Coaching search…

[ZooCougar]

Al Golden and the 2006 freshman class: The men who saved the Temple football program

 

[noeynox]

job was intriguing to me, I knew the area well. I knew, and I don’t want to be wrong, but there were a ridiculous number of area recruits from Hartford to Richmond and west of State College. It was like 65 percent of the nation’s population.

 

[metsfan2323]

Someone asked above, who I’d prefer. A young and energetic coach like Lewis would be more attractive to me. Golden would be the best coach we’ve ever had though. Not that it’s saying much.

A very realistic "young and energetic pick" would be Chesney from Holy Cross. Chesney is quietly turning Holy Cross into a FCS power. Holy Cross will likely make the FCS tournament for the third year in a row under Chesney after making the FCS tournament only twice since 1983.

- Holy Cross is Chesney's third rebuild and he turns programs around quickly. He seems to have an eye for talent and the ability to coach that talent up.

- Like Hurley, Chesney is the son of a High School football coach (basketball for Hurley). Like Hurley, Chesney has been groomed to be a head coach since his youth.

- Chesney would very much mimic the Hurley hire except we are getting him one stop quicker on the ladder. It's more like URI hiring Hurley from Wagner but our football team is more like URI basketball so that makes sense.

- Chesney now has 12 years of Head Coaching experience so he is ready for the job. To put that in perspective Golden has 10 years of head coaching experience.

- FCS success should not be mocked, Chesney currently manages a roster of 100 student athletes. Golden currently manages a handful of linebackers.

Chesney is my top "realistic" choice, I think he will make us all very proud. Please research this guy the best you can and make your feelings known. I have and I am very impressed.

 

[Bongo Fury]

Definitely like his trajectory and local.

 

[Block C]

A very realistic "young and energetic pick" would be Chesney from Holy Cross. Chesney is quietly turning Holy Cross into a FCS power. Holy Cross will likely make the FCS tournament for the third year in a row under Chesney after making the FCS tournament only twice since 1983.

- Holy Cross is Chesney's third rebuild and he turns programs around quickly. He seems to have an eye for talent and the ability to coach that talent up.

- Like Hurley, Chesney is the son of a High School football coach (basketball for Hurley). Like Hurley, Chesney has been groomed to be a head coach since his youth.

- Chesney would very much mimic the Hurley hire except we are getting him one stop quicker on the ladder. It's more like URI hiring Hurley from Wagner but our football team is more like URI basketball so that makes sense.

- Chesney now has 12 years of Head Coaching experience so he is ready for the job. To put that in perspective Golden has 10 years of head coaching experience.

- FCS success should not be mocked, Chesney currently manages a roster of 100 student athletes. Golden currently manages a handful of linebackers.

Chesney is my top "realistic" choice, I think he will make us all very proud. Please research this guy the best you can and make your feelings known. I have and I am very impressed.

Chesney is in the mix. Young and enthusiastic. I like this pick.

 

[metsfan2323]

One more thing about Chesney. Everyone on the Boneyard seems to have a desire that we "try something different with this important hire" Well we tried the Golden re-tread path with PP, I suggest we not do that again. Hiring a rising Head Coaching star from the lower ranks is something we have not tried. It is a fresh approach for football and it is the same approach that brought us Calhoun and Hurley.

 

[Bongo Fury]

Calhoun was offered by Northwestern and Danny Pitt and likely others. Yes I would be optimistic as I would with Golden as well.

 

[Banta55]

Calhoun was offered by Northwestern and Danny Pitt and likely others. Yes I would be optimistic as I would with Golden as well.

It was almost Mitch Bonaguaro excuse the spelling instead of Calhoun..

 

[SubbaBub]

I have a hard time understanding why Golden would want this job unless he had no other options. Smells like a guy looking for one more paycheck and seems like a worse version of Randy 1.0.

I'm willing to pass and not think twice about it.

 

[ZooCougar]

One more thing about Chesney. Everyone on the Boneyard seems to have a desire that we "try something different with this important hire" Well we tried the Golden re-tread path with PP, I suggest we not do that again. Hiring a rising Head Coaching star from the lower ranks is something we have not tried. It is a fresh approach for football and it is the same approach that brought us Calhoun and Hurley.

Golden and Pasqualoni aren’t comparable. That’s absurd.

 

[ZooCougar]

I have a hard time understanding why Golden would want this job unless he had no other options. Smells like a guy looking for one more paycheck and seems like a worse version of Randy 1.0.

I'm willing to pass and not think twice about it.

I think he wants another HC job. He’s not coming back into a P5 school even with a winning record at Miami.

The Temple rebuild was even more impressive than rebuilding UConn would be. That place was dead, had no support and no prospects. And they were a thorn in Edsall’s side every time we played them with recruits that were our castoffs.

I’d argue that Golden was the coach that the Apologistas thought Randy was.

Is he the sexy hire? No way. But Bob Diaco was a sexy hire.

 

[metsfan2323]

Golden and Pasqualoni aren’t comparable. That’s absurd.

You might be right, PP actually had a better resume than Golden. Golden is PP light.

 

[giddyup]

You might be right, PP actually had a better resume than Golden. Golden is PP light.

He seems Randy like in terms of his career record.

 

[UConnJim]

I have a hard time understanding why Golden would want this job unless he had no other options. Smells like a guy looking for one more paycheck and seems like a worse version of Randy 1.0.

I'm willing to pass and not think twice about it.

Look at Golden’s years at Temple. His initial OC hire was GDL and the offense was really bad. Then he promotes Matt Rhule to OC and the offense improves and Temple begins to win.

The issue with hiring a defensive minded coach as HC is his offense is dependent on who he can hire as OC. If that OC is good, he won’t stay long and then you have to search again for a decent OC which is hard. I prefer to hire a HC with an offensive background as I think it is easier to find a decent DC than it is to hire a decent OC.

 

[giddyup]

Look at Golden’s years at Temple. His initial OC hire was GDL and the offense was really bad. Then he promotes Matt Rhule to OC and the offense improves and Temple begins to win.

The issue with hiring a defensive minded coach as HC is his offense is dependent on who he can hire as OC. If that OC is good, he won’t stay long and then you have to search again for a decent OC which is hard. I prefer to hire a HC with an offensive background as I think it is easier to find a decent DC than it is to hire a decent OC.

Pretty decent observation.

 

[ZooCougar]

You might be right, PP actually had a better resume than Golden. Golden is PP light.

Pasqualoni was a dinosaur. Golden is not.

 

[Stinger92860]

Smells like a guy looking for one more paycheck

Not sure I like Golden as the choice, but he is only 50. At that age almost everyone should be looking for a paycheck.

For what it’s worth, I‘m down the Jersey Shore not far from Colt’s Neck. A local person not connected to the Yard or UConn said he heard that Golden was getting the UConn job. Maybe it was the interview which was leaked.

EDIT: It was not at a car wash.

 

[NYtoCT]

Not sure I like Golden as the choice, but he is only 50. At that age almost everyone should be looking for a paycheck.

For what it’s worth, I‘m down the Jersey Shore not far from Colt’s Neck. A local person not connected to the Yard or UConn said he heard that Golden was getting the UConn job. Maybe it was the interview which was leaked.

EDIT: It was not at a car wash.

Ok we now have confirmation from Jersey Man. Has anyone received any updates from Florida Man?

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I would feel better about the Golden hire if I knew he was bringing an OC from a school with a successful modern offense. If UConn is serious...they need to pay for assistants. Golden alone won't be the answer...but golden with an up and coming OC from a MAC school....or an offensive assistant on a P5 staff...that could work.

I’d be ok with Golden, as long as he can recruit in New England, NJ, NY, PA, etc, and I think he can, his picks for OC and DC also need to be good recruiters. Fans and the administration alike need to realize this is a 5 year rebuild, and recruiting is pivotal in rebuilding UConn. If the new staff can’t do that then FBS football at UConn will be on borrowed time. Golden also knows the recruiting landscape in Florida and the southeast which is a plus. All that being said, I’d rather see Dave go after Moorhead, Sean Lewis, or Rhett Lashlee.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Would it be crazy to think that AD David Benedict is looking to orchestrate a "2 for 1 special"?

-Hire a HC with a history of rebuilding a similar FBS program (e.g., Golden w/ Temple) who is still reasonably young and has aspirations of using the turnaround as a stepping stone to another crack at a high-level FBS coaching job

-Plus, bring in a current younger hot FCS (or even D2) coach that would come in as OC/DC and take over the program after the rebuild starts gaining steam?

Something like a Golden / Chesney special?


I know this is something like what we thought could happen with Edsall/Lashlee, but I dont think AD David Benedict was able to pull all the strings necessary to get the right coaches in to make that plan work (i.e., Edsall was the rate-limiting part of the plan).

 

[JustbrewitMan]

I’d be ok with Golden, as long as he can recruit in New England, NJ, NY, PA, etc, and I think he can, his picks for OC and DC also need to be good recruiters. Fans and the administration alike need to realize this is a 5 year rebuild, and recruiting is pivotal in rebuilding UConn. If the new staff can’t do that then FBS football at UConn will be on borrowed time. Golden also knows the recruiting landscape in Florida and the southeast which is a plus. All that being said, I’d rather see Dave go after Moorhead, Sean Lewis, or Rhett Lashlee.

I like the general gist of your post, but we don't have time for a 5-year rebuild.

I think AD David Benedict will hire someone that has a clear, reasonable action plan to start seeing significant turnaround by end of year 2.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I like the general gist of your post, but we don't have time for a 5-year rebuild.

I think AD David Benedict will hire someone that has a clear, reasonable action plan to start seeing significant turnaround by end of year 2.

It has to be at the very least a 4 or 5 year plan, and recruiting FBS caliber players is the crux of the entire rebuild. I can count on one hand those players UConn has now. It’s basically an FCS squad at present. Once they start getting these kids and they’re in the program for 2-4 years we’ll hopefully see some major improvement. The portal can get us some instant talent but that only will go so far in getting talented kids. I also hope DB can squeeze in some talent under the present admissions standards.

 

[coachcap]

Would it be crazy to think that AD David Benedict is looking to orchestrate a "2 for 1 special"?

-Hire a HC with a history of rebuilding a similar FBS program (e.g., Golden w/ Temple) who is still reasonably young and has aspirations of using the turnaround as a stepping stone to another crack at a high-level FBS coaching job

-Plus, bring in a current younger hot FCS (or even D2) coach that would come in as OC/DC and take over the program after the rebuild starts gaining steam?

Something like a Golden / Chesney special?


I know this is something like what we thought could happen with Edsall/Lashlee, but I dont think AD David Benedict was able to pull all the strings necessary to get the right coaches in to make that plan work (i.e., Edsall was the rate-limiting part of the plan).

The answer, in a nutshell, is YES it would be crazy. No self respecting coach is going to agree to terms with an athletic director who states that " The job is yours, & oh by the way, we're also hiring your successor".
1. The coach would want a free hand to hire his own staff
2. The terms, if accepted, would only amplify the coach's perception the athletic director is pulling the puppet strings
3. The terms can create animosity & divisiveness among the coaching staff when all oars should be pulling in the same direction & stroke to create a winning atmosphere.

 

[coachcap]

I have only one reservation about hiring Al Golden. He's been away from the college game for a few years, so will he have enough familiarity with current players to use the transfer portal? In the modern college game the portal HAS to be used along with recruiting to get an influx of talent. FHCRE refused to use the portal much & it showed in the Huskies on-field performance. Will Golden embrace the portal?

 

[JustbrewitMan]

The answer, in a nutshell, is YES it would be crazy. No self respecting coach is going to agree to terms with an athletic director who states that " The job is yours, & oh by the way, we're also hiring your successor".
1. The coach would want a free hand to hire his own staff
2. The terms, if accepted, would only amplify the coach's perception the athletic director is pulling the puppet strings
3. The terms can create animosity & divisiveness among the coaching staff when all oars should be pulling in the same direction & stroke to create a winning atmosphere.

I think you're being too rigid in your thinking/interpretation.

-It's no secret that UConn is highly unlikely to become a P5 power any time soon (perhaps, never).
-A strong coach to rebuild us to respectable levels will also likely have aspirations to use us as a resume-builder to move to a rebuild project at a mid/high P5 school. Within 3-5 years. This would be something definitely discussed by the prospective coach/AD David Benedict (not forced upon the potential hire) during interviews/negotiations
-AD David Benedict counters in the discussion with "that's great, but we need to have a strong action plan for succession as UConn football absolutely cannot afford to suffer another decline/drawn-out HC search". The OC/DC can be someone both agree about. Not forced by either side.

The above process is more than reasonable and takes care of the 3 issues you raised.

WRT #2, any D1 level athletic coach worth his/her salt should want to come to a school where the AD makes it clear that they have very high expectations that must be met, or face real consequences. Also, that the AD will have their back to help make it happen.

AD's at great D1 schools pull strings all the time when it's necessary.