Is it Time For Warde To Go?

[RedStickHusky]

Gentlemen: The revenue issue is the acid test for intercollegiate sports success.

Many casual fans think it is victories, but they just do not know jackson.

UCONN sledteam in foosbal generated 11.1mil in '13 according to Hartford business analysts in economic development corporations. These are serious decision-makers.

They do not utilize buddy system headhunters.
They do not play one subsidiary vs another.
They are not in Paris when the heavy hitters are in the batting circle.

They nurture success with dedicated work with a plan in place with short term, near term and long term goals with supporting objectives and enabling objectives, all of which are measureable in dollar and aesthetic terms.

Organizations like the Orange of Syracuse University and the Eagles of Boston College produced 2013 foosbal revenue in the 30-35mil range in their markets. If consensus is that the sledteam market has similar potential, then guess who needs to hit these numbers for P5 future growth path?

Chap, since you put such effort into producing a very nearly coherent post, I feel you deserve a reply.
- We all know the money is important for many reasons, but it is not what we root for. We need the money to stay competitive, but it is not the ultimate objective. You say "casual fan" but I think 99% feel that way.
- You say someone has to hit P5 income levels to put us on a P5 path, but I think that's backwards. Not that winning had anything to with Syr or BCU hitting the lottery, but we clearly need to redefine the perceptions of our program - and we have to do it without P5 money. A lot has been written here about the sustainability of that gap and, yes, it's on WM to find alternative sources but that's not a question I'm going to peruse with the same interest I give to a box score.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

This thread can't be real...I have to believe this was simply an exercise in trolling...I have to believe that.

 

[buddy]

Nice to see some people get it.

It is a complete rebuild, thanks to PP and Hathaway.

The hire cannot be judged for a couple more years.

Anyone who had bowl or other high expectations this year has noone but themselves to blame for that. That was never happening.

But Diaco himself said that UConn would go bowlling

Nice to see some people get it.

It is a complete rebuild, thanks to PP and Hathaway.

The hire cannot be judged for a couple more years.

Anyone who had bowl or other high expectations this year has noone but themselves to blame for that. That was never happening.

I believe it was Diaco himself who told the team to prepare to go bowling this past season. I may be wrong, but I do recall something like that.

 

[Antiobserver]

Warde to his haters:

 

[Jerry1714]

But Diaco himself said that UConn would go bowlling

I believe it was Diaco himself who told the team to prepare to go bowling this past season. I may be wrong, but I do recall something like that.

Was he suppose to say in his hiring press conference that this team had minimal talent and was going to be a 3 or 4 win team? That would not be very smart when you want people to buy tickets and boost life into the program.

 

[Adios]

Warde has 4 championship rings as athletic director. He's good for a while. Unless he screws up in football's next hire, if there's the need for a replacement.

 

[BlueMAB]

Nice to see some people get it.

It is a complete rebuild, thanks to PP and Hathaway.

The hire cannot be judged for a couple more years.

Anyone who had bowl or other high expectations this year has noone but themselves to blame for that. That was never happening.

Unlike most I gave Warde an A for his handling of the Calhoun/Ollie transition.
In reality his hockey hire is still an incomplete, but it sure feels like he hit a home run, so he gets an A.
His hiring of Diaco is also an incomplete, but it sure feels like it's at best a C, and quite possibly a D or F.
Diaco's grade for the season is a D (only escaped an F because of the crap PP left behind).

Regardless, we aren't dumping Warde, he's doing a good job.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Unlike most I gave Warde an A for his handling of the Calhoun/Ollie transition.
In reality his hockey hire is still an incomplete, but it sure feels like he hit a home run, so he gets an A.
His hiring of Diaco is also an incomplete, but it sure feels like it's at best a C, and quite possibly a D or F.
Diaco's grade for the season is a D (only escaped an F because of the crap PP left behind).

Regardless, we aren't dumping Warde, he's doing a good job.

I agree on the Ollie situation and IMHO Warde handled it as well a possible.

I also agree on the hockey hire but I may be in the camp that feels it is a work in progress that looks like an A as opposed to incomplete.

Diaco is an incomplete and I imagine that we will need at least another half season for the players to grow into what he is building. It (the hire) hasn't felt as good as it did from the introductory presser to opening day since very shortly after opening day but it is also far too early to view it as a failure. I believe that once the defense fully understands their responsibilities (this is an assignment heavy defense) there will be far more consistency and when our young LBs and DBs get a bit more experience the defense will be great. We need an offensive line (we only began showing something that resembled one very late in the season) and QB (I do hope that he is already on the roster) before our offense will be capable of showing anything.

 

[J187Money]

I would add something:

I know that I've said this here before, but one of the reasons I DIDN'T want to go to UCONN was because it didn't have a 1-A program (this was 1989). I went to UCONN because it was cheap and close to home. At that point it didn't even have that great of a reputation academically, other than "best public school in the Northeast" but with all of the private schools that wasn't saying much.

Even with our successes, and given the fact that even when the team was good what did we get, 2-3K students at games? I would contend that having an FBS football team has been integral in the decision making process for incoming students maybe < 1% of the time. If you disbanded the football program completely tomorrow, the school would still get far more qualified applicants than it could admit.

So what is my point? My point is that all of this is important, but the level of importance that we are placing on it is way overblown versus reality. And I know that we want the team to be great because we love UCONN and we love football so we want UCONN Football to be great.

And I hate to agree with Nelson here, but if it did come to pass that we couldn't compete in football, I have to believe we could go back to the Big East in other sports, and we would be no worse off than we were when most of us went to UCONN.

 

[Nostical]

if it did come to pass that we couldn't compete in football,....we would be no worse off than we were when most of us went to UCONN.

And that would be one sad day for us all. And let me add that as bleak as it gets, that will never happen. Never.

 

[Pudge]

You can't contrast Football at this level with Hockey and Basketball.

What we have learned is that you can really really screw up Football deeply in a few years. What we all should be seeing is that Hockey - in Connecticut - can get rev'd up with a solid young Roster quickly in Connecticut. And KO? I love his profile. He really developed Calhoun's remainders and input a few choice solid guys to fill. But, the difference between a full 85 with all the needed positions and these other 2? Crazy different.

There are still Balis and some development of youth. In retrospect, Cochran played a huge role in both late last year & this whole debacle.

 

[UConnJim]

We have not heard from Warde on this year's football season, although I expect we will in the next few weeks or so after he meets with Diaco. In hindsight, I think we would all agree that the roster was depleted and the disastrous turnovers really killed the team, but Diaco's press conferences and talking about preseasons, gameplans, 100 level, 400 level,... has to concern Warde as it concerns the fans. I'm not sold on Cummings and I hope we make a change if Warde and Diaco determine his performance wasn't up to par. We'll see.

When Warde was hired, UConn athletics seemed to be in a much better place, although we soon found out that wasn't the case. Warde was brought in to improve academics and make incremental improvements to the athletic programs. Unfortunately, the job changed when the Big East fell apart. UConn needs a well connected mover and shaker who has the ability to raise tons of money and energize the fan base. The business/strategic side of the job is critical given our current situation. I don't think the current needs of the job play to Warde's strengths. I think Warde has done a good job, but the job description has changed. If we are on the cusp of getting a P5 invite, and Herbst knows it, then let's keep Warde. If it looks like we are going to be in the AAC purgatory for a while with no clear path out, we need to hire someone else.

 

[buddy]

Was he suppose to say in his hiring press conference that this team had minimal talent and was going to be a 3 or 4 win team? That would not be very smart when you want people to buy tickets and boost life into the program.

Yes, it may not have been smart then, but now, he has basically lost everyone, no one believes him any more, and people will ditch their season tickets anyway.

 

[uconn34]

Please stop this silliness!

 

[Jerry1714]

Yes, it may not have been smart then, but now, he has basically lost everyone, no one believes him any more, and people will ditch their season tickets anyway.

Are you saying he has lost everyone and no one believes him because he said the team would go the a bowl game during his introduction press conference and they did not?

This could not possibility be what you are saying

 

[buddy]

We have not heard from Warde on this year's football season, although I expect we will in the next few weeks or so after he meets with Diaco. In hindsight, I think we would all agree that the roster was depleted and the disastrous turnovers really killed the team, but Diaco's press conferences and talking about preseasons, gameplans, 100 level, 400 level,... has to concern Warde as it concerns the fans. I'm not sold on Cummings and I hope we make a change if Warde and Diaco determine his performance wasn't up to par. We'll see.

When Warde was hired, UConn athletics seemed to be in a much better place, although we soon found out that wasn't the case. Warde was brought in to improve academics and make incremental improvements to the athletic programs. Unfortunately, the job changed when the Big East fell apart. UConn needs a well connected mover and shaker who has the ability to raise tons of money and energize the fan base. The business/strategic side of the job is critical given our current situation. I don't think the current needs of the job play to Warde's strengths. I think Warde has done a good job, but the job description has changed. If we are on the cusp of getting a P5 invite, and Herbst knows it, then let's keep Warde. If it looks like we are going to be in the AAC purgatory for a while with no clear path out, we need to hire someone else.

I t

Are you saying he has lost everyone and no one believes him because he said the team would go the a bowl game during his introduction press conference and they did not?

This could not possibility be what you are saying

I'm sorry but I stand by what I said. He came in, and said we would go bowling this year. I don't like a liar. Never did. If he said it will take time but we will turn it around, then fine. But that is not what he said. He mismanaged what he had. Wins and losses matter.

 

[chapwilvaug72]

an astute observer wants a mover & shaker wit charisma

when i gets my doz. donuts i can reely shakem & also move em

what has this charisma glooten moi: 223 lbs & not lookin as sporty as my playin daze

jog any 'yarders brain memory banks? who could dat bees

 

[Jerry1714]

I t

I'm sorry but I stand by what I said. He came in, and said we would go bowling this year. I don't like a liar. Never did. If he said it will take time but we will turn it around, then fine. But that is not what he said. He mismanaged what he had. Wins and losses matter.

Then I guess you hate every coach in America.

 

[buddy]

Then I guess you hate every coach in America.

Ollie didn't lie.

 

[Jerry1714]

Ollie didn't lie.

Hating a coach and not trusting him because he said the team was going to a bowl game in his introduction press conference and then they miss a bowl game that season is flat our ridiculous.

But everyone is entitled to their opinions.

 

[BNich]

Hating a coach and not trusting him because he said the team was going to a bowl game in his introduction press conference and then they miss a bowl game that season is flat our ridiculous.

But everyone is entitled to their opinions.

Would you rather him in saying we're not going bowling. We will be 2-10, you will all be calling for my head and I am running this program into the ground? Please. To be pissed because he said one thing and it didn't pan out is pretty petty.

 

[huskyrob1]

So I did love the initial hire - he spoke a great game - now his on field speak is coming around and I am wondering. He gets next year

Hey bonehead, enlighten me. I've been to a couple games, and watched almost all the games, but have not been paying much attention to anything crazy that Diaco's been saying. He drives a Ferrari? Up to now I've felt that UCONN should give him at least 3 years or even more, before they start considering getting rid of him. Recruiting is key and that takes time.

 

[huskyrob1]

What we need to do is to go back to FCS. We won't get people to play here. We will never be in a power conference and we might ruin our basketball teams if we don't get into the Big East. I was a supporter of UConn going D1A, but we can't play with the big boys.
Besides, we can start a men's and women's lacrosse team and win national championships quicker...

Hey, there you go, if we did that we could have indoor games at the Burton Football complex. And Mr Burton could have his own luxury box hanging from the ceiling. LOL!!!

 

[Jerry1714]

Would you rather him in saying we're not going bowling. We will be 2-10, you will all be calling for my head and I am running this program into the ground? Please. To be pissed because he said one thing and it didn't pan out is pretty petty.

This is the point I was making...............but thanks.

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Sorry, but how is any of this really Warde's fault again??

Hockey coach- nailed the hire.
Football coach- nailed the presser. Jury is still out on the overall success of the Diaco hire.
Basketball coach- nailed the hire.