I still believe in Diaco

[noeynox]

I get the frustrations toward him as one of the frustrated by him. He has done great things with the "culture".

He has to realize however that other programs will also emphasize strength and conditioning and execution. This will not be a staple of his programs exclusively.

Is he capable of hiring an experienced OC and letting him do his thing on that side of the ball? Would he be willing to let guy run some risky plays like gulp a pass into the end zone from inside the 10yd line? Can he ever learn to manage the clock and not be a liability to his team ?

I don't like the fire him talk. He did inherit a mess. He cleaned it up, but what next? Is his ceiling 6-6, 7-5, type records?

 

[jdb50]

At this point from where we are now if we get 7 wins this year we should hold a parade for him.

 

[Papadukes]

He's firing himself. I like a lot about him except the part of never coaching the team like he would if he had 3 great recruiting classes in a row. Really good coaches are up to date and will make changes for the better of the team. I don't see him changing his ways and I don't see a guy that makes me think I hope we don't lose him. He's got a lot to learn and his job is in Benedicts hands not mine.

 

[psilotic]

I hope the Miles thing puts the fear of God into BD and makes some kind of major move with the OC. But BD probably too stubborn/cocky/arrogant to think that could happen to him. I didn't realize the $5M buyout thing either. Looks like we might have to dig up some Petrino-style "just cause" if things don't change

 

[Pudge]

He's got to Grow. My view is he is too stubborn & stuck in his long held view as to how to be a HC.

Benedict is accomplished & knows football. Unlike a few of our AAC peers, Diaco actually had a hugely experienced staff. If BD respects these guys ... the hard analysis is we are screwing up a good situation. I firmly believe they CAN win this conference & fill Rentschler. I'm not impressed.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I get the frustrations toward him as one of the frustrated by him. He has done great things with the "culture".

He has to realize however that other programs will also emphasize strength and conditioning and execution. This will not be a staple of his programs exclusively.

Is he capable of hiring an experienced OC and letting him do his thing on that side of the ball? Would he be willing to let guy run some risky plays like gulp a pass into the end zone from inside the 10yd line? Can he ever learn to manage the clock and not be a liability to his team ?

I don't like the fire him talk. He did inherit a mess. He cleaned it up, but what next? Is his ceiling 6-6, 7-5, type records?

Here's my thing noey.

I thought his first year was an absolute abortion. Just terrible all the way around. I chalked it up to being a first time head coach. But there were red flags.

Last year I thought he improved a lot. Still made some head scratching decisions (hello Mizzou), but all in all got a lot out of the kids and went bowling.

In year 3, I didn't expect to see this level of incompetence. It's getting absurd now. I'm not as hard on him as most here and I don't think he should be fired. But I'm quickly losing hope that he will ever be good here.

 

[Hoophound]

Here's my thing noey.

I thought his first year was an absolute abortion. Just terrible all the way around. I chalked it up to being a first time head coach. But there were red flags.

Last year I thought he improved a lot. Still made some head scratching decisions (hello Mizzou), but all in all got a lot out of the kids and went bowling.

In year 3, I didn't expect to see this level of incompetence. It's getting absurd now. I'm not as hard on him as most here and I don't think he should be fired. But I'm quickly losing hope that he will ever be good here.

This really is spot on. He just can't get past the .500 level without making a quantum leap. He's maxed out and I have no optimism he takes us to anything better than 7-5.....ever.

 

[businesslawyer]

Here's my thing noey.

I thought his first year was an absolute abortion. Just terrible all the way around. I chalked it up to being a first time head coach. But there were red flags.

Last year I thought he improved a lot. Still made some head scratching decisions (hello Mizzou), but all in all got a lot out of the kids and went bowling.

In year 3, I didn't expect to see this level of incompetence. It's getting absurd now. I'm not as hard on him as most here and I don't think he should be fired. But I'm quickly losing hope that he will ever be good here.

This is where I am. He has some really good qualities, but I'm fast losing confidence that he's goning to develop into a good game coach or hire and delegate his where there. He's our coach this year and he's our coach next year, and talk of firing him because he's not developing as quickly as we hoped is useless. But am I confident any more he's going to "get there?" Absolutely not.

 

[Uconnalliance]

I believe in Santa

 

[noeynox]

Here's my thing noey.

I thought his first year was an absolute abortion. Just terrible all the way around. I chalked it up to being a first time head coach. But there were red flags.

Last year I thought he improved a lot. Still made some head scratching decisions (hello Mizzou), but all in all got a lot out of the kids and went bowling.

In year 3, I didn't expect to see this level of incompetence. It's getting absurd now. I'm not as hard on him as most here and I don't think he should be fired. But I'm quickly losing hope that he will ever be good here.

Very fair, and I'll admit I'm not far from there myself.

My biggest reason for hope is that we are in every game thus far. The kids really seem to believe in him. His defensive game plans are pretty solid. SU offense scored 14 quick points then just a FG to the last drive.

The clock management figures to be fixable, the biggest issue is the risk aversion whenever we touch the ball. His approach to punt returns, his total lack of passing inside the 10 yd line. Could he change his,stripes on that front. Next year will be the telltale year.

 

[Hoophound]

Clock management isn't fixable after 3 years. It just keeps happpening. The D is good after the half. The O is acceptable..... after the half. Then, just when we have it won, the clock issues and poor play calling come to the surface. It just never ends. Great coaches snatch victory from defeat. He snatches defeat from the hand of victory. He's a good guy but I need to at least see a staff shake up to renew my naive hopes.

 

[noeynox]

Clock management isn't fixable after 3 years. It just keeps happpening. The D is good after the half. The O is acceptable..... after the half. Then, just when we have it won, the clock issues and poor play calling come to the surface. It just never ends. Great coaches snatch victory from defeat. He snatches defeat from the hand of victory. He's a good guy but I need to at least see a staff shake up to renew my naive hopes.

There has been improvement just this year. For the last 2 games, we haven't been burned timeouts due to not getting plays in on time.

 

[Confident Carl]

This is where I am. He has some really good qualities, but I'm fast losing confidence that he's goning to develop into a good game coach or hire and delegate his where there. He's our coach this year and he's our coach next year, and talk of firing him because he's not developing as quickly as we hoped is useless. But am I confident any more he's going to "get there?" Absolutely not.

Sadly Confident Carl is thinking the same way. I am impressed with the infrastructure, spirit, recruiting and fundamentals but believe he could be more flexible and creative. Way too predictable. He had a good recruiting class last year and some of the young pups like Scanes and Williams could be producers next year. I have heard from a knowledgable source that next year's team will be better.

Funny thing is we didn't lose the Cuse game because of the offense. A receiver gaining 270 yards and scoring two explosive TD's will beat you 99% of the time.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I posted last week that I don't think he should/will be fired, but with each passing week my optimism that we can ever reach Edsall levels.

Watching these games week in and week out is less and less fun.

Was talking to my old man on the drive up from NJ and we were reminiscing about the Pitt and WV night games and how far away that feels.

 

[CTMike]

Our culture is better than ever. Kids are stronger than ever. They are disciplined on the field and in the classroom. We win that time of possession battle game in and out.

And yet... if EVERY game is a struggle and it doesn't translate in to wins... then what the hell is it all for?

 

[TRest]

Sadly Confident Carl is thinking the same way. I am impressed with the infrastructure, spirit, recruiting and fundamentals but believe he could be more flexible and creative. Way too predictable. He had a good recruiting class last year and some of the young pups like Scanes and Williams could be producers next year. I have heard from a knowledgable source that next year's team will be better.

Funny thing is we didn't lose the Cuse game because of the offense. A receiver gaining 270 yards and scoring two explosive TD's will beat you 99% of the time.

We will be better next year? Good to know.

 

[Bomber36]

He is what he is. He will not change.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Our culture is better than ever. Kids are stronger than ever. They are disciplined on the field and in the classroom. We win that time of possession battle game in and out.

And yet... if EVERY game is a struggle and it doesn't translate in to wins... then what the hell is it all for?

And the culture is tenuous. A rah-rah coach can only create a positive culture for so long without also providing sound coaching decisions that put his players in a position to win, and even win games for his team. Has BD ever won a game for us? How many has he lost for us? A coach screwing his team over in crunch time will very quickly create a poor culture. I'm sure there's already some level of division in the locker room at this point.

 

[huskymedic]

I'm sure there's already some level of division in the locker room at this point.

What makes you sure? I've not heard/seen/read anything that gives me that impression.

 

[noeynox]

I posted last week that I don't think he should/will be fired, but with each passing week my optimism that we can ever reach Edsall levels.

Watching these games week in and week out is less and less fun.

Was talking to my old man on the drive up from NJ and we were reminiscing about the Pitt and WV night games and how far away that feels.

I posted somewhere that I felt that the dream of big time football in CT died on Saturday. It may have been an emotional moment, but the games you mentioned were the ones I was thinking of. We are far, far away from those night games. Near capacity games where the joint was rocking.

 

[Husky68]

ESPN quote on Miles firing, sounds something like our HCBD:

"Miles loves physical, shove-it-down-your-throat offense. He loves fullbacks and tight ends and running the football. There was a time during his career when that style was good enough to remain nationally relevant, particularly with the way the Tigers recruited under Miles.

But as the college game started to change, Miles dug his heels deeper in the Louisiana soil, and while everybody else was spreading it out, running tempo, finding ways to be creative and scoring points, Miles was still trying to do it his way. The hard way.

It cost him his job."

 

[SubbaBub]

Needs to work on his press conference game and worry about more things that matter and fewer things that don't.

As for Miles, if you can recruit to it, you can still play power football. It's tougher to do that in the SEC.

 

[Dooley]

My biggest issue with Diaco is eerily similar to one of the issues Pasqualoni had: stubbornness to make a change because of longstanding relationships with certain coaches. This is where Benedict might need to step in in the same manner Warde did when he brought Weist in over PP's head.

I am by no means comparing Diaco with PP. I think Diaco is a MUCH better coach and has brought the program back to competitiveness again. Diaco is night-and-day better than PP in 1) recruiting - or at least having a recruiting plan; 2) motivating his players; 3) coaching up a defense. I just think Diaco and PP (and probably most head coaches, to be fair) share a similar trait in being overly stubborn with sticking to a strategy that does not work.

My fear is that Verducci is fast becoming our new DeLeone. As long as he is around, our offense will play far-too-conservatively unless we are in desperation comeback mode.

 

[8893]

I feel like his eyes reveal a totally vacant room. Like looking into nothingness.

And then he opens his mouth and the nothingness is filled with nonsensical platitudes.

And then you long for nothingness again.

 

[Stainmaster]

What makes you sure? I've not heard/seen/read anything that gives me that impression.

People want there to be so that their feelings toward the coach can be further justified.