I don't watch the football a lot. Is Diaco this bad?

[uconnfan68]

Please don't ever make the Calhoun comparison to Diaco again. This is Diaco's third season. In Calhoun's second season we won the NIT. In his fourth season we won the Big East, made it to the Elite Eight and he won National Coach of the Year.

Diaco won't be fired for this, but it doesn't mean it's not a terribly dispiriting loss on a number of levels. I'm a casual CFB fan who was supportive of his hire because he seemed to have good energy and a good pedigree, if a bit wacky. I am now convinced that he is an over-matched dunce who does not have the capacity to bring the football program to the next level. He's had a lot of chances to show that he's crazy like a fox. Unfortunately for us, I think he's just dumb.

That's why you hire other coaches to help. How hard would it be for a student manager to keep track of time, timeouts, where we are on the field, etc.

 

[8893]

I lean more with @uconnbill in this debate. I'm not into the equating business but I understand bill's reference. The football program is in a rebuild from a disastrous prior running (down) of the program. JC had to rebuild.

If people want to debate how long the periods of rebuild are for the different sports that's one issue. Football takes a lot longer than bb to get the players necessary to fit your system.

I don't think six years is out of the question for football depending on the circumstances. BB can be up and running in 3 years. The difference being you only need two or three impact players in bb to compensate for weak links. Football doesn't have that luxury. And injuries, a problem with both sports are far more likely in football.

I agree fully that it takes longer to build a football program than a basketball program, but we've been trying to build a football program for a lot longer than Diaco's term; and even just limiting it to him, there seem to be an unusually high number of WTF critical decision-making blunders during his tenure, and I'm less and less sanguine about his ability to develop in a way that reduces them the more I see him try to explain them.

In short, he is losing credibility with me based on the admittedly intermittent observations I've made of him, and I don't think it's an unfounded reaction.

 

[mauconnfan]

That's why you hire other coaches to help. How hard would it be for a student manager to keep track of time, timeouts, where we are on the field, etc.

It is amazing the time they lost between plays and not just the last one which resulted in the TO with 17 seconds left - it's actually mind boggling to have that happen. Pretty simple, keep the TO and you WIN.

 

[ctchamps]

I agree and they did come back right? But in all reality and I have to be the pessimist here, they were handed the game back by what will end up being a mediocre Navy team although one that plays hard and is coached well. You do have to like the way the defense adjusted, even with the fumble being lucky. After that, minus the punt return the defense stood its ground fairly well. What scares me is when they get a good offense like Houston and Cincy I feel there will be a bit of swiss cheese going on. In other words he should be throwing the ball on offense a lot more and opening up the game. Again Ive said this all along, that's the game now so if you want to play with the big boys mix it up and get it in the air. They seem to want to still go with the run first to create pass pop's, not going to happen. I think it's tough when the coaching is learning along with the kids. Way too many errors from each side have led to losses the last couple years, in games that could have been won with either the staff or the kids making the right decisions.

All in all, I feel he still has a pass but the window has begun to close with mental errors from him and his staff like yesterday. I mean even the game plan in the opener is beyond belief. Time to man up in the coaches office and let it ride.

Still PP's players and PP was horrendous with player development. Diaco weaned a lot of players who were unable to break out of the PP bad habits. But that set back the program another two years. If it's difficult to get a freshman bb player to have a major impact, and even a sophomore player, it's much more difficult to observe that in football, especially since the pool of players, relative to the numbers necessary to put on a field are smaller.

You're asking a team composed of Rakim Lubins to play like a team with BG and EO. Can't happen all at once.

 

[ctchamps]

I agree fully that it takes longer to build a football program than a basketball program, but we've been trying to build a football program for a lot longer than Diaco's term; and even just limiting it to him, there seem to be an unusually high number of WTF critical decision-making blunders during his tenure, and I'm less and less sanguine about his ability to develop in a way that reduces them the more I see him try to explain them.

In short, he is losing credibility with me based on the admittedly intermittent observations I've made of him, and I don't think it's an unfounded reaction.

Not unfounded at all unless we factor in the impact of what he inherited.

I'm still on the fence that his decision making is as much about the players still unable to pick up the game or just out and out unwillingness to change on his part.

Last season the OL killed any chance of drives because of penalties. That has been significantly reduced. Last season the OL could neither open up holes for run gains or block to let the QB throw passes. It's still a work in progress this season but I'm seeing some hope.
Love Shirreffs heart. I'm not sure if he picks up the field quickly or not. Certainly has great peripheral vision to escape penetrating defenders, and perhaps this distraction keeps him from seeing down field. But he had some decent protection in this game and didn't find his players in the first half. Second half he did. What changed? Overall I'm optimistic.

But I get why BD is unwilling to give free reign to this team at this juncture. I'll reassess things as the season progresses.

 

[shizzle787]

The real problem here is that we wasted over a minute on the first fifteen yards of the drive. There was no urgency to get up to the line and hike. If we hadn't wasted as much time early on, Diaco's lack of brain cells wouldn't have been a factor.

 

[ctchamps]

The real problem here is that we wasted over a minute on the first fifteen yards of the drive. There was no urgency to get up to the line and hike. If we hadn't wasted as much time early on, Diaco's lack of brain cells wouldn't have been a factor.

Disagree. The timing was meant to leave as little time on the clock after a touchdown. They got the ball down with 17 seconds and could have had three plays to score instead of one if he didn't burn the last time out. Time management was actually terrific until that last time out.

 

[shizzle787]

Disagree. The timing was meant to leave as little time on the clock after a touchdown. They got the ball down with 17 seconds and could have had three plays to score instead of one if he didn't burn the last time out. Time management was actually terrific until that last time out.

I disagree. The most important thing you need to do when losing and driving is guarantee yourself enough time to score. Better to have the lead and 30 seconds left than lose how we did.

 

[ctchamps]

I disagree. The most important thing you need to do when losing and driving is guarantee yourself enough time to score. Better to have the lead and 30 seconds left than lose how we did.

We'll agree to disagree.

 

[temery]

I get the feeling many here would be far happier with a team that sucked, but a coach who made no mistakes.

There is no denying he screwed up big in the last 30 seconds. But he also had the team in the position to win. He's doing something right.

 

[ctchamps]

I get the feeling many here would be far happier with a team that sucked, but a coach who made no mistakes.

There is no denying he screwed up big in the last 30 seconds. But he also had the team in the position to win. He's doing something right.

First game in many years I enjoyed watching albeit the outcome was horrible.

 

[JSM1970]

You act like they played 'Bama and Ohio State in the last 2 weeks. They struggled against a FCS team at home and a Navy team w/o its starting QB.

We'll know more after the next 2 weeks considering both of those teams are lousy. Will UConn handle them, play close games or lose outright.

I get the feeling many here would be far happier with a team that sucked, but a coach who made no mistakes.

There is no denying he screwed up big in the last 30 seconds. But he also had the team in the position to win. He's doing something right.

 

[formerlurker]

I get the feeling many here would be far happier with a team that sucked, but a coach who made no mistakes.

There is no denying he screwed up big in the last 30 seconds. But he also had the team in the position to win. He's doing something right.

The feeling you should be getting, from me at least, is that I'd be happier with a coach who might make mistakes, but learns from them.

This is not a one time issue, this is a pattern. The focus is on what he's doing wrong.

Unless mediocrity is our Football goal and we want participation trophies next to the NCAA Championship Trophies some other sports contribute to our cause.

 

[ctchamps]

The feeling you should be getting, from me at least, is that I'd be happier with a coach who might make mistakes, but learns from them.

This is not a one time issue, this is a pattern. The focus is on what he's doing wrong.

Unless mediocrity is our Football goal and we want participation trophies next to the NCAA Championship Trophies some other sports contribute to our cause.

The salient point for me is whether this is an issue with Diaco in general or an issue that is specific to this set of players he's coaching. I don't know how one can distinguish the difference.

 

[formerlurker]

The salient point for me is whether this is an issue with Diaco in general or an issue that is specific to this set of players he's coaching. I don't know how one can distinguish the difference.

So you blame the players for clock management and play calling? I watched the game with my nephews. One had his first Freshman Football game earlier yesterday, the other his first Pop Warner game today.

BOTH of them yelled when the time out was called and immediately said that meant we'd try two passes into the end zone because we did. I'm pretty sure the UCONN players were thinking the same. I'm shocked you can rationalize Diaco's mistakes were based on the "set" of players he's coaching.

 

[temery]

Actually, I had a similar thought, but chose to be slightly more diplomatic.

Many here act as if UConn lost a game it was supposed to win. I don't believe that is true. What was the pre game line?

You act like they played 'Bama and Ohio State in the last 2 weeks. They struggled against a FCS team at home and a Navy team w/o its starting QB.

We'll know more after the next 2 weeks considering both of those teams are lousy. Will UConn handle them, play close games or lose outright.

 

[SubbaBub]

Actually, I had a similar thought, but chose to be slightly more diplomatic.

Many here act as if UConn lost a game it was supposed to win. I don't believe that is true. What was the pre game line?

I was a -4 game. You get 3 pts for being the home team. It was essentially a pick 'em on the field. Given the losses Navy incurred and the projected improvements on the UConn side, this was a game you should expect to win.

Your rationality while correct is still a bit too soon. I hope the team comes out strong on Saturday, it is starting to feel a little too much like PP's third year around here.

 

[8893]

I've thought from the start that his almost impossible optimism was one of his greatest strengths and his most valuable trait for the job he inherited.

What concerns me is that I increasingly believe it's insanity, or the result of him being a simpleton.

 

[shizzle787]

I was a -4 game. You get 3 pts for being the home team. It was essentially a pick 'em on the field. Given the losses Navy incurred and the projected improvements on the UConn side, this was a game you should expect to win.

Your rationality while correct is still a bit too soon. I hope the team comes out strong on Saturday, it is starting to feel a little too much like PP's third year around here.

That last part is a stretch. Our next two games we should win. After that, who knows.

 

[Bezzz]

They struggled against a FCS team at home

Yeah, but but but that Maine team is really good.
Toledo 45- Maine 3

 

[pnow15]

Diaco needs to be left home on game days.
Getting only one snap with a time out and 17 seconds on the game clock from the two yard line sets a new milestone for incompetence.
But the incompetence did not start there.
Why was the ball allow to bounce all the way to the five yard line on Navy's punt?
Why is Thomas, his best hands player, not catching that punt.
Why take the ball of your star player's hand on the key downs at the end of possessions?
Diaco has been doing this since he arrived and will be doing this while we are watching Houston and Cincy leave for he Big 12. Fire this guy at the end of the season.

 

[huskymedic]

Why is Thomas, his best hands player, not catching that punt.

Because Noel Thomas is not a punt returner.

 

[pnow15]

Because Noel Thomas is not a punt returner.

Is it written in his contract? That is silly. Anyone you put back there is the punt returner or in this case the punt fielder. You win by eliminating mistakes.

 

[BlueDogs]

You still forget what was here before. Again he screwed up but is leaps and bounds better than the last regime.

UConn should have won but clock management wasn't the only issue today with special teams playing into the loss as well.

I still remember Calhoun taking heat when his first season was done and people saying UConn made a mistake not highering Mitch Buonaguro to be the coach. We know how that worked out.

First season is the operative fact. It should not be lost on anyone that we are arguing Diaco is a lot better than the other idiot, so it's tolerable that he mismanages games and actually lost a game through incompetence. We are so beat down we actually are trying to justify by comparison. It's unrealistic he will be replaced because the program is so worn down, we can't imagine going through another transition.

 

[pnow15]

Sure, run with it... but "best hands player" does not equal best "punt fielder".

Well, the best hands label usually includes judging where the ball is going to be and the surest way to catch it.