Hey CT HS FB coaches association

[CTMike]

Are these guys all in on UConn or just in on their buddy and stroking egos? Yeah sure of course P was about to turn it around. And the next time I play the lottery will be when I hit the grand prize. For anyone not to "get" why this decision HAD to happen - you are an ignorant blowhard. Sometimes in life nice people aren't the right fit.

 

[06029]

There seems to be a lot of disconnect in this thread.

Edsall took a lot of Connecticut kids. He wasn't only recruiting PA.

In his first 3 seasons, Edsall alienated most of the CT HS coaches when he would not even look at some of the kids they used to send up to Uconn on a regular basis for official/unofficial visits. He flat out told a number of them that Uconn was going to the BE and he was not going to waste any of his staff's time on kids that had only a marginal chance to play at that level. If they had a kid he wanted, his staff would call them. In one case, the conversation was less than 20 seconds and was not at all pleasant for the HS coach. This is in not heresay. This is first hand knowledge.

Edsall was right when he did this because he was changing the perception and wanted any CT kid that got invited to visit Uconn to recognize that it was a special privileged, that is was earned and not a given that just because you are all-state that you have an easy fallback to Uconn. The relationships starting thawing a bit after 5 years when the number of unofficials Edsall allowed to CT kids started to expand. He also was getting tired of losing some of the best kids to FL, WI, Cuse, etc. But there are some coaches that flat out hated, and still hate, Edsall and did almost everything they could to steer some of their players away from Uconn. Never underestimate the inflated ego and self worth HS coaches have. Of course, I have no need to tell you about that.

PP was a CT guy. He coached here, grew up here and had all these coaches in his clinics up at Cuse. This was their chance to get some of their marginal players a shot at getting a look by the state U. And PP obliged just like he did when he was at Cuse. A lot of CT HS coaches feel like they have that shot with Adazzio at BC too. Except Addazzio has given them the Edsall speech but with a somewhat nicer delivery. He will have a bunch on unofficial visits and will invite anyone to summer camp. And he always calls the HS coaches back.

 

[upstater]

In his first 3 seasons, Edsall alienated most of the CT HS coaches when he would not even look at some of the kids they used to send up to Uconn on a regular basis for official/unofficial visits. He flat out told a number of them that Uconn was going to the BE and he was not going to waste any of his staff's time on kids that had only a marginal chance to play at that level. If they had a kid he wanted, his staff would call them. In one case, the conversation was less than 20 seconds and was not at all pleasant for the HS coach. This is in not heresay. This is first hand knowledge.

Edsall was right when he did this because he was changing the perception and wanted any CT kid that got invited to visit Uconn to recognize that it was a special privileged, that is was earned and not a given that just because you are all-state that you have an easy fallback to Uconn. The relationships starting thawing a bit after 5 years when the number of unofficials Edsall allowed to CT kids started to expand. He also was getting tired of losing some of the best kids to FL, WI, Cuse, etc. But there are some coaches that flat out hated, and still hate, Edsall and did almost everything they could to steer some of their players away from Uconn. Never underestimate the inflated ego and self worth HS coaches have. Of course, I have no need to tell you about that.

PP was a CT guy. He coached here, grew up here and had all these coaches in his clinics up at Cuse. This was their chance to get some of their marginal players a shot at getting a look by the state U. And PP obliged just like he did when he was at Cuse. A lot of CT HS coaches feel like they have that shot with Adazzio at BC too. Except Addazzio has given them the Edsall speech but with a somewhat nicer delivery. He will have a bunch on unofficial visits and will invite anyone to summer camp. And he always calls the HS coaches back.

Thanks for the history.

Edsall was a bit close-minded in this approach.

A couple of weeks ago I counted that 11 of the 41 tw0-star BCS players from Connecticut recruited over 5 years and leaving school last year at the latest have made the NFL.

This tells me something about the talent base in Conn. It's underrecruited. If Edsall was dismissive of that, he was being short-sighted.

I very much doubt that there are many states with 25+% of the two-stars making the NFL. And yes, Amari Spievey was a two-star.

 

[ruskin]

The Edsall side of this discussion is that when he first got here the luminaries of the CT HS FB coaches assn would not give him the time of day (1999-2001). Then when it became apparent UConn was making the move Randy held a grudge and was a jerk to the people who were a jerk to him. I'll take a guess the 20-second phone call cited above was not the first time Randy and said coach had any contact. Should Randy have been the bigger man and put previous disrespects aside? Of course, and that's on Randy if he put his interest ahead of giving a worthy CT kid a shot. But this works both ways, and it's clear these guys went out of their way NOT to help Edsall. Now they're sending signals they're going to revert to that because their boy got canned. Not cool on their part.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

http://www.nhregister.com/article/20130930/SPORTS/130939977/connecticut-high-school-coaches-react-to-firing-of-uconn-coaches-paul-pasqualoni-and-george-deleone[/quote]



Wow, this statement makes me laugh.

“Yes, I was surprised,” Filippone said, “especially because I think the athletic director (Warde Manuel) said a week ago that he didn’t fire people in the middle of the season. I think he kind of contradicted himself.

The next sentence in Warde’s statement is that he reserves the right to make changes if needed. Well, it was needed.

When Rutgers lost Schiano a week before national signing day in January recruiting season last January, Greg Toal, the football coach at Don Bosco who has more FBS level football recruits on that one team that Connecticut high schools have in total, did not publicly push one coach or another, just stated that Rutgers needed to act fast to preserve their recurring class.

Though I live in NJ now, my loyalty is to CT (at least until my own kids go to college). Filippone & co. need to take their teams down I-95 and play a game against Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic, St. Joe’s, etc. That should put them in their place. If they are good coaches, they will learn and adapt. If there are bad, they will run back to Fairfield county with their tails between their legs, never venture south again, and complain how unfair the game was and blame the players for not putting in a full effort. Oh wait, that’s PP’s line, never mind.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

PP was a CT guy. He coached here, grew up here and had all these coaches in his clinics up at Cuse. This was their chance to get some of their marginal players a shot at getting a look by the state U. And PP obliged just like he did when he was at Cuse. A lot of CT HS coaches feel like they have that shot with Adazzio at BC too. Except Addazzio has given them the Edsall speech but with a somewhat nicer delivery. He will have a bunch on unofficial visits and will invite anyone to summer camp. And he always calls the HS coaches back.

Interesting; but, not surprising. Addazio has always been about results and buying into ‘his’ system even in high school where he had a number of 5th year seniors on the team. Could never figure out who that worked, even though I was friends with some of them, as we did not 5th year seniors on the soccer team.

Ideally, the new UConn coaching staff treats the CT HS coaches with respect; but, at the level they deserve, i.e. they are not representing NJ, PA & FL. In turn, the roster is filled out with solid 2/3 stars from those states and maybe OH (Weist?), and coaches them up like Edsall did (we are not getting 5 stars until UConn escape American purgatory). At that point, UConn grabs two or three 3/4 star recruits out of CT a year to drive up local fan interest plus a Mass 3/4 star just to remind our friends in Chestnut Hill that we are still here.

 

[noeynox]

"I think he contradicted himself" isn't a shot at Manuel?

The haughty "should have let him try to fix it in conference play" stuff is a joke. Like a previous poster said, these guys clearly have either not been watching the games or are throwing the player under the bus and -- wait for it -- blaming P's troubles on Edsall.

Having 23,000 people pay serious coin for a product requires a bit of a higher standard of success than what is required to make 500-1,000 relatives, neighbors and friends of players happy.

Just glad Burton isn't these guys' playpen anymore.

It's one guy. And he is wrong. Manual always said he reserved the right to make a change at any point. You need thicker skin, if that gets your feathers ruffled.

 

[ruskin]

It's one guy. And he is wrong. Manual always said he reserved the right to make a change at any point. You need thicker skin, if that gets your feathers ruffled.

At least we agree on Coach F being wrong. . . .my feathers aren't ruffled. But if these jabonis are going to consistently publicly question how an operation that's far, far above their skill and talent level is run and act as if they are entitled to some kind of say in how it's being run, then they should be called out.

 

[noeynox]

Feel free. I don't tell people what to post. That ONE guy is dead wrong. The others are expressing disappointment at a friend, someone who has been good to them being fired. Most sounded that based on results, it had to happen.

The bigger issue to me is that you cannot have a head coach/staff be totally dismissive of the local coaches.

 

[Palatine]

Pasqualoni gave Connecticut kids the benefit of the doubt.

Edsall gave Pennsylvania kids the benefit of the doubt.

At UConn, P's philosophy is correct. Every school, outside the a few elite programs, takes some marginal kids. At Connecticut's state university, it should be Connecticut kids.

 

[Husky25]

That opinion is not particularly out of line - coaches see things from a different perspective.

Read the quotes from the AAC coaches on P's firing. They are genuinely dismayed about it.

They're not right or wrong, but their perspective is far different from ours. Our perspective is that this had to be done as it was doing weekly damage to something that we have a sort of equity in.

The athletic director has to consider both perspectives and in this case, I think he did and I think the right course was chosen - all P had to do to retain his job for the rest of the year was to avoid being destroyed by Buffalo.

College coaches are worried and expressing disappointment because one (well two, actually) of their own was relieved of their duties mid-season. Regardless of what they think of UConn's former coaches, they know in the back of their mind that football is also a business at the highest level of D1A. At $30 or more per ticket, plus donation, you're looking at between $1.5 - $2,000,000 per UConn home game.

Separate, but related: It is not the same at the high school level. What's the ticket cost to attend a high school game? $5.00? $10 tops? High School coaches are not paid from that fund. These dollars go to the various Booster Clubs so the teams can get rain ponchos and the latest sleek facemask designs. It's a completely different ball game.

I thought Mr. Manuel acted with the utmost prudence and class over the last 10 months and gave the former regime enough rope to do what they ultimately did. It was said over the weekend re: Lane Kiffin and it applies here as well. Something to the effect of, if you're 100% sure positive a change will be made and there is no way for the coach to keep his job, there is no reason to put off the inevitable. Cut the cord now.

 

[ruskin]

The bigger issue to me is that you cannot have a head coach/staff be totally dismissive of the local coaches.

Agree on that as well -- Just has to be a two-way street. Can't have the local coaches steering kids away from state U because they have a beef with the coach. When the new permanent coach is named hope these CT guys have gained a sense of humility/perspective but I'm not real hopeful based on what they said yesterday. A start would be not writing an "endorsement" letter this time around.

 

[Husky25]

Pasqualoni gave Connecticut kids the benefit of the doubt.

Edsall gave Pennsylvania kids the benefit of the doubt.

At UConn, P's philosophy is correct. Every school, outside the a few elite programs, takes some marginal kids. At Connecticut's state university, it should be Connecticut kids.

At the Division 1A level, I disagree. This is the UNH, CCSU approach. Scholarships should be offered to kids that will most help the team. OTOH, there is a way to treat people. Take the tapes (or DVD's) of the Connecticut kids and give them a look. CT kids should not be dismissed out of hand, but UConn should be under no obligation to offer a kid based solely on geography.

 

[ZooCougar]

That opinion is not particularly out of line - coaches see things from a different perspective.

Read the quotes from the AAC coaches on P's firing. They are genuinely dismayed about it.

They're not right or wrong, but their perspective is far different from ours. Our perspective is that this had to be done as it was doing weekly damage to something that we have a sort of equity in.

The athletic director has to consider both perspectives and in this case, I think he did and I think the right course was chosen - all P had to do to retain his job for the rest of the year was to avoid being destroyed by Buffalo.

Heh, If I were an AAC coach I would be dismayed too. Before P's ouster, we were an easier W.

I think relieving P will take some pressure off the players and let them turn the page.

 

[Jimdish255]

That opinion is not particularly out of line - coaches see things from a different perspective.

Read the quotes from the AAC coaches on P's firing. They are genuinely dismayed about it.

They're not right or wrong, but their perspective is far different from ours. Our perspective is that this had to be done as it was doing weekly damage to something that we have a sort of equity in.

The athletic director has to consider both perspectives and in this case, I think he did and I think the right course was chosen - all P had to do to retain his job for the rest of the year was to avoid being destroyed by Buffalo.

Maybe the other coach P should have a chat with former player Sean Mulcahy who seems to have a better grasp of the program than he does.

The one perspective that counts above professional courtesy, loyalty friendship or even the misery loves company crowd is the one that gives priority to the best interests of OUR program. Right now that meant stopping the bleeding and changing course. A competent coach should not be intimidated by the consequences of failure.

.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I love this quote:


Brockett said he only spoke to Newsome briefly to inform the all-state back of the firing. “Arkeel still wants to go to UConn,” Brockett said. “But it’s way too early to know what he’ll wind up doing.”

Translation: "He still want's to go to UConn but I have four months to try to talk him out of it".

 

[huskymedic]

I love this quote:

Brockett said he only spoke to Newsome briefly to inform the all-state back of the firing. “Arkeel still wants to go to UConn,” Brockett said. “But it’s way too early to know what he’ll wind up doing.”

Translation: "He still want's to go to UConn but I have four months to try to talk him out of it".

My sense is that Brockett holds no anti-UConn animus. He's not part of the old guard. Kris??

I'm sure the call has already been made by Buggs/Wholley/TJW.

 

[FDNY99]

The link below is from the Staples HS football team website. Coached by Marce Petroccio since 1993..Marce was one of the ones quoted in this article questioning WM about firing P/GDL. Since 1993 Marce has sent 3 kids to BCS schools:
Mac DeVito Temple, Dave Kashetta BC, and Sean Mulcahy to UCONN. Marce talks a tough game like Fillipone BUT 3 kids to BCS level schools since 1993... ZERO impact!
http://www.wreckersfootball.com/Page.asp?n=61063&org=WRECKERSFOOTBALL.COM

 

[uconnbill]

. These guys do not know when to STFU.


Sean Patrick Bowley @SPBowley
Staples Marce Petroccio, friends w both PP and GD "I thought they deserved a chance to get this thing sorted out in conference play" #cthsfb

Sean Patrick Bowley @SPBowley
More Petroccio "But it's a business, I understand it's a business. I just don't know what you gain from this" (firing after 4 games) #cthsfb

Sean Patrick Bowley @SPBowley
He understands the decision, Petroccio reiterated he would have rather UConn made it after the season #cthsfb

Simply out of touch with reality

 

[Kingspoint]

Though the article doesn't discuss it, high school coaches heads would be on the chopping block too if 1. Their programs generated a large portion of money needed to run a schools other sports, and 2. They didn't win to expectations thereby minimizing the benefits of - see reason no. 1.
On another note, the players are pretty smart, and I think WM may have realized something that Cochran (the elder) said "I don't know why the kids didn't respond to him."...and acted on that feeling before all hope was lost.

 

[HuskyBarker]

All I can say is I hope the next coach IS NOT hired by Committee! When you get consensus from everyone and their grandmother, (really what the-F we don't need a coach's endorsement from the CIACircus coaches) you end up with a mediocre or PP Worse choices!
Central Planning Committee's are for Communists, Socialists and Statists, but then CT is loaded with those kind of mindless sheeple!

 

[Husky25]

All I can say is I hope the next coach IS NOT hired by Committee! When you get consensus from everyone and their grandmother, (really what the-F we don't need a coach's endorsement from the CIACircus coaches) you end up with a mediocre or PP Worse choices!
Central Planning Committee's are for Communists, Socialists and Statists, but then CT is loaded with those kind of mindless sheeple!

Yes but this hire was not made by committee. Everyone and their grandmother was expecting Mark Whipple until the morning the former regime "leader" was hired. He wasn't in the day leading up to that day.

 

[Waquoit]

All I can say is I hope the next coach IS NOT hired by Committee! When you get consensus from everyone and their grandmother, (really what the-F we don't need a coach's endorsement from the CIACircus coaches) you end up with a mediocre or PP Worse choices!
Central Planning Committee's are for Communists, Socialists and Statists, but then CT is loaded with those kind of mindless sheeple!

Jim Calhoun was hired by committee.

 

[Husky25]

Jim Calhoun was hired by committee.

Most coaches are.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Most coaches are.

The AD takes the credit for a good hire, the committee spreads the blame if it is a bad hire. Standard risk management.