Invest more in offense or pay buyout to Diaco?

[UConnJim]

I'm beginning to think that is the question. Should we invest in hiring some good offensive coaches at salaries much higher than we pay now or pay $3.5 to $5 million for Diaco to walk and still have to pay up for a new coaching staff?

If we are going to keep Diaco, he needs help in 2 areas, offense and head coaching/game day awareness.

Diaco has been a decent DC over his career and I think he can handle the defense. What he needs, besides more game day awareness, is offensive coaching talent. We have been hiring offensive coaches on the cheap and it shows. Invest in a proven OC, QB coach, and OL coach. Let the OC choose the QB and OL coaches.

To improve Diaco's abilities as a head coach, I think we should hire a retired successful head coach as associate head coach to mentor him. A guy like Mack Brown, Dennis Frachione, Frank Beamer, Houston Nutt, Tom O'Brien, Ralph Freidgen,... If Diaco is failing miserably early season, the associate head coach becomes interim head coach while we evaluate the new OC to see if he is capable of becoming head coach.

 

[Showballot]

None of those guys you listed would be interested in that type of role. Not really sure who would...

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Only invest $ in new coordinators if you're targeting one as a potential HC hire.

 

[JMick]

Only invest $ in new coordinators if you're targeting one as a potential HC hire.

I'd like us to hire a successful offensive minded FCS HC to be the OC. Then when Diaco gets fired midway through next year we can see if there is potential for them to be the HC.

 

[UConnJim]

Only invest $ in new coordinators if you're targeting one as a potential HC hire.

Our assistant coach pay is mid to low AAC. How do you think a guy like Verducci, with no experience as an OC, gets hired? Because that is what we can afford. We need to pay $500k to $600k for an OC, not the $300k that Verducci makes.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I'd like us to hire a successful offensive minded FCS HC to be the OC. Then when Diaco gets fired midway through next year we can see if there is potential for them to be the HC.

The thing is, if firing Diaco midway through next year is on the table, why not fire him January 1?

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Our assistant coach pay is mid to low AAC. How do you think a guy like Verducci, with no experience as an OC, gets hired? Because that is what we can afford. We need to pay $500k to $600k for an OC, not the $300k that Verducci makes.

I agree, but if you bring in an entirely new an expensive staff now while keeping Diaco, if you're just waiting to fire him on Jan 1 2018 when the buyout goes down, you're spending a crap load of money for one season with those coordinators since a new HC would have to be allowed to bring in his own people.

 

[Glastonhusky]

I'd like us to hire a successful offensive minded FCS HC to be the OC. Then when Diaco gets fired midway through next year we can see if there is potential for them to be the HC.

I agree changes are needed but what successful coach would want to come here knowing that they could be gone next year at this time along with Diaco?

 

[JMick]

I agree changes are needed but what successful coach would want to come here knowing that they could be gone next year at this time along with Diaco?

I don't know how anyone will want to come here knowing they could be on the way out in one year. Benedict won't be able to tell someone "hey if Diaco is fired you have a chance to be the head coach" but maybe they could wink wink nudge nudge in that direction. Way above my pay-grade though

 

[jdb50]

This concept of bringing in new coaches for the offense sounds good but I can't see how it won't be very dysfunctional unless Diaco chooses who they are. Who would sign up to join such an uncertain situation if they did not get the approval of the guy supposedly calling the shots. If they were forced on him? It would be tough on the players as well and if things go south or most likely stay there it would be a nightmare season worse than the one we just had.

 

[uconnell]

This concept of bringing in new coaches for the offense sounds good but I can't see how it won't be very dysfunctional unless Diaco chooses who they are. Who would sign up to join such an uncertain situation if they did not get the approval of the guy supposedly calling the shots. If they were forced on him? It would be tough on the players as well and if things go south or most likely stay there it would be a nightmare season worse than the one we just had.

In this case Diaco has to GO

 

[BlueMAB]

I love this place. Mack Brown? Houston Nutt? Jim Tressel? LMAO.

Just last week people were "passing" on Orgeron, because we're apparently too good for him. But LSU isn't apparently.

 

[Big Daddy 72]

Is the horrible offense a result of a bad OC or a bad OC? What I'm getting to is, will a new OC have the autonomy to bring in an offense that he wants to run? And be able to call the plays that he wants? Or will BD meddle and interfere no matter who is the OC?

 

[Big Daddy 72]

I meant a bad OC or a bad hc?

 

[Chief00]

I agree changes are needed but what successful coach would want to come here knowing that they could be gone next year at this time along with Diaco?

I agree - hiring the elite OC - is not realistic - when the head coach is unstable and not likely to be here a year from now.

Remember according to Diaco we have a star in our current OC.

 

[UConnJim]

I love this place. Mack Brown? Houston Nutt? Jim Tressel? LMAO.

Just last week people were "passing" on Orgeron, because we're apparently too good for him. But LSU isn't apparently.

My point is that there are plenty of old, successful retired football coaches that would love to stay around football in a low stress way. I was just throwing out names, but there are many more who are out there.

 

[BlueMAB]

My point is that there are plenty of old, successful retired football coaches that would love to stay around football in a low stress way. I was just throwing out names, but there are many more who are out there.

Then why are they still retired?

Sure, this "could" work, but if you have to hire an "old, successful retired football coach", to teach your $1.7+ million/year head coach how to do his job, then you're not fixing the problem. Don't pay someone to teach him, fire him, and pay someone who doesn't need a teacher.

 

[UConnJim]

Then why are they still retired?

Sure, this "could" work, but if you have to hire an "old, successful retired football coach", to teach your $1.7+ million/year head coach how to do his job, then you're not fixing the problem. Don't pay someone to teach him, fire him, and pay someone who doesn't need a teacher.

You are missing the point. If UConn fires Diaco today, it costs $5 million and you have to hire a new coach at $2 million +/-. UConn can't afford it. Of course, if a rich donor coughed up the buyout, I would say fire Diaco. If we can't fire Diaco we need to find a way to fix the situation. Why not take some of that buyout money and invest it for turning around the offense and to give Diaco a mentor and sounding board?

 

[UConnNick]

I love this place. Mack Brown? Houston Nutt? Jim Tressel? LMAO.

Just last week people were "passing" on Orgeron, because we're apparently too good for him. But LSU isn't apparently.

Isn't Tressel still subject to an NCAA show cause order? Even if not, that guy has left a trail of manure behind him big enough to fertilize the entire Sahara Desert and grow crops there. He makes Art Briles look like a saint.

 

[JMick]

Isn't Tressel still subject to an NCAA show cause order? Even if not, that guy has left a trail of manure behind him big enough to fertilize the entire Sahara Desert and grow crops there. He makes Art Briles look like a saint.

No he doesn't you moron. Briles covered up Kavanaughed. Tressel covered for his players that got free tattoos.

 

[UConnNick]

I'm SMH at the suggestion that we not only completely gut the assistant coaching staff, but we pay for Disastro to have a "buddy" who mentors him and tells him when it's OK to use the men's room. Talk about throwing good money after bad. I have never heard of a team hiring a coach to hold a junior HC's hand until he grows up and his training wheels can be removed. And we have the extra money to pay for this nonsense???

 

[UConnJim]

I'm SMH at the suggestion that we not only completely gut the assistant coaching staff, but we pay for Disastro to have a "buddy" who mentors him and tells him when it's OK to use the men's room. Talk about throwing good money after bad. I have never heard of a team hiring a coach to hold a junior HC's hand until he grows up and his training wheels can be removed. And we have the extra money to pay for this nonsense???

Unfortunately, unless someone ponies up the buyout, we are stuck with Diaco. If you don't agree with my idea, and you are not willing to pay the buyout, what is your plan?

 

[JMick]

I'm SMH at the suggestion that we not only completely gut the assistant coaching staff, but we pay for Disastro to have a "buddy" who mentors him and tells him when it's OK to use the men's room. Talk about throwing good money after bad. I have never heard of a team hiring a coach to hold a junior HC's hand until he grows up and his training wheels can be removed. And we have the extra money to pay for this nonsense???

You've never heard of an Associate Head Coach before? They're typically used two ways.

A. An older experienced coach used to help mentor a newer, younger, inexperienced head coach

B. A younger up-and-coming coach to be mentored by an older experienced head coach who may be getting close to retirement.

It's a pretty widely used position throughout all sports

 

[polycom]

Pay buyout for BD because if he does well next wear knowing UConn well resign him again... then this cycle will continue.

 

[JMick]

Pay buyout for BD because if he does well next wear knowing UConn well resign him again... then this cycle will continue.

His contract is through 2021, we won't be extending anything anytime soon even if we win the conference.