Embattled UConn Athletic Director Warde Manuel should be earning the ire of President Herbst

[Chief00]

Put Calhoun in as coach and see if it takes him 3 seconds or 3 years to get a sense of urgency.

 

[Rumrunner]

September 2012 Nothing up to this point would make me want to pull out Paul's contract and take a look at it. My goal is to support Paul, support the other head coaches. And at the appropriate time, if it comes that way, at some point he will be the first to know. But nothing up to this point, what I've seen, would cause me to want to take a look at Paul's contract." UConn had just lost to Western Michigan of the MAC

October 2012 Our fans, I know they are frustrated, I am frustrated, Paul and the team is frustrated but stick with us, this team is working at it. The plan is to go to South Florida and make some adjustments and play harder, play smarter, play for 60 minutes and we will see what the outcome is. The plan is to win; we don't plan on going in there to lose. We don't accept losing and I am not a very good loser at all...

November 2012 UConn athletic director Warde Manuel called it "a conversation." Other team and campus sources say it was a monologue, not a dialogue, complete with Manuel in full throat, rattling the walls.

This much we know: Manuel addressed the UConn football players not long after the season ended and let them know, loudly and clearly, that the season that had just transpired would never, ever happen again.

December 2012 I hear our fans and I understand their disappointment, but we're going to make the adjustments to have a better performance on the field than we had this year

August 2013 We're going to go into every game with a game plan to win knowing that we're going to give our all and success for them looks the same for me, that at the end of the game, we're ahead and the other team has scored less points than we've scored. The expectations are going to be high for what this team could do.

August 29, 2013 Watching Manuel march down the hall and out the door, you didn't have to be an expert in the art of body language to see that Manuel was upset. If one had looked closely enough, one might have actually seen smoke coming from Manuel's ears as he pushed open the door and disappeared into the night.

 

[Road Dog]

Weren't these two bozos (Warde and Herbst) travelling on some sunny island resort as Louisville was pushing to get into the ACC? That's enough to get them both fired.

 

[whaler11]

Manuel owns 2013 because he didn't do the right thing at the end of 2012. End of discussion: any defense of him that ignores this simple fact is worthless. It was not a bold move. It was the only move and it was obvious to anyone with even a modicum of sense.

 

[Rumrunner]

I don't think anyone is disputing that at this juncture Pasqualoni is Manuel's coach. Retaining him after witnessing first-hand Pasqualoni in action is even more egregious than hiring him. Manuel is paid to make hard choices. He chose meekly and chose wrong; now UConn is suffering because of it.

Manuel owns 2013 because he didn't do the right thing at the end of 2012. End of discussion: any defense of him that ignores this simple fact is worthless. It was not a bold move. It was the only move and it was obvious to anyone with even a modicum of sense.

 

[Chief00]

Some definition of "embattled", a 5% raise.

 

[uconnbill]

One thing all of you forget is the buyout for coach P and then to pony up the money to hire a top notch coach. So unless donors want to pony up to buyout the contract, nothing will happen yet. I wish it were different but its not.

 

[BlueDogs]

One thing all of you forget is the buyout for coach P and then to pony up the money to hire a top notch coach. So unless donors want to pony up to buyout the contract, nothing will happen yet. I wish it were different but its not.

And thus, it all turns on priorities...believe me there is plenty of money available if the desire is there. There is not. What there is is plenty of lip service, handwringing and nea culpas, but no real intent to fix. Warde's sole dream is to get his next big AD job by being marginally competitent and not making a hard decision.

 

[Jimdish255]

And thus, it all turns on priorities...believe me there is plenty of money available if the desire is there. There is not. What there is is plenty of lip service, handwringing and nea culpas, but no real intent to fix. Warde's sole dream is to get his next big AD job by being marginally competitent and not making a hard decision.

Let's say (for the sake of argument) a financial decision was made for year three retention. What financial implications would it take to revisit that (shortsighted imo) analysis? JMoney keep your antennae up after innocently broaching the subject with someone within earshot of the Pres.

 

[uconnbill]

And thus, it all turns on priorities...believe me there is plenty of money available if the desire is there. There is not. What there is is plenty of lip service, handwringing and nea culpas, but no real intent to fix. Warde's sole dream is to get his next big AD job by being marginally competitent and not making a hard decision.

'
I disagree. I think Manuel was going to fire coach Paqualoni at the game but didn't. I think the leash is short for this coaching staff and if things don't improve quickly the boot will be coming.

 

[UconnWitt]

Manuel owns 2013 because he didn't do the right thing at the end of 2012. End of discussion: any defense of him that ignores this simple fact is worthless. It was not a bold move. It was the only move and it was obvious to anyone with even a modicum of sense.

College football coaches need at least three years to implement their systems and recruits...although that theory is admittedly garbage, I must admit. Think of the next hire. Why would anyone with promise want to take a job at an AAC school that fires its' coach after going 5-7 for two consecutive seasons? PP isn't our guy, but I'm of the humble opinion that our fanbase may need a better frame of reference...

 

[SubbaBub]

One must acknowledge the role CR uncertainty played in retaining P as well as the whole, his recruits third year argument.

All those melted away on Thursday when an unprepared and unimproved team showed its ass on a third party internet broadcast against a lower division team.

Legit arguments were made to hire and retain P before this year. I didn't agree, but they were legit. What's the argument now? The only one is that it takes time to put the transition pieces in place. It had to be a big shock to everyone how bad they looked.

Thursday is the drop dead date this week. After that who knows what Warde will do.

 

[Carl Spackler]

As many people were in denial a week ago about whether we could actually succeed this season with P as HC I may be in denial here but considering the positions they hold, what we hear (or don't hear) may not necessarily be how those in charge feel or provide any true picture on how they will act when the time comes.

I have often stated a public stance that I did not take (nor believe) for the long term good, which may well be similar to what WM was doing when he spoke of the importance of continuity last winter. All we see is the public spin. SH and WM could well have worked out an action plan (which was postponed for any of many reasons, including the possibility that McHugh begged for one additional season of P).

Again, I could well be in denial but I still believe that there is the possibility that SH & WM can do what is necessary to get the football program fixed. I don't see either as the type who would settle for dropping down to some second level because it is an easier path.

I know we've had our differences, but I am in accord with you here. As the shellshock wore off from Thursday's game, I have come to realize quite clearly that we are not in the midst of a coaching problem, or a player personnel problem - football is football, coaches coach and players play, but what we are in the process of determining in real time, and real life in the next few weeks, what kind of leadership we trully have, and what our goals as an athletic institution coupled with an academic institution are to be.

It's a crossroads we are at with our university leadership at the highest levels, and the actions they take are going to speak louder than any words. For where we are right now, every person connected to the situation from the players up on through the athletic department to the chair of the board himself, need only look in the mirror. Nobody more than the head coach himself.

I've already stated my case - for me - my personal opinion, on how I would look at it, if I had any decision making power at all (I don't) every single coach on this staff has moved to one week contracts, and I've got my connections working overtime filling up lists of potential replacements, and things stay that way, until such time as the one week contract is over and won't be renewed, or they've earned the opportunity to extend those contracts.

I'll tell you waht fairfield county fan, I'm just a lowly lowly fan of this football program, and I've been a staunch supporter up until that disaster of an opening game at home Thursday, but my opinion is that if Susan Herbst, Larry McHugh, and Warde Manuel have waited unitl now to begin to address the kinds of things that I just wrote, and haven't been doing it all along - we are FUBAR.

 

[BlueDogs]

'
I disagree. I think Manuel was going to fire coach Paqualoni at the game but didn't. I think the leash is short for this coaching staff and if things don't improve quickly the boot will be coming.

Hey, it's possible. We are all reading tea leafs. What is clear is this circus show isn't working, and the circus master is asleep.

 

[whaler11]

College football coaches need at least three years to implement their systems and recruits...although that theory is admittedly garbage, I must admit. Think of the next hire. Why would anyone with promise want to take a job at an AAC school that fires its' coach after going 5-7 for two consecutive seasons? PP isn't our guy, but I'm of the humble opinion that our fanbase may need a better frame of reference...

I think when it's an obvious wrong hire you can fire one guy quickly. You can't keep firing guys constantly, but you don't scare people off with one. Might force you into a longer initial contract but when you change ADs people understand one obvious change.

 

[Dooley]

Pasqualoni and DeLeone need to be fired NOW. But it appears clear that Warde is going to sacrifice this season and pray for a miracle. t that point, the only way for this program to be saved will be to pay a big time coach some serious money. Hiring another retread will cement our fate as lifers stuck in a mid-major conference.

 

[Dooley]

I think when it's an obvious wrong hire you can fire one guy quickly. You can't keep firing guys constantly, but you don't scare people off with one. Might force you into a longer initial contract but when you change ADs people understand one obvious change.

Completely agree with this. He made it to year 3 and got blown out by a FCS team. That's plenty of time and other coaches will surely understand. At the VERY LEAST, Warde needs to override Pasqualoni and fire DeLeone. If that means Pasqualoni quits, then that will be all the better.

 

[jdb50]

We heard at the end of camp about how tough our O-line had it because of our tough D-line. Well that observation has been shot full of holes. When we had Petrus and Mike Ryan on the line McCoombs had a decent year but at 5-7 PP put GDL in charge to straighten things out. Our run game evaporated. The deterioration of our O-line under these guys has been astounding. Another game with only one RB getting the ball. GDL should be shown the door ASAP.

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

Has Warde made any public comment about the team or the coach? after the most embarrassing game in school history? I don't undestand how that is even possible..

 

[IMind]

College football coaches need at least three years to implement their systems and recruits...although that theory is admittedly garbage, I must admit. Think of the next hire. Why would anyone with promise want to take a job at an AAC school that fires its' coach after going 5-7 for two consecutive seasons? PP isn't our guy, but I'm of the humble opinion that our fanbase may need a better frame of reference...

I understand this line of thinking.... but it's pretty easy to calm the prospective coaches fears... just tell him don't go 5-7 in two consecutive seasons then lose to an FCS school. I suspect that Coach P coaches out the season though.

 

[uconnric]

Has Warde made any public comment about the team or the coach? after the most embarrassing game in school history? I don't undestand how that is even possible..

What the hell do you expect him to say?

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

What the hell do you expect him to say?

Well, I already expected him to fire PP. but since that doiesn't appear to be happening, I expected someone to get him on the record saying "he is monitoring the progress of the football team."

 

[UCHuskies08]

What the hell do you expect him to say?

"Man, that really blew, didn't it?"

 

[Carl Spackler]

Has Warde made any public comment about the team or the coach? after the most embarrassing game in school history? I don't undestand how that is even possible..

I disagree. I think that making public statements right now are meaningless. It's actions that are going to speak from here on in, and the guy is either going to show himself as an effective AD or he won't.

 

[Jimdish255]

I disagree. I think that making public statements right now are meaningless. It's actions that are going to speak from here on in, and the guy is either going to show himself as an effective AD or he won't.

Agreed. Don't want to hear anything short of an announcement. Otherwise we're staying the course. Continuity.