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I expected improvement

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SonsOfNutmeg

#TheCut #HuskyRevolution
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The only thing I question is the OC- Mike Cumming's playcalling at times this season so far. I know he's only playing with the cards he's been dealt, but sometimes they're very very conservitive on Offense.
 
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My logical brain tells me to be patient. My fan brain just cannot take another season of this garbage. It's just so dispiriting after a while. Another season shot, no bright spots... Nothing to hang any hope on thus far. This team is a bad as I can remember. The old Shane Stafford teams of 1-aa would give these guys more than they can handle.
 
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I am not ready to fire Diaco even if we lose out. I think he could be good eventually, he is just learning on the job. I don't think he was the best choice, but he is our problem now and i don't think kicking him out helps even though I wish we had hired Weist.

I am ready to fire Warde. Everything Warde touches turns to dung, and Diaco is just another in a long list of Manuel mistakes which the university can not afford. I would fire him tomorrow and make Calhoun Acting AD and first try to bring Pendergast back as soon as possible.
I still think Lembo was the guy for the job...or another MAC head coach. Those guys bring the advantage of being head coaches. No learning curve. I agree with you on Warde. Sooner he is gone better off we are. But I wouldn't want Prendergast. There are plenty of competent ADs out there. We just don't happen to have one of them.
 
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Is Foley in charge? I didn't know that.
If I can predict that Whitmer is going to drop back 11 steps with his back to the play as he fakes a handoff, then roll into the outside rush, so can the opposing coaches.

And this is why I closely watched the DEs all game yesterday, and they rarely if ever tried inside moves. They knew they could rush upfield with no regard and Whitmer was not going to hurt them by stepping up in the pocket.

We've seen Foley turn a skinny kid with no D1 offers and a walk-on who didn't play HS football until his senior year into NFL starters. What does that say about the talent level of the O/Linemen presently on the roster? It's a shame because I really believe that the skill kids, as a group, are as good, if not better, than they've ever been. The older players seem to lack the basic talent necessary to be a D1 OL.

If I counted correctly, 12 of the 16 players listed as OL's return for two more years. Only two will graduate. Unless we become one of those Programs that takes away scholarships (don't see that happening), we have to hope that Foley et al have enough to work with. Otherwise, ugh.
 

Bonehead

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We've seen Foley turn a skinny kid with no D1 offers and a walk-on who didn't play HS football until his senior year into NFL starters. What does that say about the talent level of the O/Linemen presently on the roster? It's a shame because I really believe that the skill kids, as a group, are as good, if not better, than they've ever been. The older players seem to lack the basic talent necessary to be a D1 OL.

If I counted correctly, 12 of the 16 players listed as OL's return for two more years. Only two will graduate. Unless we become one of those Programs that takes away scholarships (don't see that happening), we have to hope that Foley et al have enough to work with. Otherwise, ugh.
Agree - I don't think we are looking at taking away scholarships or any attrition from OL until we get some verbally committed and then signed OL. Even if some of our verbals are switching to OL it will most likely be some time before they beef up and can possibly be considered contributors on the OL.
 
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We've seen Foley turn a skinny kid with no D1 offers and a walk-on who didn't play HS football until his senior year into NFL starters. What does that say about the talent level of the O/Linemen presently on the roster? It's a shame because I really believe that the skill kids, as a group, are as good, if not better, than they've ever been. The older players seem to lack the basic talent necessary to be a D1 OL.

If I counted correctly, 12 of the 16 players listed as OL's return for two more years. Only two will graduate. Unless we become one of those Programs that takes away scholarships (don't see that happening), we have to hope that Foley et al have enough to work with. Otherwise, ugh.

Foley doesn't call plays. I've really been talking about plays that will put players in position to succeed.
 
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I agree on Warde not being hired by Michigan. What major program would hire an AD that has let the football program get worse every year he has been in charge and clearly hired the wrong coach when presented the choice of two alternatives?

My concern is the basketball program. UConn is a Final Four away from some NBA team offering Ollie money. Maybe Ollie stays anyway, but $10mm a year is $10mm a year. Does anyone trust Manuel to replace Ollie if the NBA takes him?

JC is still in charge of that....Just say'n...
 

uconnbill

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The offensive line is just offensive and has shown nothing. That has to going mostly on the lack of talent and some coaching. Just need better players, plain and simple.

The coaching staff needs to adapt to the talent they have and put them in the best position to succeed. What they are doing now is not helping the players succeed
 
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Wow.... Why not just offer Bill Belichick $4 million.

Evidently you didn't hear that Texas offered Saban $100 million last winter and he turned it down:
http://espn.go.com/college-football...epared-offer-100-million-nick-saban-book-says

He preferred remaining at Bama for a mere $55 million:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...contract-extension-assistant-coaches/9914115/

I'm sure a $2 million per year pay cut to come here is quite appealing.


It was a joke. Saban wouldn't come to UConn for $15MM a year. It's as stupid as an idea as firing Diaco. The bottom line is UConn is one of the worst BCS football jobs. Bad conference, no talent on the roster, poor recruiting areas. Firing Diacco after 4 weeks or 1 year would only further turn off any potential candidates. You have to give a guy at least 3 years to bring in some players, get his system installed. Hopefully Diaco can bring in some talent and get things turned around.

I was trying to make the point - who on earth did the original poster think UConn would replace Diacco with?
 
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ChrisSmith said:
It was a joke. Saban wouldn't come to UConn for $15MM a year. It's as stupid as an idea as firing Diaco. The bottom line is UConn is one of the worst BCS football jobs. Bad conference, no talent on the roster, poor recruiting areas. Firing Diacco after 4 weeks or 1 year would only further turn off any potential candidates. You have to give a guy at least 3 years to bring in some players, get his system installed. Hopefully Diaco can bring in some talent and get things turned around. I was trying to make the point - who on earth did the original poster think UConn would replace Diacco with?



Stop buying into the media nonsense about the UConn job. Just like the basketball job, it needs to become a good job by someone succeeding at it. There is plenty of talent around to build a program and the media market, brand, facilities and academics make it attractive. UConn is a bad job right up until a good coach wins here, then it's a good job. That's how college jobs work. There is always an excuse for failure until someone wins, then all that is out the window.

Diaco recognizes that and that's why I believe he will work out in the end. He will bring in athletes and build like Edsall did. The big difference will be his very likable personality and salesmanship. Once he starts winning, kids will be all over playing for him. I just hope he recognizes when he needs to make staff changes to maximize potential. If certain areas are lacking, he needs to get guys in place that can fix it. Blind loyalty to crappy coordinators and assistants is a killer, as we've seen before.
 
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I still think Lembo was the guy for the job...or another MAC head coach. Those guys bring the advantage of being head coaches. No learning curve. I agree with you on Warde. Sooner he is gone better off we are. But I wouldn't want Prendergast. There are plenty of competent ADs out there. We just don't happen to have one of them.
I fully agree we should have went for an established HEAD coach rather than an assistant.
 
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I fully agree we should have went for an established HEAD coach rather than an assistant.

I agree with this and said so many times during the search. Not that coordinators can't have success, but immediate success is not as common. We didn't have time for a learning curve.

But, it's where we are now, and we have to wait and see if he actually learns anything.
 
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I agree with this and said so many times during the search. Not that coordinators can't have success, but immediate success is not as common. We didn't have time for a learning curve.

But, it's where we are now, and we have to wait and see if he actually learns anything.

While a coordinator taking a first time head coach position will indeed have a learning curve, and success is not a guarantee, neither is success a guarantee with someone who has head coaching experience. I don't agree with putting priority on these concepts. I think Diaco is a lunatic for rotating young players the way he is, and runs the risk of having really not changed his starting point from this season to next season by much at all, instead of settling on a lineup of young players and drilling the hell out of them, but that doesn't mean he won't learn from it and become a better coach, and it doesn't mean I'm right either - he might very well make it work. Time will tell, on stuff like that.

What is the most important priority IMO, is the coach's knowledge and experience of the recruiting profile necessary for success, knowledge and experience of the recruiting territory, and then the ability to put together a staff that has the same kind of knowledge and experience, and can successfully recruit.

Time will tell on that too, but Diaco, on paper, and in theory - fits - and fits well for recruiting.
 
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My good friend is an Athletic Director at one of the bigger HS's in CT. He has several players on the UConn team and knows a lot of the coaches in the Network. I asked him his thoughts on UConn this year. He said to me in August: "The team has some play makers, but honestly the offensive line is so horrible that they will be lucky to win any games this year. In fact, it makes last year line look like the five blocks of granite." With that being said, this team was bad from the start. It all starts in the trenches and we need to bulk up and get some athletes on the OL so we can turn it around.
 
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My good friend is an Athletic Director at one of the bigger HS's in CT. He has several players on the UConn team and knows a lot of the coaches in the Network.

"Network"??
 
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Stop buying into the media nonsense about the UConn job. Just like the basketball job, it needs to become a good job by someone succeeding at it. There is plenty of talent around to build a program and the media market, brand, facilities and academics make it attractive. UConn is a bad job right up until a good coach wins here, then it's a good job. That's how college jobs work. There is always an excuse for failure until someone wins, then all that is out the window.

Diaco recognizes that and that's why I believe he will work out in the end. He will bring in athletes and build like Edsall did. The big difference will be his very likable personality and salesmanship. Once he starts winning, kids will be all over playing for him. I just hope he recognizes when he needs to make staff changes to maximize potential. If certain areas are lacking, he needs to get guys in place that can fix it. Blind loyalty to crappy coordinators and assistants is a killer, as we've seen before.
Spot on. What Bill Snyder did at Kansas State is on Moses parting the Red Sea level. I've mentioned other great turnarounds like Wisconsin, and Oregon. All three of those along with Virginia Tech, were absolute dregs in late 80's early 90's mid 90's. What changed the right coaching hire Wisconsin-Barry Alvarez, KState-Snyder, Tech-Beamer, Oregon-Brooks, to Belloti, to Kelly, to Helfrich/current coach. Washington State went to two Rose Bowls with Mike Price. CFB is so much about the HC.

Hiring that Jim Calhoun/icon coach is not easy by any stretch, but it is what makes programs go from bottom tier to middle tier territory, to a program with a legit shot at the the top 25, like the programs I mentioned. UConn, pays well, and has been good to their succesful coaches. Yes there are obstacles, but this can be a very good job for the RIGHT guy.
 

FfldCntyFan

Texas: Property of UConn Men's Basketball program
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It was a joke. Saban wouldn't come to UConn for $15MM a year. It's as stupid as an idea as firing Diaco. The bottom line is UConn is one of the worst BCS football jobs. Bad conference, no talent on the roster, poor recruiting areas. Firing Diacco after 4 weeks or 1 year would only further turn off any potential candidates. You have to give a guy at least 3 years to bring in some players, get his system installed. Hopefully Diaco can bring in some talent and get things turned around.

I was trying to make the point - who on earth did the original poster think UConn would replace Diacco with?
My apologies. The interweb often removes the ability to read nuance and body language is not recognizable.
 
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Again all I want to see is tangible progress. He has to make the call on Whitmer/Boyle as first step. If he is hell bent on getting blown out with a 5th year senior, who will not be part of the future he promises will be so grand, he is making the same mistake P made when he went with Johnny McCantee over Mike Nebrich.

Actually Nebrich transferred when PP and GD choose whitmer as the starting QB over him his sophomore year.

Must of hurt Nebrich's pride to have a physically limited player ( Nebrich with a much stronger arm and mobility) beat him out.

Watching highlights of Nebrich it hurts that he didn't get a fair shot.
 
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Actually Nebrich transferred when PP and GD choose whitmer as the starting QB over him his sophomore year.

Must of hurt Nebrich's pride to have a physically limited player ( Nebrich with a much stronger arm and mobility) beat him out.

Watching highlights of Nebrich it hurts that he didn't get a fair shot.
I know when he transferred. The point was he burned Nebrich's redshirt, then rather than committing to developing him, he went with the clearly less talented player when developing the younger player would have been in the program's best interest. He didn't make a bowl with Mac anyway.
 

Bonehead

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My good friend is an Athletic Director at one of the bigger HS's in CT. He has several players on the UConn team and knows a lot of the coaches in the Network. I asked him his thoughts on UConn this year. He said to me in August: "The team has some play makers, but honestly the offensive line is so horrible that they will be lucky to win any games this year. In fact, it makes last year line look like the five blocks of granite." With that being said, this team was bad from the start. It all starts in the trenches and we need to bulk up and get some athletes on the OL so we can turn it around.

Must be Xavier - unless you define several different than me.

Can you call him real quick and ask what this means?

“We want to continue to play Tim, when he’s feeling well enough to do that,” Diaco said yesterday. “We want to continue to do that, we want to play Tim in every game. There’s no reason why we wouldn’t. Tim is the quarterback of the future and why wouldn’t we take every opportunity to get him action to get better? We definitely WANT to, I’m not sure we can. It’s still going to be based on how he feels, but moving forward we definitely want to get him in each game.”
 
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