LB coach. Of primary importance he can recruit Pennsylvania.

Jedd Fisch – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as OC.
Availability pending Arizona’s decision. Quality coach, experience as OC, QB & WR coach. From NJ and should have contacts there. Can be lead recruiter in critical state.

John Marinelli – Prior work with Noel Mazzone (referred to him as a second father). I’m sick of the childish soap opera that has been going on between our football program and a handful of coaches (especially a few down here). He can help alleviate the stupidity and can recruit the state (all of NE and NY in fact).

Noel Mazzone* – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as OC.
Available, quality coach, experience as OC, QB & WR coach, has worked here as an offensive analyst. Has very good relationship with both Mora and Spanos (I will be stunned if this isn’t already a done deal awaiting the formality of the posting expiration).

Lou Spanos* – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as DC.
I believe that this is already a done deal, save the formality and I believe he played the largest role in bringing Mora here. That by itself should earn him a spot on the staff. I also believe that without RE forcing and entire spring and summer building an exceptionally vanilla defense he may have been able to show more.

Marques Tuiasosopo – Prior work with Mora – UCLA as QB Coach
Currently OC/QB coach at Rice. Has also coached TE’s at Cal, USC and UCLA. I want him if he has established some Texas connections. If he can recruit Texas he would be worth his weight in gold.



From the above list we should be able to fill special teams coach and may be able to fill the RB coach roles. With the remaining three spots we will need an offensive line coach and a defensive line coach (and possibly a running backs coach).

We will need on the staff someone to recruit Florida/southeastern states, someone to recruit VA/MD and someone to recruit Ohio. Hopefully the completed staff will be able to fill in all of the necessary roles.

That's a good list, and if we can afford two of them that would be great. My top choice would be Tom Bradley. Wasn't he Brad Kanuch's uncle?