Can someone explain to me

[uconnbill]

How about Calhoun playing in the Big East as it's peak and UConn losing to USF, Army, SMU, Tulane....

We all thought there was more talent here than actually is. Diaco is far from perfect but how many coaches are in their first gig being head coach.

He gets a mulligan from me this season, but not next year. Things have to improve and my guess is he knows it. 2-10 next year will get him canned

 

[UConnDan97]

I guess his "not going to sacrifice the program building by winning one or two extra games" has been bothering me. It doesn't make sense and I wished someone in the media asked him what that means

 

[Hoophound]

We all thought there was more talent here than actually is. Diaco is far from perfect but how many coaches are in their first gig being head coach. He gets a mulligan from me this season, but not next year. Things have to improve and my guess is he knows it. 2-10 next year will get him canned

I just can't believe people blame this on talent. There were so many poor choices made to obtain the record we have that it is maddening.

We should have lost to Stonybrook but Foxx bailed us out. We should have lost to UCF but the cold bailed us out.

We should have beat Army, but we guarded the long ball all day long even though Army never throws the long ball. Meanwhile, they shredded us at the line of scrimmage. We literally handed them the game.

We should have beat USF but we tied our QB's hands behind his back just to make sure we wouldn't win. You say, "but we were trying to avoid an INT". No, we were trying to avoid winning.

We should have beat SMU but we couldn't keep the worst team in football from reeling off 21 straight points in the second half. We couldn't adjust, they could. Then we punted on 4th and 1 at the 50, great call. "But, but we had 5 TO's, that's not Diaco's fault." Yes it is, he's responsible for the play of the players. He's responsible for everything. That's why he gets paid $1.5 mill a year. Seriously, $1,500,000 for this guy. He should be making $26,000 with a nice ham for the family at Christmas with his whacko behavior.

We could have have possibly punched BYU in the mouth and changed the complexion of the entire season with an early TD, but we pulled Casey Cochran in the red zone or thereabouts to make sure we wouldn't score. Wtf?

Tulane? Oh lord, what a debacle.

Things could have been so much better. In reality, they should have been worse because we got lucky the two times we won.

Diaco didn't even try to use the talent we have. Leaving Geremy Davis on the sidelines time after time, especially on 3rd and long takes the talent talk off the table. He didn't use his best player and now he wants to whine about talent? No.

 

[Hoophound]

Oh, and does anyone care that he totally screwed over Davis and his NFL hopes? The kid is gonna make it but Crazy Bob sure didn't help him. You don't bench a class act and your best player just to develop some other guys for next year. That's just downright rude. The fact that Davis has handled it with such dignity makes him all the more appealing as a prospect. Hopefully, some people in the NFL know the story and credit him rather than discredit him for the season he had.

 

[SubbaBub]

I don't know how anyone can take just the record and say everything will be fine in a year or two? Maybe it will.

However, BD having a sound plan to build the program and not having the ability to execute it or manage a game are not mutually exclusive.

I think the plan is pretty self evident, he wants guys that match his love of football and do exactly what he wants from the classroom to the training table, to the weight room, the film room to the field.

No doubt his arrival was a culture clash for guys recruited by PP and the Lord of Snooze. If it were just losses I could accept that, but there was a ton of head scratching decisions that "I want to play a lot of young guys" didn't excuse.

Maybe this was a complete throwaway, but BD sure did look more pissed on the sideline Saturday than I've seen him to date. It's the best sign we have that this might improve.

 

[Carl Spackler]

What winning an extra game or two could possibly do to derail the foundation Diaco is trying to build?

He keeps mentioning how he was not going to sacrifice or jeopardizing what he is trying to build by trying to win an extra game or two. How can winning an extra game or two ever be detrimental toward long term goals.

I see it nothing more as a guy dumbding down expectations to ground zero levels and it doesn't seem to make sense to me. It almost seems like he took this season and wanted to make the point that we were the worse team in the FBS. We were BAD no doubt, but if we are the worst team in FBS is in no small part due to Diaco. TJ had this team playing harder and with more purpose at the end of the year than Diaco did. If anything this team did not resemble the team that played good football in games against Boise State, ECU, and UCF by the last game, and those three were good football teams.

There is no adequate answer, other than Diaco was wrong. Wins are the most important thing there is, to developing a successful football team. Holy crap Captain Obvious!!! LOL.


We've been given nothing but excuses for failure this season, as fans, as ticket holders, as alumni, as people invested in this program that are interested in what's going on. And failure we've gotten.

Diaco inherited what was a dysfunctional program having finished 3 consecutive losing seasons, and developed a poor internal culture, after having been thrown into a tailspin by Randy Edsall's abrupt and unanticipated departure after the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, 2011 followed by the hiring of Paul Pasqualoni and George Deleone.

He turned it into the worst program in all of division 1 football. The bar is so low, now, that the only way that Diaco can't show improvement next season, is to repeat as the worst team of 128 in division 1A. That takes effort to do, and effort we got.

 

[noeynox]

@Hoophound It's a little bit of both. We don't have great talent, but Diaco certainly didn't maximize what was here. The losses to Army and SMU were disheartining. I still don't know what he means about not sacrificing what he is trying to build by picking up an extra win or two.

Your line about making 26k, and a nice ham made me laught this morning. Nice work.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I tried to make the following point yesterday, but was told I was refuting my own argument. Weird. Will try again.

There are plenty of examples, PLENTY of examples recent and past across all levels of football that show that it is entirely possible and realistic to break a program down, tear it down to the ground and destroy it, only to rebuild it back up strong and successful relatively quickly. I can start spouting names and programs across levels of head coaches that have led programs and done this.

It is crystal clear, that Diaco has done the first part - tearing the program down to nothing. We are the worst team in division 1A in December 2014. Unfortunately, this is the easy part IMNSHO.

What remains to be seen, is the hard part, and whether or not he can build it back up. Unfortunately, I can come up with no decent reason to have confidence that he will. The only thing I'm confident of, is that he will try to lead the program to that. We will have to just wait and see if the results can back anything up.

I, for one, have had enough excuses for losing based on anything else than his own failure to lead the program to a win.

 

[Perfect Hair]

I just can't believe people blame this on talent. There were so many poor choices made to obtain the record we have that it is maddening.

We should have lost to Stonybrook but Foxx bailed us out. We should have lost to UCF but the cold bailed us out.

We should have beat Army, but we guarded the long ball all day long even though Army never throws the long ball. Meanwhile, they shredded us at the line of scrimmage. We literally handed them the game.

We should have beat USF but we tied our QB's hands behind his back just to make sure we wouldn't win. You say, "but we were trying to avoid an INT". No, we were trying to avoid winning.

We should have beat SMU but we couldn't keep the worst team in football from reeling off 21 straight points in the second half. We couldn't adjust, they could. Then we punted on 4th and 1 at the 50, great call. "But, but we had 5 TO's, that's not Diaco's fault." Yes it is, he's responsible for the play of the players. He's responsible for everything. That's why he gets paid $1.5 mill a year. Seriously, $1,500,000 for this guy. He should be making $26,000 with a nice ham for the family at Christmas with his whacko behavior.

We could have have possibly punched BYU in the mouth and changed the complexion of the entire season with an early TD, but we pulled Casey Cochran in the red zone or thereabouts to make sure we wouldn't score. Wtf?

Tulane? Oh lord, what a debacle.

Things could have been so much better. In reality, they should have been worse because we got lucky the two times we won.

Diaco didn't even try to use the talent we have. Leaving Geremy Davis on the sidelines time after time, especially on 3rd and long takes the talent talk off the table. He didn't use his best player and now he wants to whine about talent? No.

Post of the year, I couldn't agree more with every single point. Hoophound, you should change your name to FBallhound.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Name some talent that you trust. Star with the O and the most important position on the field.

 

[Perfect Hair]

Name some talent that you trust. Star with the O and the most important position on the field.

I trusted Cochran on the field and never would have yanked him in the red zone of game 1. But he wasn't a Key Starter so I can see why Bobby didn't share that belief. I certainly trusted Davis at WR (he is going to be a steal in this year's draft), but again, the coach knows better as he kept removing him on key downs. I trusted Johnson and Mariner and would have stuck with them and them alone. And no matter who I played at QB I at least would have trusted him enough to give him a chance at playing football, not handing it off two downs in a row (or three in a row at USF) and then throwing only on 3rd and long before punting. That's called setting up to fail, and it worked as planned.

 

[Carl Spackler]

There is no separating players from coaches when it comes to evaluating full team performance. All you can do is lean one way or the other, and weigh the things that happen.

We were not a highly talented team in 2014 and did not have very many play makers make game changing and game winning plays. We are one single game changing play by Deshon Foxx, and a great defensive performance by Andrew Adams from being 0-12. When it comes to player talent.

We were not a very well coached team in 2014 either. I simply do not believe that we are so talent deficient from a player perspective and full roster perspective that it reflects the major reason why we lost games to SMU, Tulane, USF and Army at least. And we are 2-10, because of the poor preparation and coaching performances throughout the season.

There is supposed to be a reason for all this - from the coaching side. Nothing to do but wait and see.

 

[SubbaBub]

I tried to make the following point yesterday, but was told I was refuting my own argument. Weird. Will try again.

There are plenty of examples, PLENTY of examples recent and past across all levels of football that show that it is entirely possible and realistic to break a program down, tear it down to the ground and destroy it, only to rebuild it back up strong and successful relatively quickly. I can start spouting names and programs across levels of head coaches that have led programs and done this.

It is crystal clear, that Diaco has done the first part - tearing the program down to nothing. We are the worst team in division 1A in December 2014. Unfortunately, this is the easy part IMNSHO.

What remains to be seen, is the hard part, and whether or not he can build it back up. Unfortunately, I can come up with no decent reason to have confidence that he will. The only thing I'm confident of, is that he will try to lead the program to that. We will have to just wait and see if the results can back anything up.

I, for one, have had enough excuses for losing based on anything else than his own failure to lead the program to a win.

There is only one reason for hope, really. That purposely playing too many guys and guys who weren't ready whether by choice or the roster reality of 65 scholarship players accelerates the identification and learning process for next season.

That and the idea that BD is actually intent on winning games next season by coaching out the bone headed mistakes.

I've learned a few things about the squad so I assume a paid professional sees the same thing.

We have no team speed, zero. Need to play power.

Our D can't get a pass rush , see #1, so big changes at LB are necessary. I put Obi in Stewart's slot at OLB. Other guys are on notice too. Safeties made way to many tackles.

The CB coaches need to teach a different technique, the face guarding didn't work at all. Getting beat deep and penalties on almost every play.

WR still have depth and talent. For all the stupidity of not playing and throwing to Davis and Foxx on every play, we did get guys some reps and they appear to be able to catch the ball when thrown in their vicinity.

Johnson is the RB, Newsome and Marriner are fighting for 3rd down reps. Best blocker wins.

I don't like Newsome as a KR. Doesn't appear to have the vision or set up his blocks, but that could just be poor blocking.

Need better blocking and receiving from the TE spot. Perhaps an area we can count on improvement based on guys getting reps this season.

The line, seemed to grasp pass protection late. Run blocking still needs work as does driving guys back. I liked the pulling guards the few times we ran that style. Need more of everything though, strength, speed, scheme.

Eliminating the lashes in concentration and technique will help a ton.

And again, next year's schedule is so easy. It's a disgrace to play so poorly against such bad teams. As with this season, just a little improvement should lead to a bunch more wins. Play well enough to beat Tulane and you can beat Army, Nova, Tulsa and compete with everyone else in the AAC.

 

[BNich]

Right. I don't think he is the best coach of his generation.

I do think he will win championships at UConn.

Clear enough?

I'm with you. Cut the guy some slack. Were all his "in game" decisions correct? No. We all started somewhere in our current positions. They have done well securing commitments well in advance of what we have seen previously. The kids are buying in. Look at the comments from players, they sound like Diaco. That's all I need to know. In two years the roster will be back to 85 strong with the same belief and mindset of the program/coaching staff. I am ultra positive and supportive of my huskies. Expectations may have been too high. Sure there were winnable games that were lost. But thats football. That's life. That's why they play the games. I had plenty of broads I thought I had wrapped up that turned into nothing. You win some, you lose some. The beat goes on.

 

[whaler11]

Yeah the players 'buy in' and sound like Diaco but lost the last three games by about 110-30.

Oh a senior who has a vested interest in being on Diaco's good side said nice things about him.

 

[BNich]

Yeah the players 'buy in' and sound like Diaco but lost the last three games by about 110-30.

Oh a senior who has a vested interest in being on Diaco's good side said nice things about him.

If anything an outgoing would not feel obligated to be on the HC's good side. But ok. The negative attitude from you continues. Thats all you are.

 

[sdhusky]

Yeah the players 'buy in' and sound like Diaco but lost the last three games by about 110-30.

Oh a senior who has a vested interest in being on Diaco's good side said nice things about him.

Look at the age of the two deep.

Maybe a team that young can get 3 or 4 or 5 wins. Maybe. They aren't going to be winning championships.

 

[noeynox]

Sip Moore and Kendall Reyes raved about P as well. Players are generally loyal and complimentary of the coach. Some are hoping for a good word from the coach when scouts and front office types ask about them.

 

[BNich]

Sip Moore and Kendall Reyes raved about P as well. Players are generally loyal and complimentary of the coach. Some are hoping for a good word from the coach when scouts and front office types ask about them.

Moore and Reyes were well made before P arrived. If you were going out and unhappy, who would you blame?

 

[whaler11]

Look at the age of the two deep.

Maybe a team that young can get 3 or 4 or 5 wins. Maybe. They aren't going to be winning championships.

I must be missing the posts that were clamoring for a championship.

 

[noeynox]

They could have blamed P but didnt . that's sorta the point. Players never talk negatively about a coach on record.

 

[whaler11]

If anything an outgoing would not feel obligated to be on the HC's good side. But ok. The negative attitude from you continues. Thats all you are.

Yeah because professional scouts DONT ASK YOUR COLLEGE COACH ABOUT YOU. could you possibly be dimmer?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Look at the age of the two deep.

Maybe a team that young can get 3 or 4 or 5 wins. Maybe. They aren't going to be winning championships.

How many times do you need to hear that the criticism isn't solely based on the number of wins and losses? I thought they would win 4 games this year, so I wasn't expecting much in that regard anyway.

 

[whaler11]

If anything an outgoing would not feel obligated to be on the HC's good side. But ok. The negative attitude from you continues. Thats all you are.

You are correct that I have a very negative attitude towards stupidity.

And when idiots frame themselves as loyal because they make suppositions that aren't supported by actual evidence - as if that makes them better fans.

You want people to go on faith? Go to church on Sunday. Otherwise try and put together a coherent argument.

 

[noeynox]

Lmao. You would literally have to accept Diaco's words as the Gospel, as not a single response has come close to interpreting how winning an extra game or two could be detrimental toward the overall goals, which is something Diaco alluded to. Unless of course he means that it could possibly raise expectations, since he is planning on treating actual games as preseason games again.

 

[sdhusky]

I must be missing the posts that were clamoring for a championship.

That's what the goal is.

 

[noeynox]

That's what the goal is.

Its nice that Diaco has goals.

 

[Stainmaster]

Yeah the players 'buy in' and sound like Diaco but lost the last three games by about 110-30.

Oh a senior who has a vested interest in being on Diaco's good side said nice things about him.

It's as if you desperately want the players to dislike Diaco as much as you do. Keep trying.

 

[whaler11]

It's as if you desperately want the players to dislike Diaco as much as you do. Keep trying.

Don't care if they like him or not. I do care that they don't lose the last three games 110-30.

 

[BlueMAB]

Dumbing it down isn't the same thing as abandoning it.

Look at the two deep - playing that many frosh and soph is going to be a losing season. Period.

5-7 is a losing season many of us would have been relatively satisfied with. hopeful for the future, even.

We won one game that the other team literally gave to us, and another against an FCS program that went 5-7.

This wasn't just a "losing season". This was, by a very wide margin, the worst season since we upgraded the football program. This season was worse than any under PP. The only thing saving Diaco, is that some of the blame can still be placed on PP. Some. Not all.