Happy New Year! Houston Hired Dana Holgerson

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Houston has one thing UConn doesn’t - not facilities, not market-size, not talent pool. A big-time donor in Tillman Freitta (owns 600+ Landry’s Restaurants, Golden Nugget casinos, and the Houston Rockets. The guy paid to have their on-campus arena rebuilt and named after him. He’s got huge influence in Houston and on that campus and has the fat checkbook to boot!

We simply don’t have the kind of passionate big money donors that it takes to pull in a hire like this. We have corporate money, sponsorships - yes. But what we lack is a prominate figure in CT standing up and saying enough is enough with UConn Football mediocrity and putting up dollars to buy our way out of this mess we’re in.

 

[whaler11]

Houston has one thing UConn doesn’t - not facilities, not market-size, not talent pool. A big-time donor in Tillman Freitta (owns 600+ Landry’s Restaurants, Golden Nugget casinos, and the Houston Rockets. The guy paid to have their on-campus arena rebuilt and named after him. He’s got huge influence in Houston and on that campus and has the fat checkbook to boot!

We simply don’t have the kind of passionate big money donors that it takes to pull in a hire like this. We have corporate money, sponsorships - yes. But what we lack is a prominate figure in CT standing up and saying enough is enough with UConn Football mediocrity and putting up dollars to buy our way out of this mess we’re in.

You say that because you haven’t seen @J187Money ’s new softball foul pole yet.

In all seriousness - the recruiting pool is table stakes for his play. Deep pockets could build a second Shank and it won’t move the needle on it’s own.

 

[UCFBfan]

You're deluded because you've been following our loser program for too long. What Houston is doing is awesome, what UConn is doing is pathetic.

Where'd I say that they were doing the wrong thing? I was just curious if they will ever have realistic expectations. They weren't ok with 8 wins so they blew $20 million. What is hia cut off before he gets canned? There is a ceiling as a G5 school. That's the reality

 

[whaler11]

Where'd I say that they were doing the wrong thing? I was just curious if they will ever have realistic expectations. They weren't ok with 8 wins so they blew $20 million. What is hia cut off before he gets canned? There is a ceiling as a G5 school. That's the reality

They made a bad hire but the fire was the right call. When your coach is fighting your best player about wearing a jacket... it’s time to go.

 

[huskymedic]

Houston Chronicle: Dana Holgorsen has the buzz, but he needs to win at UH

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

Houston has one thing UConn doesn’t - not facilities, not market-size, not talent pool.

Ummm...yeah, there is the talent pool thing. Pretty important thing to overlook.
They have something else we don't have.

Wins.

 

[BlueandOG]

Why would anyone want to go from a P5 head coach to a G5 head coach? Big 12 is a P5 and the AAC isn't...I wouldn't.

He made a smart move. Houston is a bigger market, better recruiting, stronger football tradition. He has a better chance of playing in a New Year's bowl from Houston in the AAC than WVU in the B12. He will be a big fish in a small pond - plus make a lot of money. And, when conference realignment happens again, or the playoffs expand, Houston is in the cat-bird seat.

 

[tduconn]

Houston has one thing UConn doesn’t - not facilities, not market-size, not talent pool. A big-time donor in Tillman Freitta (owns 600+ Landry’s Restaurants, Golden Nugget casinos, and the Houston Rockets. The guy paid to have their on-campus arena rebuilt and named after him. He’s got huge influence in Houston and on that campus and has the fat checkbook to boot!

We simply don’t have the kind of passionate big money donors that it takes to pull in a hire like this. We have corporate money, sponsorships - yes. But what we lack is a prominate figure in CT standing up and saying enough is enough with UConn Football mediocrity and putting up dollars to buy our way out of this mess we’re in.

It wasn't too long ago when, during an ESPN broadcast of Oklahoma-Houston game remarked.....Houston doesn't have to travel too far outside of Houston to find skilled players to compete at the highest level. Houston didn't do too bad in the old SEC.....remember Earl Campbell?

 

[huskymedic]

Houston Chronicle: Dana Holgorsen has the buzz, but he needs to win at UH

 

[GridironGR8]

It wasn't too long ago when, during an ESPN broadcast of Oklahoma-Houston game remarked.....Houston doesn't have to travel too far outside of Houston to find skilled players to compete at the highest level. Houston didn't do too bad in the old SEC.....remember Earl Campbell?

What? Campbell played his college ball at Texas. And Houston once played in the SWC, not the SEC. You must be confusing Houston with Sewanee or Tulane.

Your main point is spot on, however. Plenty of FB talent around Houston.

 

[Chin Diesel]

It wasn't too long ago when, during an ESPN broadcast of Oklahoma-Houston game remarked.....Houston doesn't have to travel too far outside of Houston to find skilled players to compete at the highest level. Houston didn't do too bad in the old SEC.....remember Earl Campbell?

Yeah, Earl Campbell won a Heisman trophy and played for the University of Texas.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

On mobile - couldn’t consolidate into one post. Sorry.

... and they laid the million buck buyout to WVA.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Dooley]

Reading these tweets about Houston's salary to Holgorsen AND the $4.5M staff salary pool just makes me even more frustrated with our beloved UConn. This is exactly where we should be, considering our $72M AD budget. But we're nowhere close and the results show. So frustrating. Houston is making a very serious pitch for P5 entry while we continue to shoot ourselves in both feet.

 

[noeynox]

Reading these tweets about Houston's salary to Holgorsen AND the $4.5M staff salary pool just makes me even more frustrated with our beloved UConn. This is exactly where we should be, considering our $72M AD budget. But we're nowhere close and the results show. So frustrating. Houston is making a very serious pitch for P5 entry while we continue to shoot ourselves in both feet.

Where are we at by comparison? Seen it in the past but don't remember the numbers.

 

[huskymedic]

Where are we at by comparison? Seen it in the past but don't remember the numbers.

Just under $2m.

Prior to UH/Fertitta filling the Cougar bank account this week - Memphis was the highest in the AAC @ $2.6m

 

[noeynox]

Just under $2m.

Prior to UH/Fertitta filling the Cougar bank account this week - Memphis was the highest in the AAC @ $2.6m

Wow. They gonna have to figure things out. Can't be that far behind your in conference competition.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Reading these tweets about Houston's salary to Holgorsen AND the $4.5M staff salary pool just makes me even more frustrated with our beloved UConn. This is exactly where we should be, considering our $72M AD budget. But we're nowhere close and the results show. So frustrating. Houston is making a very serious pitch for P5 entry while we continue to shoot ourselves in both feet.

We also dont have an oil tycoon footing the bill

 

[Dooley]

We also dont have an oil tycoon footing the bill

True. With or without an oil tycoon, UConn still has the largest G5 athletic department budget at $72M...and it's not close. We're just spending our money in all the wrong places, in terms of CR and any P5 hope that is directly tied to football. Frustrating.

 

[DoctorWho85]

True. With or without an oil tycoon, UConn still has the largest G5 athletic department budget at $72M...and it's not close. We're just spending our money in all the wrong places, in terms of CR and any P5 hope that is directly tied to football. Frustrating.

We should be spending more (and not on some dinky hockey arena on campus). But we have a lot of money tied up in buyouts and basketball right now. I'd say let's see what Aresco does with the next TV deal before we start calling for heads to roll.

 

[UCFBfan]

True. With or without an oil tycoon, UConn still has the largest G5 athletic department budget at $72M...and it's not close. We're just spending our money in all the wrong places, in terms of CR and any P5 hope that is directly tied to football. Frustrating.

I don't think Houston has any money to play with if you take away their Sugar Daddy. If UConn ever had one, they'd be able to afford higher assistant coach salaries and taking coaches from P5 schools.

I agree on spending money in wrong places but there is just not enough money to add Houston type money into the FB program

 

[AndOne]

$4.5mil seems like a lot. Then I checked the internets and Ohio State paid $7mil. Boise only spent $2.2mil on assistant staff this year. Let's hire that staff.

Boise State football’s pay for assistants ‘not where it needs to be,’ Harsin says

Don Brown made $1.3mil.

USA TODAY Sports

 

[jdb50]

They made a bad hire but the fire was the right call. When your coach is fighting your best player about wearing a jacket... it’s time to go.

Houston had to make the move as it was not going to be long before they started looking for the missing strawberries. For Holgerson more years living in Morgantown WV or more pay anywhere else. A true no brainer. For us getting better in our conference is getting more difficult but it is possible.