DC

[Dann]

i think its time the program either let us know whats going on or move Hank over an tell us. if were looking, leak something small. dont care if its nonsense or a name, just let us know were not a complete bunch of fools.

 

[sportsart]

Apparently the defensive commits are ok with if (no decommits) so I'm ok with it

 

[gioff23]

HfD,

you and I agree that we'd like more info from the school, but asking them to let us know we're not fools might be pushing it

 

[CTMike]

Just announced- he's our DC. Nice work spurring them to an announcement, HFD...

 

[huskymedic]

i think its time the program either let us know whats going on or move Hank over an tell us. if were looking, leak something small. dont care if its nonsense or a name, just let us know were not a complete bunch of fools.

Dang whiner... here

UConnFootball 12:35pm via Web
Current UConn asst. coach Hank Hughes named Defensive Coordinator...had same job from 2002-10..will continue to work with d-line #bleedblue

LMAO.

 

[Dann]

Just announced- he's our DC. Nice work spurring them to an announcement, HFD...

thats what they get for calling me out on the radio. i can make life hell for ppl if they wish.

 

[huskymedic]

thats what they get for calling me out on the radio. i can make life hell for ppl if they wish.

We know - all they have to do is spend three days here as evidence.

 

[CTHUSKY74]

Glad to see them make a decision on Hank. He's a good man. It will be interesting to see what philosophy he employs on defense - the Randy bend don't break or the Don Brown aggressive approach. I always felt that he was held back by Randy who was calling the shots on the defensive approach (and everything else)! With PP I think he will have more latitude to coach his way. Thoughts from others that know about Hank and his style?

 

[CTMike]

Excellent question CTHUSKY74...

 

[UConnDan97]

I like this move. And to CTHusky's question, I think that Hughes will be more aggressive than in the Edsall era. I don't have any statements to back that up with. I just don't picture Hank as a "bend, don't break" kind of thinker or attitude. He might not be 100% behind "solve your problems with aggression", but the percentage has to be in the high 80's...

 

[Dann]

the other important parts of this are its officially sos to cb's and gdl to ahc with ol duties. this confrims everything good and bad. jtw is the oc and wr coach. now we will all worry greatly if we can ever develope cbs....and pp is saving gdls life here by giving him a non needed paycheck.

-i do not have much faith in sos at this point. would love to see us do something about that position
-i would like to see gdl leave as u all know but i would take him being stripped of OL duties and just being the grandpa who walks around and yells a bit. let him chram parents at hs games and all that shi*
-move foley to OL and get a TE coach.

were getting close here warde, close. between this, lax and the academic drop all of a sudden back down to realistic admissions standards, u are honestly getting my attnetion. don't threaten me with a good time watching a real commercial or marketing plan for tickets and stuff or a good new brand otherwise i may have to stfu.

 

[FDNY99]

I don't like it. I am just not sold in Hank keeping the aggressive style we have recruited players for these past few seasons.

 

[CTMike]

I don't like it. I am just not sold in Hank keeping the aggressive style we have recruited players for these past few seasons.

How do we know?

 

[CTMike]

-i would like to see gdl leave as u all know but i would take him being stripped of OL duties and just being the grandpa who walks around and yells a bit. let him chram parents at hs games and all that shi*.

GDL = Walmart Greeter. Haha

 

[Dann]

GDL = Walmart Greeter. Haha

nice. get him a pin with the current husky dog so when we have the more agressive one he can look like the old nice guy with a happy dog pin. we can stand him up at the gates of the rent to welcome kids and diehards can say bad things under breath as they walk in. on the way out he can give uconn stickers to ppl. see, now this is big time fball!!!

 

[RMS25CT]

I don't like it. I am just not sold in Hank keeping the aggressive style we have recruited players for these past few seasons.

I posted this in another thread a few weeks ago:

First of all Todd Orlando was the DC under Edsall at least in title but I digress. The point I want to make is that when Orlando was here it was a bend don't break style with limited blitzing. However, when Orlando went to FIU in 2011 his defense was blitzing 3 out every 4 downs. The point being that while I can't say this with 100% confidence, I am 95% confident it was Edsall and not Orlando or Hughes or anyone else with any authority on the defensive staff during Edsall's tenure, that demanded the more conservative approach on D.

 

[businesslawyer]

I posted this in another thread a few weeks ago:

First of all Todd Orlando was the DC under Edsall at least in title but I digress. The point I want to make is that when Orlando was here it was a bend don't break style with limited blitzing. However, when Orlando went to FIU in 2011 his defense was blitzing 3 out every 4 downs. The point being that while I can't say this with 100% confidence, I am 95% confident it was Edsall and not Orlando or Hughes or anyone else with any authority on the defensive staf
f during Edsall's tenure, that demanded the more conservative approach on D.

Everything I have heard was that Orlando would have liked to have blitzed more, but Hughes, to whom Orlando reported, said no. Whether it was his choice or Edsall's, no idea.

I'd make three points. First, you can win playing aggressive D and you can win playing read and react D. You just have to play well. Second, hopefully Hughes runs the D based not on his theories in any event, but based on what he thinks he can do with the players he has on hand. Because they all know that another losing season and no one's job is safe anyway. And third, I'm not sure how aggressive you will be able to be on D next year without any weakside DEs to replace Trevardo and generate a pass rush. Hopefully EJ Norris is part of the answer, but man -- he looked to be a long way from having an impact when we saw him on the field last year. (That's not knocking him by the way -- Trevardo was a long way from having an impact when we saw him as a true frosh.)

 

[RMS25CT]

Everything I have heard was that Orlando would have liked to have blitzed more, but Hughes, to whom Orlando reported, said no. Whether it was his choice or Edsall's, no idea.

I'd make three points. First, you can win playing aggressive D and you can win playing read and react D. You just have to play well. Second, hopefully Hughes runs the D based not on his theories in any event, but based on what he thinks he can do with the players he has on hand. Because they all know that another losing season and no one's job is safe anyway. And third, I'm not sure how aggressive you will be able to be on D next year without any weakside DEs to replace Trevardo and generate a pass rush. Hopefully EJ Norris is part of the answer, but man -- he looked to be a long way from having an impact when we saw him on the field last year. (That's not knocking him by the way -- Trevardo was a long way from having an impact when we saw him as a true frosh.)

I dont think Orlando reported through Hank. How do you explain the aggressive style with Don Brown? Hank's title didn't change...still asst head coach (which only means that he gets to take on some important non coaching admin duties to free up the head coach a little). Did Brown report through him? Doubt it. It was Edsall. I'm not saying Edsall was wrong. The point I'm trying to make is that the head coach can be really hands on micro manager (Edsall) actively directing the style of a teams play or can be more hands off like PP seems to be.

 

[uconndogs]

First, I'm happy for Hughes, because he was an absolute class act holding things together when Edsall took a powder.

Second, the defense may very well be less aggressive under him than it was under Brown. I'm not necessarily concerned about that and I don't think the defense can be as aggressive as last season given the departures of Blide and Gratz. Huhges and Orlando put some good defenses on the field with much less talent than we have now. I like this move and running your linebackers on every play is not necessarily good defensive strategy.

One more thing, I was sorry to see Brown go. But, he may very well be in for an absolutely miserable time at BC, because their DBs suck big time. He plays the same defense there that he did last season with UCONN and he may very well get lit up like a Christmas tree.

 

[gioff23]

The fixation w/Edsall still is amusing. My view was that HCRE was fixated on building the reputation of the program thru bowl appearances, period. To do that, he took his 2 star talent and played ball control and bend-don't-break. He constrained all of his coordinators. He wanted a close game he might pull out in the end. And if the conference the bed, then voila, a good bowl. His vision was that if we won, we would build a rep., that would attract more talent and then we might open up things. He never got there. He left. He's not coming back.

I'm not worried how aggressive HH will be, I'm anxious to see how many guys line up w/their hand in the turf. Look at this roster, and you have to think we're trending towards a 3-4. We can stand up a Norris, and flex the 4-3 to a 3-4, but I question whether we have the depth to play a true 4-3. We're loaded at LB and DE. A Stephen, a Myers, a Campenni should be able to hold the middle

 

[businesslawyer]

I dont think Orlando reported through Hank. How do you explain the aggressive style with Don Brown? Hank's title didn't change...still asst head coach (which only means that he gets to take on some important non coaching admin duties to free up the head coach a little). Did Brown report through him? Doubt it. It was Edsall. I'm not saying Edsall was wrong. The point I'm trying to make is that the head coach can be really hands on micro manager (Edsall) actively directing the style of a teams play or can be more hands off like PP seems to be.

Hank's title didn't change, but he had far less control when P came in than he had under Edsall.

 

[RMS25CT]

Hank's title didn't change, but he had far less control when P came in than he had under Edsall.

With any new boss, one needs to earn that respect. I still stand by my original point. I guess come late August we will find out if I am on the right path or completely full of or somewhere in between.

 

[Carl Spackler]

In any organization I've ever been part of, the head guy, is the one who calls the shots, sets the plans in motion, monitors them, and the one everyone is ultimately answering to for what's happening. Hughes clearly impressed Pasqualoni enough to be given the DC title. Pasqualoni clearly established a pressure defense with multiple fronts and coverage shells. Edsall, unless I've gone completely cuckoo, never gave Hughes the Defensive Coordinator title, therefore Edsall felt other people were better suited for that title. Edsall clearly established a static front defense that showed the same basic looks against multiple down and distance situations, and offensive formations, and played a keep everythign in front of you style.

 

[FDNY99]

How do we know?

Hughes was DC from 2002-2004...the D he ran back then was DEFINITELY NOT an attacking style defense!!

 

[CTMike]

Hughes was DC from 2002-2004...the D he ran back then was DEFINITELY NOT an attacking style defense!!

I get that- but people learn a lot in 10 years, too. I sure hope that people don't think what I did 10 years ago is an indicator of what I can/will do today!