Dear AD Benedict/UConn BOT: Spend Some Goddam Money On Football

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Legit question because I don't know, how do the other schools do it? Did they cut non-revenue sports or just never have them? Do they just spend less? I'm sure we invest more in basketball but that can't be the only difference.

None of these schools play hockey or pay their WBB coach what Geno makes.

 

[uconnell]

Even if we had an oncampus stadium I think the students would still find a place to congregate and party. Don’t even need buses to get back to campus so party longer. Maybe when we start wining the students will have some pride in their school! As they do not seem to have much right now.

 

[uconnell]

None of these schools play hockey or pay their WBB coach what Geno makes.

Geno has offered to take a pay cut when the discussion about firing Ollie came @bout.

 

[huskymedic]

Geno has offered to take a pay cut when the discussion about firing Ollie came @bout.

Different situation: Auriemma offers to forego pay in education budget battle - not related to Ollie

 

[Redding Husky]

I completely understand folks for the "Cancel Football" posts and opinions. We are the unquestioned worst team in the country. Nobody - not even UMass - is lower than us. We'll be #1 Bottom 10 on every sports site on Monday morning for the rest of the season.

But I want to do the exact opposite...

UConn boasts about having a G5 leading ~$70M AD budget. We pay Geno and Hurley very aggressively and rightfully so. We're a basketball school and always will be. But when it comes to the one and only sport that could lift our school and state economy out of the doldrums of college athletic's minor leagues, we go cheap. Incredibly cheap. Edsall is paid peanuts. We just let SMU (S.M.U.!) poach an assistant coach from us. Our assistant coaches could leave UConn and make more money bagging groceries at Big Y.

Why bother? You get what you pay for.

Either spend some goddam money and employ an actual FBS level coaching staff - assistants included - or the "Cancel/Drop Football" crowd will only get bigger, louder and, worst of all, 1000% right. What is the point of student subsidies - already astronomically high - if that money isn't being put the one and only use to get UConn into "The Money Club"?? The one and only college sport that could give the state economy a HUGE boost.

Put some goddam money into our football coaching pool. Call it Benedict's Last Stand. Call it our Doug Flutie moment. Call it whatever you want. Increase our football coaching pay pool today and put everything we have into it. Commit fully to it. Slash ticket prices, give students free tickets, and eat more money. Endure the frustrated complaints from the fans and alumni during yet another transition period. And in 3-5 years, when CR will firmly be closed, if we're no better than we are today, drop it and do what you have to do. But please please try. Partial commitment and half arsing is making this program worse, not better.

I agree with most of your post, but don't underestimate SMU. It has: 1) between one and three national championships (depending on how they're counted), 2) a tradition of 83 years in the Southwest Conference, 3) an inexhaustible donor base, 4) academics that are as good or better than UConn, and 5) a location in the most fertile recruiting grounds in the nation (Dallas-Fort Worth produces 5% of all Division 1 FB players).

 

[Hoophound]

We can pay a coach, but we had to buy out Diaco. Edsall’s low salary was a Dave Benedict solution to go in a different direction and get rid of Diaco. In fairness to DB, Edsall wasn’t a bad choice and was certainly the best known commodity that would take the job for $1,000,000. I am not even dissatisfied with Randy, I just want him to give good coordinators autonomy and stop making excuses. We know we suck and we know it is tough to fix. Just give us hope instead of arguing and making excuses.

 

[Dooley]

Legit question because I don't know, how do the other schools do it? Did they cut non-revenue sports or just never have them? Do they just spend less? I'm sure we invest more in basketball but that can't be the only difference.

Other schools/ADs prioritize football considerably more than we do. They devote a far larger % of AD expense to their football programs than we do... just like Pitt, Louisville, BC, Miami, West Virginia, Syracuse, TCU, Utah, and Rutgers did.

 

[kemba]

Other schools/ADs prioritize football considerably more than we do. They devote a far larger % of AD expense to their football programs than we do... just like Pitt, Louisville, BC, Miami, West Virginia, Syracuse, TCU, Utah, and Rutgers did.

Right, but where are we spending that the other schools aren't that makes us have the highest budget but lowest for football? Is it all in hockey and paying our basketball coaches well? Are we spending for all the bells and whistles for non revenue sports, and they are giving them the bare minimum?

I guess what im wondering, if we wanted to devote a higher percentage of our budget to football, would it require some tougher decisions like cutting other sports programs, or investing less in basketball? Or are there some easier ways we could shift money around?

 

[bobbyinaz]

Given the massive budget problems, the UConn athletic dept won't be able to maintain its current spending.

While spending more on football is an easy response the likelihood is that ALL the athletic teams will face cuts.

 

[the Q]

AD Dave is probably interviewing around and trying to jump off the USS UConn Titanic before it's too late. Warde somehow convinced Michigan to hire him so there's hope for him. Sure am rooting for him to save his skin (and reputation)!

There’s no question. He’s getting all the major boxes ticked off:

Nike deal
IMG deal
CLC
athletics district
Hurley

He’s getting it set up to boost the resume for a potential move.

 

[Chin Diesel]

1. UConn sponsors more D1 sports than almost every AAC school. UConn sponsors more D1 sports than most P5 schools.

2. Part of me believes UConn as a university, fans and state residents wear the team's failure as a badge of honor. Falling in to a "football school" culture would be admitting UConn had been doing it "wrong".

3. Demographics. Can't summarily dismiss UConn doesn't have a huge on campus undergrad population, fertile local recruiting base or exist in a college football hungry area of the country. There isn't a huge push from the local population to be good or great at football. No pressure to keep up with the Jones's.

 

[Stainmaster]

There’s no question. He’s getting all the major boxes ticked off:

Nike deal
IMG deal
CLC
athletics district
Hurley

He’s getting it set up to boost the resume for a potential move.

"Potential" move? He's out of here as soon as possible.

 

[CL82]

They get free tickets - they tailgate and start taking the buses back to campus before the game starts. Not a few - we are talking 1,000 to 1,500.

And why do we have buses back to campus right at the start of the game?

 

[crazyUCfan23]

And why do we have buses back to campus right at the start of the game?

Those buses are typically paid for my frats and other organizations. They are not run by the school. The school provides a bus to the game, one leaves at halftime, and one leaves after the game i believe.

 

[CL82]

There’s no question. He’s getting all the major boxes ticked off:

Nike deal
IMG deal
CLC
athletics district
Hurley

He’s getting it set up to boost the resume for a potential move.

So his doing his job is clear sign he wants to leave?

 

[uconnell]

Given the massive budget problems, the UConn athletic dept won't be able to maintain its current spending.

While spending more on football is an easy response the likelihood is that ALL the athletic teams will face cuts.

O

And why do we have buses back to campus right at the start of the game?

How much do the buses cost to transport all these students From and to campus? Maybe that should be one of the first cuts!

 

[uconnell]

Manuel had ties to Michigan, I guess they liked that he was in the Bahamas during one of the monumental times of UConn athletics.

 

[Dooley]

Right, but where are we spending that the other schools aren't that makes us have the highest budget but lowest for football? Is it all in hockey and paying our basketball coaches well? Are we spending for all the bells and whistles for non revenue sports, and they are giving them the bare minimum?

I guess what im wondering, if we wanted to devote a higher percentage of our budget to football, would it require some tougher decisions like cutting other sports programs, or investing less in basketball? Or are there some easier ways we could shift money around?

Our current AD budget is around $70M. That is far and away the top AD budget in the entire G5. I think Cincinnati is next up at around $58M. I have no idea how our AD budget breaks down by sport but, yeah, I would guess that we are outbidding ourselves in a great many sports. No matter how many times it's been said over the past 10-15 years, football drives the bus everywhere...but UConn. We have to be able to find money somewhere. We're a basketball school and there's nothing wrong with that. We can't cut funding to hoops until, maybe, the day Geno retires. Devote 50% of his salary to hire his replacement and the other half gets put into the football coaching pool. That's $1M/yr right there. But we'll probably need more and that's on AD Dave and our BOT to find it.

Other schools have figured out how to spend competitive money to field competitive football programs. We haven't. If we just leveled the AD/Football spending %, we can be competitive too. If I'm AD Dave, I'm cutting ties with Aspire Group and using that money to hire an accounting firm to go line by line to find an additional $3-$5M or so to spend on football coaches. We're not selling tickets as-is anyway so no need for Aspire. If we're going to outpace all G5 schools in athletic spending, we have to outpace all G5 schools in football spending. Otherwise, what's the point?

 

[ASweet3781]

This is what Benedict signed up for.

The years of Edsall coaching Skip Holtz's kids 1999-2001 were some of the worst performances I have ever seen from a UConn program. What ended it was a future NFL QB staying home to build his home state U's program and being able to tell under ranked (yet talented) players to come play in a BCS league against Miami, BC, VA Tech, Syracuse, Pitt, etc). I don't see another Orlovsky coming and we certainly can't pitch the former anymore.

It's a really bad situation that should surprise no one. Especially Benedict if he did his homework.

 

[Chief00]

Sad! Very sad indeed!

At least they are part of some aspect of it - it’s a start and the school needs to figure out the rest of it in a positive not punative way.

 

[Chief00]

This is what Benedict signed up for.

The years of Edsall coaching Skip Holtz's kids 1999-2001 were some of the worst performances I have ever seen from a UConn program. What ended it was a future NFL QB staying home to build his home state U's program and being able to tell under ranked (yet talented) players to come play in a BCS league against Miami, BC, VA Tech, Syracuse, Pitt, etc). I don't see another Orlovsky coming and we certainly can't pitch the former anymore.

It's a really bad situation that should surprise no one. Especially Benedict if he did his homework.

Some famous historian said history doesn’t repeat itself, the World changes. The General who fights the current war like the last war generally loses. Infrantry of the Civil War was replacement by trench warfare in WW1, then armor divisions in WW2, followed by mobile air and helicopters since then. Submarines and aircraft carriers impacted naval warfare and GPS and missiles play a critical role in so much.
Randy 2.0 trying to do things like Randy 1.0 isn’t going to work.

 

[Chief00]

O




How much do the buses cost to transport all these students From and to campus? Maybe that should be one of the first cuts!

The kids leave when the police tell them to go in the stadium or leave. The bus drivers are getting paid anyways.
A friend made a proposal to UConn officials last year to give away a semester of Room and Board ( the school said tuition was too complicated) as a raffle for students in the stadium but it did not fly.
Cell and WiFi capacity needs to be dramaticslly increase at The Rent - the SEC schools are doing that after surveying the students.
There’s so many creative things we could be doing but aren’t. Of course fielding a competitive team would be a big help too.

Doing stuff as we did in the early 2000’s isn’t going to cut it.

 

[Adios]

Randy Edsall's bonus for scoring first yesterday earned him a national headline on USA Today.

 

[the Q]

Some famous historian said history doesn’t repeat itself, the World changes. The General who fights the current war like the last war generally loses. Infrantry of the Civil War was replacement by trench warfare in WW1, then armor divisions in WW2, followed by mobile air and helicopters since then. Submarines and aircraft carriers impacted naval warfare and GPS and missiles play a critical role in so much.
Randy 2.0 trying to do things like Randy 1.0 isn’t going to work.

Maybe not. But some things can.

Germany fighting a two front war.

The kids leave when the police tell them to go in the stadium or leave. The bus drivers are getting paid anyways.
A friend made a proposal to UConn officials last year to give away a semester of Room and Board ( the school said tuition was too complicated) as a raffle for students in the stadium but it did not fly.
Cell and WiFi capacity needs to be dramaticslly increase at The Rent - the SEC schools are doing that after surveying the students.
There’s so many creative things we could be doing but aren’t. Of course fielding a competitive team would be a big help too.

Doing stuff as we did in the early 2000’s isn’t going to cut it.

The state just upgraded to a das a few years ago.

They are working to get one set up in gamble. Been trying for a while to.

 

[Rappin'Rodney]

Cell and WiFi capacity needs to be dramatically increase at The Rent - the SEC schools are doing that after surveying the students.

UConn's wifi for The Rent and the XL Center are now administered remotely by Global Research Network Operations Center (GlobalNOC) on Indiana University's campus. Weird. In fact, the entire Connecticut Education Network was ported over to GlobalNOC at least eight months ago, probably longer.

 

[BlueDogs]

AD Dave did I great job on Hurley. He needs to start fixing football in a hurry. The RE hire was reasonable and practical. It’s just not working and Ned’s to force change or force RE out.

 

[bmayuc]

I completely understand folks for the "Cancel Football" posts and opinions. We are the unquestioned worst team in the country. Nobody - not even UMass - is lower than us. We'll be #1 Bottom 10 on every sports site on Monday morning for the rest of the season.

But I want to do the exact opposite...

UConn boasts about having a G5 leading ~$70M AD budget. We pay Geno and Hurley very aggressively and rightfully so. We're a basketball school and always will be. But when it comes to the one and only sport that could lift our school and state economy out of the doldrums of college athletic's minor leagues, we go cheap. Incredibly cheap. Edsall is paid peanuts. We just let SMU (S.M.U.!) poach an assistant coach from us. Our assistant coaches could leave UConn and make more money bagging groceries at Big Y.

Why bother? You get what you pay for.

Either spend some goddam money and employ an actual FBS level coaching staff - assistants included - or the "Cancel/Drop Football" crowd will only get bigger, louder and, worst of all, 1000% right. What is the point of student subsidies - already astronomically high - if that money isn't being put the one and only use to get UConn into "The Money Club"?? The one and only college sport that could give the state economy a HUGE boost.

Put some goddam money into our football coaching pool. Call it Benedict's Last Stand. Call it our Doug Flutie moment. Call it whatever you want. Increase our football coaching pay pool today and put everything we have into it. Commit fully to it. Slash ticket prices, give students free tickets, and eat more money. Endure the frustrated complaints from the fans and alumni during yet another transition period. And in 3-5 years, when CR will firmly be closed, if we're no better than we are today, drop it and do what you have to do. But please please try. Partial commitment and half arsing is making this program worse, not better.

I like this attitude, but don't think it is aggressive enough. If you are going to go with the "Spend some cash now and to hell with it if it doesn't work close the program" model, you should really do some more creative thinking. They should NOT be spending that money on coaching. That is a saturated and expensive market.

The way to go is to funnel money directly to recruits. Think about it. If Top 10, NBA bound basketballers are only worth 40-100k to sign, a couple thousand here or there could be the difference in signing some decent high 3* and low 4* players. We don't need top 100 recruits. Lets find some guys in the top 250 and find ourselves a bagman. I find it highly likely this is a more effective strategy than rolling the dice in a costly coaching market.

Upside - the Louisville Model - Find an exit ramp in next round of CR because of our new football prestige mixed with basketball revitilization. We all enjoy football again and can unironically wear the Derp Husky hat. Maybe bowl games and we still have a football program?

Downside - maybe we get busted in a few years after the new round of CR, but by then who cares the NCAA is on its way out, and if worst comes to worse screw it we can just shut down football like we will anyway if we continue to suck so much.

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I'm kidding.
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But you thought about it, right?

 

[Dooley]

I like this attitude, but don't think it is aggressive enough. If you are going to go with the "Spend some cash now and to hell with it if it doesn't work close the program" model, you should really do some more creative thinking. They should NOT be spending that money on coaching. That is a saturated and expensive market.

The way to go is to funnel money directly to recruits. Think about it. If Top 10, NBA bound basketballers are only worth 40-100k to sign, a couple thousand here or there could be the difference in signing some decent high 3* and low 4* players. We don't need top 100 recruits. Lets find some guys in the top 250 and find ourselves a bagman. I find it highly likely this is a more effective strategy than rolling the dice in a costly coaching market.

Upside - the Louisville Model - Find an exit ramp in next round of CR because of our new football prestige mixed with basketball revitilization. We all enjoy football again and can unironically wear the Derp Husky hat. Maybe bowl games and we still have a football program?

Downside - maybe we get busted in a few years after the new round of CR, but by then who cares the NCAA is on its way out, and if worst comes to worse screw it we can just shut down football like we will anyway if we continue to suck so much.

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I'm kidding.
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But you thought about it, right?
View attachment 35959

Nice guys finish last. But we did manage to get sparkling APR scores out of the last decade. Very important metric.

 

[huskymedic]

You get what you pay for...

48. Memphis, Mike Norvell $2,600,000
58. Navy, Ken Niumatalolo $2,163,000
60. Cincinnati, Luke Fickell, $2,000,000
67. Houston, Major Applewhite $1,750,000
69. UCF, Josh Heupel $1,700,000
71. Tulane, Willie Fritz $1,629,000
73. Tulsa, Phillip Montgomery $1,518,177
78. ECU, Scottie Montgomery $1,102,500
80. UConn, Randy Edsall, $1,100,000
82. South Florida, Charlie Strong, $1,000,000 (Note: Strong due to make $2.5M in 2019)

Legit question because I don't know, how do the other schools do it? Did they cut non-revenue sports or just never have them? Do they just spend less? I'm sure we invest more in basketball but that can't be the only difference.

Other schools/ADs prioritize football considerably more than we do. They devote a far larger % of AD expense to their football programs than we do... just like Pitt, Louisville, BC, Miami, West Virginia, Syracuse, TCU, Utah, and Rutgers did.

I went back and looked @ number of varsity sports each AAC school reports because I remember doing this exercise during the B12 presentation days.

UConn - 20
ECU - 20
Cincy- 19
Memphis - 19
Temple -19 (dropped baseball a few yrs back)
Tulsa - 18
SMU - 17
Houston - 17
USF - 17
UCF - 16
Wichita State - 15
*Navy - 30 but a totally different animal*

 

[Dooley]

I went back and looked @ number of varsity sports each AAC school reports because I remember doing this exercise during the B12 presentation days.

UConn - 20
ECU - 20
Cincy- 19
Memphis - 19
Temple -19 (dropped baseball a few yrs back)
Tulsa - 18
SMU - 17
Houston - 17
USF - 17
UCF - 16
Wichita State - 15
*Navy - 30 but a totally different animal*

Well done, medic (as always).

Yup, 20 sports is alot of sports. I hate the idea of cutting sports but we wouldn't be the first nor the last school to do it. We're still trying to operate like a P5 athletic department while bringing in peanuts G5 revenue. Kudos to UConn for trying...but it's not working when the one and only sport that can bring more money to our school/state is 1-8 and getting worse by the week.