How Do You Fix The Worst Defense In College Football History? (ESPN)

[Drew]

How do you fix the worst defense in college football history?

Head coach Randy Edsall brought in Lou Spanos from Alabama to help turn around the Huskies' defense. And it starts with accountability and appreciation.

www.espn.com

It's the second day of fall camp at UConn, and the man who left an empire and moved to rural Connecticut this winter to take on the toughest task in college football is starting the morning walk-through by telling his players he's made a mistake.

Lou Spanos traded his role as an analyst at Alabama in January to become the coordinator of a Huskies defense that spent the 2018 season building a case to be considered the worst defense in the history of college football. Spanos tells his linebackers now that he mixed up one of their responsibilities in the pass coverage he taught them the previous day and wants to make sure they know the confusion was his fault.

OK, so maybe not the mistake you were thinking. Spanos is thrilled to be leading the defensive restoration project in Storrs. To suggest otherwise or question his sanity for taking on what he deems a "great challenge" has been known to unleash the fiery passion that made him an attractive candidate for the job in the first place. He doesn't take the questions personally, but he says he will get -- no pun intended -- defensive.

 

[huskymedic]

Spanos is thrilled to be leading the defensive restoration project in Storrs. To suggest otherwise or question his sanity for taking on what he deems a "great challenge" has been known to unleash the fiery passion that made him an attractive candidate for the job in the first place. He doesn't take the questions personally, but he says he will get -- no pun intended -- defensive.

LOL... sounds like a direct response to Some Guy.

Nice read if they can walk the talk.

 

[LBird33]

I was thinking the same thing sort of. Sounds great in the article but if they have another dumpster year. Look out !!!!

 

[CL82]

"I made those decisions to play all those young kids because No. 1: They were the best ones we had. But No.2: I didn't want to go into this year having guys that had no experience. ... I'm doing what I think is best, and that's what I'm getting paid to do. Yeah, some people might not like it. Tough s---."

 

[Palatine]

Last year, Esall decided to throw the year away. Instead of doing the difficult work of figuring out ways to win, he drove off or sat older players to get the youngsters experience. It was a complete fiasco. For Randy, it also had the benefit of setting the bar so low that he could claim improvement (and hold his job) even with awful records in the next few years.

Time for Randy, to try something new. To actually try to win games. If he doesn't like it, tough sh...

 

[Buffett10]

Last year, Esall decided to throw the year away. Instead of doing the difficult work of figuring out ways to win, he drove off or sat older players to get the youngsters experience. It was a complete fiasco. For Randy, it also had the benefit of setting the bar so low that he could claim improvement (and hold his job) even with awful records in the next few years.

Time for Randy, to try something new. To actually try to win games. If he doesn't like it, tough sh...

The older players were garbage and had no business being on a D3 team let alone being on a G5 team

 

[Hoophound]

I’m just impressed that Spanos was willing to venture into the wilderness of rural Connecticut after living in Alabama. Hopefully, he knows how to hunt for his own food or he won’t make it.

 

[RSTuthill]

Warm and fuzzies. BS. Just win or leave. No buyout after this year, right? New president? HCRE2.0 is living on borrowed time. ESPN has him on the hot seat. Not surprised.

 

[Pudge]

I was thinking the same thing sort of. Sounds great in the article but if they have another dumpster year. Look out !!!!

You do know … things can get better. You don't have to root for the witch to burn every year.

 

[LBird33]

I don’t just because I make comment doesn’t mean I don’t support. Relax

 

[Meego1963]

The defense will b better if coach S and the defense coaches can move up to 100 or better that will b a great accomplishment i can c that happening

 

[Nostical]

This defense will be much improved. Latest word is the D-Line has been more impressive than initially expected and will surprise. I understand the bar is low but there's no way this defense performs anywhere near the fiasco of the last few.

 

[uconnfan68]

How do you fix the worst defense in college football history?

Head coach Randy Edsall brought in Lou Spanos from Alabama to help turn around the Huskies' defense. And it starts with accountability and appreciation.

www.espn.com

At what point to news become negative or unwanted? They helped bring this on us, and they just seem to revel in twisting the shiv.

 

[Bonehead]

At what point to news become negative or unwanted? They helped bring this on us, and they just seem to revel in twisting the shiv.

All the news will be positive, about the 2-0 start to the season.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Hopefully if he turns things around, he will stick around a couple years before someone comes calling.

 

[ScottVib]

I doubt he's going anywhere.. this is his retirement job. If he loses no one will touch him; if he wins, he already did the big school thing, it doesn't work with his style.

 

[freescooter]

Pal

If you were following in the early years of Edsall 1.0 you saw exactly the same approach. You saw a qb who had been the backup but won several critical games and was heir apparent leave the program when Edsall arrived. You saw a program that got flattened by Eastern Washington and Northeastern. And 2-9 and then suddenly when nobody was looking and we were saying well it will take 10 years to actually build a winning program they went 6-6, 9-3, 8-4 bowl games and league titles.