- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 6,373
- Reaction Score
- 16,570
"What Randy accomplished in his time at UConn, winningest coach in school history, transitioning the program from 1-AA to the Fiesta Bowl, these were not easy things to do and speak volumes about his football mind and coaching ability. Husky Nation should be excited to have him back! For someone that has been in the NFL, the UConn players should also be excited. Randy has a proven track record of getting players drafted, which is hard to do wherever you are. He knows the landscape and has shown he can do this. I am excited for Randy and for my alma mater.
– John Dorsey, General Manager Kansas City Chiefs, 1983 First Team All-American at UConn "
BIGGEST NEGATIVE THOUGHT:
He did succeed. Trailers. He took the Program from barely a short drive from the best of regional HS type facilities (certainly not Texas Friday Night Lights) to a full fledged FBS participant and winner. This is indisputable. He was detailed in every way ... and actually his obsession carried to negative things at Maryland where they have a far more critical Media centre and a toxic fanbase.
I appreciate Edsall's path.
however ... That was something he did with laser focus and energy from Age 39 to 52. He learned on the job and became the face of the Program ... like few others in all of CFB. He then had a massive failure at Maryland and only occasionally looked like he was really coming into the potential of that Program. Different parameters and he did understand that; but he simply didn't win enough. He got punched in the face.
He is far better at finding the right guys (way beyond PP and BD) and coaching them up .... many many to NFL status; which is the ONLY Star ratings we should concern ourselves with. Can your kids get a pay check because they are that good. Efficient markets? Not Rivals/Scout/247; they miss far too much and are susceptible to strange internal bias. Edsall was a uniquely extraordinary guy at unearthing kids that played at the highest level - Soccer Backgrounds (Blidi) and NE HS overlooked (Todman, Reyes) and LI big HS / Hoop pedigree (Shamar Stephens) etc.
Does he have the makeup to repeat his path to getting us to Bowl qualified yearly ... and beyond? Sometimes the energy just is not there (Johnny Majors at Tennessee) Has he adapted to the NEW Offensive Game that CFB has evolved to?
BIGGEST POSITIVE THOUGHT:
1. You David Benedict found a way to separate from Diaco. 2017 was not going to go well. And ... this Fanbase is not trusting - I think - in another search for a Diaco or Ash or Durkin. Nor a unknown FCS or lower division guy. (We hired a guy to be HC from Juniata College??). And the PRICE was important ... as we only have a limited reservoir of donor dollars.
2. We have a guy - now that we know far more about Jeff Hathaway capabilities and dark side - that can actually build off of what is a better structure ... AND Maryland was a good few years to learn some new paths to succeed at a UConn. Not much on the job training needed.
3. Temple. BC and Syracuse ain't what they were. Prep Schools. And he knows the terrain.
4. Randy Edsall knows how to work a 85 man roster. He really prepared year to year - in retrospect - far better than Diaco or PP. Would Robbie Frey have gone if HCRE was still the coach; would we enter a year with either a McEntee at QB or a concussion vulnerable Casey Cochran? Would we have multiple years of weak development at OLine? We would have Larry Taylor type explosion backs, returners, WRs.
The Net ... we are in a tougher conference moving forward. One in which our Fanbase has difficulty relating to. And filling the RENT is going to be far harder than 2003 with the excitement of a Syracuse or a BC or even Indiana arriving. Edsall needs to be the Music Man as well as HC winning games.
– John Dorsey, General Manager Kansas City Chiefs, 1983 First Team All-American at UConn "
BIGGEST NEGATIVE THOUGHT:
He did succeed. Trailers. He took the Program from barely a short drive from the best of regional HS type facilities (certainly not Texas Friday Night Lights) to a full fledged FBS participant and winner. This is indisputable. He was detailed in every way ... and actually his obsession carried to negative things at Maryland where they have a far more critical Media centre and a toxic fanbase.
I appreciate Edsall's path.
however ... That was something he did with laser focus and energy from Age 39 to 52. He learned on the job and became the face of the Program ... like few others in all of CFB. He then had a massive failure at Maryland and only occasionally looked like he was really coming into the potential of that Program. Different parameters and he did understand that; but he simply didn't win enough. He got punched in the face.
He is far better at finding the right guys (way beyond PP and BD) and coaching them up .... many many to NFL status; which is the ONLY Star ratings we should concern ourselves with. Can your kids get a pay check because they are that good. Efficient markets? Not Rivals/Scout/247; they miss far too much and are susceptible to strange internal bias. Edsall was a uniquely extraordinary guy at unearthing kids that played at the highest level - Soccer Backgrounds (Blidi) and NE HS overlooked (Todman, Reyes) and LI big HS / Hoop pedigree (Shamar Stephens) etc.
Does he have the makeup to repeat his path to getting us to Bowl qualified yearly ... and beyond? Sometimes the energy just is not there (Johnny Majors at Tennessee) Has he adapted to the NEW Offensive Game that CFB has evolved to?
BIGGEST POSITIVE THOUGHT:
1. You David Benedict found a way to separate from Diaco. 2017 was not going to go well. And ... this Fanbase is not trusting - I think - in another search for a Diaco or Ash or Durkin. Nor a unknown FCS or lower division guy. (We hired a guy to be HC from Juniata College??). And the PRICE was important ... as we only have a limited reservoir of donor dollars.
2. We have a guy - now that we know far more about Jeff Hathaway capabilities and dark side - that can actually build off of what is a better structure ... AND Maryland was a good few years to learn some new paths to succeed at a UConn. Not much on the job training needed.
3. Temple. BC and Syracuse ain't what they were. Prep Schools. And he knows the terrain.
4. Randy Edsall knows how to work a 85 man roster. He really prepared year to year - in retrospect - far better than Diaco or PP. Would Robbie Frey have gone if HCRE was still the coach; would we enter a year with either a McEntee at QB or a concussion vulnerable Casey Cochran? Would we have multiple years of weak development at OLine? We would have Larry Taylor type explosion backs, returners, WRs.
The Net ... we are in a tougher conference moving forward. One in which our Fanbase has difficulty relating to. And filling the RENT is going to be far harder than 2003 with the excitement of a Syracuse or a BC or even Indiana arriving. Edsall needs to be the Music Man as well as HC winning games.
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