For Those Advocating Diaco Through 2017

[Chin Diesel]

Fill in the blanks for attendance you think UConn will average next season. Then, assuming Diaco gets canned after 2017, fill in the blanks for 2018-2021 (For the next coach's four year run).

2017-
2018-
2019-
2020-
2021-

Biggest problem with keeping Diaco isn't his buyout. It's his uninspiring coaching and games. As several others have alluded to, the biggest threat to the football program is fan indifference. And he isn't the coach to bring fans to the stadium.

Casual fans have zero interest and hard core fans are willingly choosing to miss games, not renewing season tickets and literally can't give away tickets for free.

So long as Diaco is in charge UConn football is in a revenue downward spiral. And while Connecticut has one of the highest per capita income levels in the country the athletic department doesn't have a rolodex of boosters willing to cut 7 and 8 digit checks to keep the program afloat.

 

[uconnphil2016]

High scoring football can be just as unwatchable. You don't see people busting down the turnstiles to see SMU (maybe now after they beat Houston) or Memphis. We never scored a lot under RE and attendance was just fine.

 

[politics]

Great OP. Keeping Diaco if this season continues to go south guarantees awful attendance next season.

 

[Chin Diesel]

High scoring football can be just as unwatchable. You don't see people busting down the turnstiles to see SMU (maybe now after they beat Houston) or Memphis. We never scored a lot under RE and attendance was just fine.

Which is why I never mentioned high scoring offense as a factor.

 

[Waywardson]

I really wish I could be a fly on the wall in the Dept. offices tomorrow. This was a BAD loss. Nationally humiliating, "take your fake trophy, we don't want it" bad. This program can afford to lose games, but it's the idea of being a laughing stock that can't be tolerated.

 

[gtcam]

Fill in the blanks for attendance you think UConn will average next season. Then, assuming Diaco gets canned after 2017, fill in the blanks for 2018-2021 (For the next coach's four year run).

2017-
2018-
2019-
2020-
2021-

Biggest problem with keeping Diaco isn't his buyout. It's his uninspiring coaching and games. As several others have alluded to, the biggest threat to the football program is fan indifference. And he isn't the coach to bring fans to the stadium.

Casual fans have zero interest and hard core fans are willingly choosing to miss games, not renewing season tickets and literally can't give away tickets for free.

So long as Diaco is in charge UConn football is in a revenue downward spiral. And while Connecticut has one of the highest per capita income levels in the country the athletic department doesn't have a rolodex of boosters willing to cut 7 and 8 digit checks to keep the program afloat.

I agree with some of what you say here BUT I would not say that HCBD is uninspiring - I view him as being neophyte and ineffective
I agree the attendance is and will be a huge issue - he has players that can provide some exciting brand of football but he is, so far, unwilling to let them off his short rope.
He coaches this team like its a Sunday youth midget football team
In my opinion - wrong guy for this specific time of the programs stage.
The school has a rolodex of contributors but its hard to ask someone to pay for a mistake - much easier for a positive and physical improvement like a field, building etc.

 

[jdb50]

Will we make a Bowl game this year? Who will be exciting for the fans to see on offense next year? We have Arkeel but we lose Thomas and Puyol. If we bomb the rest of the season you might get 20,000 for opening day and it will drop from there. Let's see if we can beat ECU and have 25,000 show up for Temple.

 

[kemba]

Early season attendance will stay the same as people come for the weather and tailgating. Later season attendance will depend on how the season is going.

I think he needs another year as of now. If we completely tank down the stretch than maybe that will change.

 

[uconndogs]

He's here next season unless he loses the team later this season. I don't see that happening. These kids play hard for him game in and game out. If they continue to play hard they will pick up another couple wins. At that point, the assessment is that this team would have been bowl eligible had they won the games they should have (Navy, Cuse, UCF). My guess is Verducci is gone and the offense gets a pretty good makeover. Problem is, I still don't see the playmakers.

 

[BlueDogs]

It's not about high scoring at least in my mind. I'm fine with a a very good defense and very good offense. That will yield wins. Wins brings fans. Competitive games brings fans. Smash mouth football is exciting when it is truly a war of hard hitting dominance where players are let loose, blitzing, stunting, fullbacks are blowing up people, lineman are driving people into the ground, etc. That's not us. Trying to avoid losing by slow rolling, eating clock on offense and a bend defense, waiting for the other team to make more mistakes and stealing wins is us. It's horribly bad football.

 

[UConnFranklin]

My guess is Verducci is gone and the offense gets a pretty good makeover.

The question I have is who is really running the offense? Is it Verducci? Is this really his offensive scheme? Or is it Diaco's offense and he is merely calling plays worked out on a script that Diaco created? Whoever is responsible for this offense needs to go. AD Banedict needs to have a discussion with both Diaco and Benedict. But here is the scary part to me...it's not just the offense that needs fixing. The defensive scheme is horrible, too. What with the 3 man front that doesn't put pressure on the QB and having slow linebackers cover WR's or backs out of the backfield. They can't keep up with them. The overloads that continually go uncovered and no adjustment made. The CB play 10 to 12 yrs off the WR's. They brought them up, played bump and run a couple of times and it was quite effective. There are so many things wrong. Benedict needs to take an active role if he hasn't already. I hope he already has a short list.

 

[Chin Diesel]

...it's not just the offense that needs fixing. The defensive scheme is horrible, too.

Hmmm. Makes you wonder if there is a common theme behind both the offense and defense being passive?

 

[Srqhusky]

Are we starting a go fund me for the buy out?

 

[shizzle787]

Are we starting a go fund me for the buy out?

Let's do it.

 

[Waquoit]

Losing, not style, is the main problem.

 

[superjohn]

Diaco is horrendous. The longer he stays, the bigger the hole we have to dig out of.

 

[uconnbill]

I disagree about there being no play makers on the team. I think that Thomas and Newsome both have that ability. It would also open it up for Bloom, Meyers and others to make plays.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Losing, not style, is the main problem.

I'd say the style of play leads to losing.

They're interdependent. I don't know which is the chicken and which is the egg but neither one his improving enough under Diaco.

 

[Carl Spackler]

 

[Carl Spackler]

 

[JMick]

No one cares what Shane Stafford has to say.

 

[bobbyinaz]

No one cares what Shane Stafford has to say.

So it's OK for everyone on the BY to have an opinion but an alum who is one of the best QB's ever at UConn doesn't have the right to say what he wants?

 

[JMick]

So it's OK for everyone on the BY to have an opinion but an alum who is one of the best QB's ever at UConn doesn't have the right to say what he wants?

No one cares what anyone on the BY has to say either.

 

[whaler11]

People in Florida have very strong opinions on attendance in East Hartford.

 

[Carl Spackler]

From what I understand no one really cared to be at the game either.

Boneyarders and alum are the only ones paying attention and this football product sucks