Simple. If UConn wanted to turn around soccer or be respectable in football or build another sport to a higher level...they could. When men's basketball was in serious trouble they did everything possible to turn it around. 1. Fire Ollie w/ cause 2. hire the best available up and coming head coach with proven history of winning at a school with less resources and 3. Moved all sports to the Big East. Pretty dramatic and correct actions to return the program to relevance. It saved it. They wanted it to be saved.
If they wanted to remain winning in men's and women's soccer they could. Just like if they wanted football respectable (winning 5-6 games a year w/ a schedule that includes Holy Cross, Yale, and UMASS) they could.
It takes identifying and recruiting good coaches and paying them. Not just hiring a current UConn assistant on a losing team or a washed up former UConn football coach. Those aren't recipes for success.
Just take a look at this week's men's soccer national rankings:
1.) The University of New Hampshire is currently ranked 6th in the country. New Hampshire. They were ranked last year too.
2.) The defending national champions...Marshall (who knew West Virginia was a soccer hot bed?)...are ranked 5th.
3.) How about our Big East rivals? Georgetown is ranked #1 in the country. Providence #22nd. UConn has a superior soccer facility than both.
So it would appear there are several good coaches out there who would love to go to a school with a brand new soccer facility and incredible fan support. If that school is committed to winning in all sports right now. Are they?
