Changes To the Offensive Staff Coming

[Dooley]

http://runwayramblings.blogspot.com/2015/01/offensive-staff-changes-coming-at-uconn.html

"I don't want to create an article because I don't have any news to report but I am going to make sure I make the offense looks like I want it to look so there will be changes over there," Diaco said. "I am not trying to double secret agent, I am trying to paint a little bit of a picture for you. There will be changes, I have a very detailed plans and I am working that plan."

So what does he want the offense to look like?

"It is no different (than what he said when he was hired), it is Stanford, it is Alabama, in terms of what kinds of games you are watching it is a run the ball with authority attack, it is deep vertical drop-back passing, it is plays that protect that run, there are a lot of screens ..." Diaco said.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

This is good news if Diaco goes through with it. UConn needs a new OC to open things up and make the games more enjoyable/marketable. Of course, to state the obvious, it may take time for UConn to develop. The Huskies appear to have stud receiver in Thomas coming back, has a pair of potential good backs in Johnson and Newsome, and has been recruiting TE's; but, the OL still needs improvement and the QB situation is a big question mark right now.

 

[CTMike]

 

[Excalibur]

So it's a bunch of stuff that requires a good offensive line, which we don't have. Got it.

 

[Dooley]

I thought the OL improved as the season went on but yeah, they'll need to hit the ground running in 2015. We can't afford to punt away another 1-2 months of offense because of a poor OL.

Just for the record, this is exactly the same thing he said at his introductory press conference. My guess is that he's addressing it because of the slew of excellent OCs that have been hired as head coaches in our conference and the subsequent worry from UCONN fans about our desire to play 17-14 games.

 

[Perfect Hair]

"I have a plan. First I'm going to think about having a plan. Then I'm going to think about what are my three favorite colors. Then I'm going to get pens in each of those colors and think about writing my plan down in a notebook."

 

[Shenandoah]

"Custer had a plan"...

 

[BlueMAB]

I'm not picking on Dooley or Fuller, but unless I missed it, the quotes don't mention changes in the staff, just changes to the offense.

That could be as simple as him taking over the play calling. Who knows.

 

[junglehusky]

I'm not picking on Dooley or Fuller, but unless I missed it, the quotes don't mention changes in the staff, just changes to the offense.

That could be as simple as him taking over the play calling. Who knows.

Yeah, I noticed that too. I tweeted at Fuller to ask him to confirm if Diaco was responding directly to a question on staffing... I mean, the title of the blog post is "Offensive staff changes coming at UConn" so naturally he must have.

 

[uconndennis]

Dez reporting that Foley is out

Desmond Conner ‏@desmondconner 2m2 minutes ago
Hearing long time #UConnFootball assistant Mike Foley won't be back next season ...

 

[junglehusky]

Welp, there you have it.

 

[cohenzone]

I'm not picking on Dooley or Fuller, but unless I missed it, the quotes don't mention changes in the staff, just changes to the offense.

That could be as simple as him taking over the play calling. Who knows.

You missed it. Second paragraph:

"This is a prime period for coaching staff shakeups and I haven't heard much about any members of Diaco's staff being on the move. That will be changing. Diaco said he did not have any specifics at this moment but the offensive coaching staff will not be the same one that was in place during his debut season with the Huskies."

 

[ZooCougar]

Say goodbye to any hope of having an explosive and innovative offense at UConn under Diaco. This kind of offense is too easy to defend if you don't have talent that creates enough mismatches. We need to do something different to get some sort of edge. Instead we are going for Offense 101.

Boo.

 

[Excalibur]

Say goodbye to any hope of having an explosive and innovative offense at UConn under Diaco. This kind of offense is too easy to defend if you don't have talent that creates enough mismatches. We need to do something different to get some sort of edge. Instead we are going for Offense 101.

Boo.

Beyond that, we can all now safely call "bullsh!t" on "having a plan" this year. If this was the plan all along, why on earth would he move to something completely different 7 games in this year?

 

[Dooley]

Dez reporting that Foley is out

Desmond Conner ‏@desmondconner 2m2 minutes ago
Hearing long time #UConnFootball assistant Mike Foley won't be back next season ...

Foley not coming back is huge. I really hope we don't go to a zone blocking guy. I don't think I'll be able to stomach another transition period for our OL to learn how to read-and-react.

 

[Dooley]

I'm not picking on Dooley or Fuller, but unless I missed it, the quotes don't mention changes in the staff, just changes to the offense.

That could be as simple as him taking over the play calling. Who knows.

I feel picked on.

 

[BlueMAB]

You missed it. Second paragraph:

"This is a prime period for coaching staff shakeups and I haven't heard much about any members of Diaco's staff being on the move. That will be changing. Diaco said he did not have any specifics at this moment but the offensive coaching staff will not be the same one that was in place during his debut season with the Huskies."

Thanks, nice catch.

 

[Excalibur]

Foley not coming back is huge. I really hope we don't go to a zone blocking guy. I don't think I'll be able to stomach another transition period for our OL to learn how to read-and-react.

Zone blocking wasn't the problem. There are plenty of teams with less talent on the OL teaching it effectively.

 

[noeynox]

Expect more press conferences of " were just not good enough" and when I got here it was a "huge mess, now were a small mess, but we are still a mess".

Maybe I'm not seeing it but generally we don't recruit like Stanford and Alabama. I don't see any Amari Cooper types or Andrew Lucks picking us. I'm resigned to just having blind trust that things are headed in the right direction.

 

[BlueMAB]

In hindsight, there was no reason to expect anyone else would be gone (or gone before Foley). Why would a first time head coach get rid of any of the guys he just brought on a year ago. Even if he should, it's unlikely.

I was going to post something along the lines of change for the sake of change isn't always a good thing. Personally, I think this is terrible news. I haven't been impressed by anything I've seen Diaco do or say since the press conference. I think I'm going to change my screen name to Marvin

 

[DoctorWho85]

Zone blocking wasn't the problem. There are plenty of teams with less talent on the OL teaching it effectively.

I thought the same thing. It wasn't the scheme that was the problem, it was an old crotchety man with playbook wallpaper that was the reason for failure.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

First of all...I encourage you to hit the link and read the whole article.

Amazing what a bunch of negative nancies there are on this board. I just have to assume that anyone level headed or optimistic has stopped posting on here.

This board...including myself....bitched endlessly about the crappy approach to the offense this past year. Diaco shares some insight (because as he said the plan isn't done yet...and this isn't a press release..he is just answering a reporters question), that he wasn't happy with the offense and he is making changes. I take this as good news. I know the favorite retort is that "it is hard to have blind optimism after last year"...but...how about giving him a little credit? Does the assumption always have to be that the coach is an idiot and you know better?

 

[BlueMAB]

First of all...I encourage you to hit the link and read the whole article.

Amazing what a bunch of negative nancies there are on this board. I just have to assume that anyone level headed or optimistic has stopped posting on here.

This board...including myself....bitched endlessly about the crappy approach to the offense this past year. Diaco shares some insight (because as he said the plan isn't done yet...and this isn't a press release..he is just answering a reporters question), that he wasn't happy with the offense and he is making changes. I take this as good news. I know the favorite retort is that "it is hard to have blind optimism after last year"...but...how about giving him a little credit? Does the assumption always have to be that the coach is an idiot and you know better?

He made me into the negative Nancy I am.

Foley was one of the best position coaches we've had. Maybe it was just time for a split, I don't know, but I don't view losing good coaches as a good thing.

I gave Diaco all the credit in the world until he treated the first few games of the season as an exhibition season, and made some mind boggling decisions. They've been discussed ad naseum, no need to rehash. He's not an idiot. He knows far better than I ever will. But he burned through all his credit with me. You can assume whatever you want, but a difference of opinion doesn't make me less level headed, just less optimistic. But virtually everything he's done since his opening press conference has chipped away at my optimism.

 

[Marty Jackson]

This is good news if Diaco goes through with it. UConn needs a new OC to open things up and make the games more enjoyable/marketable. Of course, to state the obvious, it may take time for UConn to develop. The Huskies appear to have stud receiver in Thomas coming back, has a pair of potential good backs in Johnson and Newsome, and has been recruiting TE's; but, the OL still needs improvement and the QB situation is a big question mark right now.

how does Diaco's comment equate to a new OC?

 

[tduconn]

New coaches and schemes may help. But lets not forget, how many times did BD suggest they had to simplify the offense during 2014. It was possible they had a plan to "open up" the offense last year, with the existing coaches, but the skill set wasn't in place to accomplish those goals in 2014.

The changes/improvements may come about as a result of an uptick in coaching and/or talent.