Benedict Sticks with Edsall -Craps on Players

[Chief00]

that is nothing new. Easy majors and classes created for athletes to take is nothing new in campuses across the country.

You miss the point, the more recent trend is online testing. You can use your imagination regarding who might be taking these online tests at various schools. Chief was being a little intentionally vague as to not accuse particular schools since I don’t have documented proof.

 

[LBird33]

At NC you don’t even have to attend LOL

 

[Pudge]

Sorry, disagree. If you own the title, you own the responsibility for getting the message right and leading. Not a single one of them deserve an iota of a benefit of the doubt. That’s been done for 10 years with miserable results. I have no agenda other than holding these people to accountability for results.

This obviously ain’t easy. I’m in a world of evaluating comparables. UMass. Rutgers. Maryland. Army. Buffalo.

100,000 at Beaver Stadium. Temple modestly rising.

We seem to be amongst a crew of guys who think UConn should be at a parallel level of football success as Central Connecticut. What FBS football is about - with a Northeastern location - is a awesomely tough steep task. Holding Edsall (and predecessors) accountable is correct. However, the astute amongst us must admit that 1/1/17 ... that roster was grossly inadequate to compete in the AAC & going completely in the wrong direction. This Sport is the Titanic; it needs 2-4 solid recruiting & significant depth. To win at just bowl level. Too often I read dismissive statements on here ... expecting a tide of higher ranked HS kids & oodles of Major transfers. That begins with evaluation. Knowing how to build a roster. Pasqualoni & Diaco were broken mindless paths; at least Edsall has that component in the right direction.

There’s lots to ding on this Edsall ... Crocker, Offensive strategy, youthful inadequate players ... but I submit that he is putting one class after another. A good HC can follow & pull it higher if that’s the route.

 

[Austin316]

I still think they’re playing better than last year. If we didn’t have Pindell they would have been light years worse which says a lot.

 

[CL82]

You are conflating my post with the OP. I didn't say he was crapping on players. I did say that quote is unfortunate one for an AD to make. It is. I'll bet he wishes he could take a mulligan on it.


Agree.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

“Ridiculous academic standards”, why should the academic standards be lower for an athlete than for any other student? If they can’t cut it in the class room then they shouldn’t be at the school.

I mean in an ideal world sure, but we all know in most places this is not the case. I’m not sure why it’s the stance at UConn to perpetually fall on this sword through different administrations and different leadership in the AD.

 

[HuskyHawk]

You are conflating my post with the OP. I didn't say he was crapping on players. I did say that quote is unfortunate one for an AD to make. It is. I'll bet he wishes he could take a mulligan on it.



Agree.

The only problem with it is that he left it at talent. Had he said talent, experience and development matter it would be fine. But I doubt that there are players worrying about what Dave B. said.

 

[Waquoit]

I think that's the bottom line. It's a real reach to put this on one's Reasons to Can DB list.

 

[alphasigko]

The stupidity of this whole ordeal is that Edsell's departure for Maryland started this whole thing! Then, the AD absurdly re-hires Edsell to cure the problem that he created! IMO, Edsell never should have ever been allowed to return to Storrs given the way he left the program immediately after losing to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and not even flying back to CT with the team.

 

[Bongo Fury]

The stupidity of this whole ordeal is that Edsell's departure for Maryland started this whole thing! Then, the AD absurdly re-hires Edsell to cure the problem that he created! IMO, Edsell never should have ever been allowed to return to Storrs given the way he left the program immediately after losing to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and not even flying back to CT with the team.

It’s like he pulled the “Irish goodbye”

 

[Marty Jackson]

Story

Ad Dave Summary “We don’t understand what upheaval the program has gone through and it’s not the coach. It’s the talent.”

Great leadership... Rule 1 - never blame kids for lack of talent. They are busting their rear ends. Evaluating talent is the coach’s job. Rule 2 - never buy into coach BS about time. Plenty of programs turn by year 2. Rule 3. Get a goal. Set a bar. Inspire. Do something other than spew excuses.

What an uninspiring, clueless meat head.

I was going to like this, but then read the article. Creative interpretation of that quote.

it’s pretty clear he’s speaking to the development of the team and building talent. Not at all suggesting the players we have aren’t the right players.
I think this could be handled differently, but disagree with this line of questioning

 

[CL82]

Fully admit I got suckered in by the OP's fake quote and was reacting to that in the post you quoted. If you read down a few more posts you will see Metfan pointed that out to me and I thanked him for it.

Still though this quote is what it is.

“When people ask those kinds of questions, it begs, do you understand what’s really going on here?" he said. "Do you think you could bring in some magical coach and he could win? A lot of competing at this level is about the individuals on the field. Talent actually matters.”

Again, in hindsight I'm sure he wishes he had phrased it better. Note that he says "talent actually matters" not "experience actually matters."

 

[CL82]

Disagree. Yeah he said a lot of things that were fine, but that does not erase this statement. The sentences prior explain the context. Paraphrasing it - 'What's really going on here?' 'We are less talented than our opponents and not even a magical coach can change that.' The comment is what it is.

 

[uconnbill]

this reasoning I just don’t understand. Why would a prospective coch not sign up because the previous coach was canned after historically bad seasons?

I think the bigger roadblock is no support from administration (poor assistant coach salaries, ridiculous academic standards) That’s all I would care about if I was an incoming coach.

It is called stability in the program and something that won't happen by firing Edsall after three years just like the last two coaches before.

Pasqualoni was never a coach that should have been hired but that is on Hathaway and his disaster handling of the program by putting it back ten years despite having 8 NFL players on the roster. He lasted not even three years before being canned.

Bob Diaco was all talk and destroyed what was left of a once proud Husky team. He recruited tight ends and linebackers and forgot other positions.

 

[kemba]

Bad thread. If you can't handle true statements about the players than go follow Diaco around from job to job I'm sure he'll continue to tell you his D-2 players are hall of famers

 

[huskysupporter]

It is called stability in the program and something that won't happen by firing Edsall after three years just like the last two coaches before.

Pasqualoni was never a coach that should have been hired but that is on Hathaway and his disaster handling of the program by putting it back ten years despite having 8 NFL players on the roster. He lasted not even three years before being canned.

Bob Diaco was all talk and destroyed what was left of a once proud Husky team. He recruited tight ends and linebackers and forgot other positions.

The team is a dumpster fire. There has been little improvement over 3 years. There is zero stability in the program.

 

[uconnfan68]

They were as good or better on Saturday. W controlled both lines almost all day.

We played their JV team.

 

[Marty Jackson]

The team is a dumpster fire. There has been little improvement over 3 years. There is zero stability in the program.

Isn’t that by definition stability???