I'm not one for dragging up Edsall stuff but...

[NutmegState]

There is nothing wrong with criticizing a former, or current, head coach for obvious deficiencies. There's also nothing wrong with celebrating what the "conference" recognizes as a "conference championship".

Nothing wrong with criticizing the punt blocks. However, we've had a lot of success on special teams too in returns and kicking/punting.

We all criticize the passing game. However, we've also done well putting offensive lineman and RBs in professional football, and earning national recognition at the collegiate level.

Or the lack of wins vs. top 25, etc. Yet, we did have a 5 yr bowl streak, 2 conf champs, etc.

He isn't the greatest ever, doesn't deserve to have a field named after him, and left no reason to think anyone couldn't meet or surpass his accomplishments.

BUT, a "ducking idiot" couldn't have taken us from trailers (it's funny because it's true) and rivalries with UMass/URI to the point where we can/should expect to compete with and beat top 25 teams, win conference championships, and go to BCS games.

It's fair to criticize the coach when we don't compete with or beat top 25 teams, and have seasons go by without any improvement in the same specific areas. It also doesn't make you an imbecile to take pride in the conference championships and other accomplishments.

This is a fair post. And I borderline hated Edsall, and most certainly wanted him gone.

 

[ZooCougar]

BUT, a "ducking idiot" couldn't have taken us from trailers (it's funny because it's true) and rivalries with UMass/URI to the point where we can/should expect to compete with and beat top 25 teams, win conference championships, and go to BCS games.

It's fair to criticize the coach when we don't compete with or beat top 25 teams, and have seasons go by without any improvement in the same specific areas. It also doesn't make you an imbecile to take pride in the conference championships and other accomplishments.

Of course, it's not like Edsall didn't have any help. The program was well supported by the institution and the state. 90% of what you are talking about would have happened even if RutgersAl was our coach.

Beating Top 25 teams? How many times did that actually happen? With Edsall I learned to never expect that to happen. Most of us grew accustomed to being dissappointed whenever we were on the big stage.

Realize that he was the coach in a period where we basically had unconstrained resources. How many other schools upgrade almost directly into a BCS conference? You don't think that gave us more advantages and cards to play with as opposed to some of the other upgrades that have occured.

There have been upgrades that have actually achieved indisputable success. Not shared championships, not BCS game(s) where the fans had to argue to justify their teams' presence.

Is he f6cking idiot? Yeah maybe not, maybe that word was harsh in general terms.

But was he a f6cking idiot when it came to developing QBs in a sport where it's no secret that that position is the most important and vital on the whole roster.

Definitely. F6cking. Idiot.

 

[BlueMAB]

You honestly think, no matter who was coaching, we would have accomplished 90% of:

2 big east championships
5 bowl games, 4 straight
BCS bid
2 undefeated seasons at home
& a reaching a top 20 ranking faster than any program making the leap to FBS football in history (except Marshall)

...because of "institutional and state support"?

All while recruiting at a basketball school, in a bad conference, with an off campus stadium that is smaller than 90% of all BCS stadiums, and absolutely no record or tradition to sell recruits on?

That is fascinatingly stupid.

 

[jpm25]

You honestly think, no matter who was coaching, we would have accomplished 90% of:

2 big east championships
5 bowl games, 4 straight
BCS bid
2 undefeated seasons at home
& a reaching a top 20 ranking faster than any program making the leap to FBS football in history (except Marshall)

...because of "institutional and state support"?

All while recruiting at a basketball school, in a bad conference, with an off campus stadium that is smaller than 90% of all BCS stadiums, and absolutely no record or tradition to sell recruits on?

That is fascinatingly stupid.

Not to nitpick, but USF went from D1-AA to ranked faster than UConn.

I personally don't think any coach could have done what you list above, but a lot, if not most BCS coaches, could have.

 

[BlueMAB]

Not to nitpick, but USF went from D1-AA to ranked faster than UConn.

I personally don't think any coach could have done what you list above, but a lot, if not most BCS coaches, could have.

http://advance.uconn.edu/2007/071105/07110501.htm
The Huskies reached the top 20 in just over five years, faster than all but one team in history, Marshall, which joined Division I-A in 1997 and was ranked in a little over two years.

They why don't we see this type of success at a lot, if not most, BCS programs? Lack of institutional support?

 

[uconnell]

My god Edsall is like Dracula he just won't die! Anybody got garlic?

What you really need is a wooden stake!

 

[jpm25]

http://advance.uconn.edu/2007/071105/07110501.htm
The Huskies reached the top 20 in just over five years, faster than all but one team in history, Marshall, which joined Division I-A in 1997 and was ranked in a little over two years.

They why don't we see this type of success at a lot, if not most, BCS programs? Lack of institutional support?

USF did it faster - they count their transitional years... "On September 16, 2007, a week after defeating Auburn, USF was nationally ranked for the first time in the young program's history. The AP poll listed USF at #23, while the USA Today coaches poll had the Bulls at #24. This is an NCAA record, as USF achieved its first Top 25 ranking faster than any other Division I-A school in the modern era"

Your second is an opinion and we can agree to disagree, but the question was could a lot of coaches achieve that at UConn. My answer is yes. I would take most (the top half of BCS coaches) and give them similar resources and I bet they could duplicate the result. If UConn was competing in a different conference I may have a different answer, but out of the 8 BE programs, 4 others were also conference champions in UConn's two championship years. Louisville, WVU and Cincy were champions this year. Very few BE programs have not had or shared a championship in the post "split 1" era.

 

[huskysupporter]

Of course, it's not like Edsall didn't have any help. The program was well supported by the institution and the state. 90% of what you are talking about would have happened even if RutgersAl was our coach.

Beating Top 25 teams? How many times did that actually happen? With Edsall I learned to never expect that to happen. Most of us grew accustomed to being dissappointed whenever we were on the big stage.

Realize that he was the coach in a period where we basically had unconstrained resources. How many other schools upgrade almost directly into a BCS conference? You don't think that gave us more advantages and cards to play with as opposed to some of the other upgrades that have occured.

There have been upgrades that have actually achieved indisputable success. Not shared championships, not BCS game(s) where the fans had to argue to justify their teams' presence.

Is he f6cking idiot? Yeah maybe not, maybe that word was harsh in general terms.

But was he a f6cking idiot when it came to developing QBs in a sport where it's no secret that that position is the most important and vital on the whole roster.

Definitely. F6cking. Idiot.

You sound like a jilted lover. Let it go, you will feel a lot better.

 

[BlueMAB]

USF did it faster - they count their transitional years... "On September 16, 2007, a week after defeating Auburn, USF was nationally ranked for the first time in the young program's history. The AP poll listed USF at #23, while the USA Today coaches poll had the Bulls at #24. This is an NCAA record, as USF achieved its first Top 25 ranking faster than any other Division I-A school in the modern era"

Your second is an opinion and we can agree to disagree, but the question was could a lot of coaches achieve that at UConn. My answer is yes. I would take most (the top half of BCS coaches) and give them similar resources and I bet they could duplicate the result. If UConn was competing in a different conference I may have a different answer, but out of the 8 BE programs, 4 others were also conference champions in UConn's two championship years. Louisville, WVU and Cincy were champions this year. Very few BE programs have not had or shared a championship in the post "split 1" era.

You're using Wikipedia?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Florida_Bulls#Football
According to wiki, USF transitioned to 1A in 2001, they acheived their ranking in 2007. That's 6 years.

UConn finished the transition in 2002, and also got our first ranking in 2007. That's 5 years.

Wiki doesn't say when the bulls completed their transition years.


Whether most could or not is not worth disussing IMO because it's impossible to support that argument anyway. What I find most annoying, is the lengths that "fans" will go to in discrediting our accomplishments. The attacks on Edsall don't bother me, he deserves the criticism of the way he left, the way he handled the media, the way he couldn't get the passing game going. He earned all of that criticism. But the assistants, the players, and everyone else involved doesn't deserve to have their own "fans" mock and discredit the results of their hard work. Particularly when the only reason it's being done is because of someone's disapproval of a former head coach.

 

[jpm25]

You're using Wikipedia?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Florida_Bulls#Football
According to wiki, USF transitioned to 1A in 2001, they acheived their ranking in 2007. That's 6 years.

UConn finished the transition in 2002, and also got our first ranking in 2007. That's 5 years.

Wiki doesn't say when the bulls completed their transition years.


Whether most could or not is not worth disussing IMO because it's impossible to support that argument anyway. What I find most annoying, is the lengths that "fans" will go to in discrediting our accomplishments. The attacks on Edsall don't bother me, he deserves the criticism of the way he left, the way he handled the media, the way he couldn't get the passing game going. He earned all of that criticism. But the assistants, the players, and everyone else involved doesn't deserve to have their own "fans" mock and discredit the results of their hard work. Particularly when the only reason it's being done is because of someone's disapproval of a former head coach.

USF was a full d1 member in 2003 and joined CUSA the same year. That would be 4 years.

I hear you on the discrediting thing and not trying to do that. Edsall is a bad coach, though.

 

[Carl Spackler]

THere was no transition for USF. There was no USF football program until 1995. The frist recruiting class was signed in 1996. They played their first EVER football game in september 1997. By September 2007, they had a top 10 in the country ranking. They went from no football team at all to a top 10 in the country in a decade.

UConn, can not, unfortunately, make any similar kinds of claims. In 1997, when USF was playing it's first game ever, the currnet USF head coach, was working on leading UConn toward a season where we would win the most regular season wins we've had in our entire 112 years and counting.

But I'm looking forward to being in the top 10 now, because it's realistic now.