Jacobs: Don’t blame the AAC for the sad reality of UConn football

[CL82]

Has anyone really blamed the AAC? It is a bad fit for us but bad hires got us to where we are now.

 

[superjohn]

Hiring back the snake Edsall is still the most pathetic move out of all this. Hiring back the guy who sold out his team to go on and fail at his Maryland "dream job" was just waving the white flag.

 

[kemba]

Has anyone really blamed the AAC? It is a bad fit for us but bad hires got us to where we are now.

There's definitely a segment of at least basketball fans who blame the AAC for the basketbal teams woes

 

[CL82]

There's definitely a segment of at least basketball fans who blame the AAC for the basketbal teams woes

You can make a better argument that the AAC hurt basketball. They played against no one cared about and travel is more of a bitch for basketball. Certainly not the main reason for current problems though, in either sport.

 

[BugsyCT]

There's definitely a segment of at least basketball fans who blame the AAC for the basketbal teams woes

Basketball fans and AD Dave, otherwise we would have stayed put.

 

[Bongo Fury]

This post is right on the money in every aspect. Biggest culpability: UConn could have solved a lot of their current headaches by fielding competitive - winning - teams. And for that they needed to be able to recruit better. Should have seen this coming when HCRE left and PP had to resort to starting a walk on at QB.

didn’t have play who he did. Other options that better suited the talent on the team but they knew better because they came from the NFL. Defense was was great though.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Pasqualoni's biggest problem. Was that he refused to accept that Deleone's coaching wasn't a fit for UCONN and he kept trying to force that square peg in a round hole. PP recruited relatively well and had one of the best DCs in UCONN's history. His fate was sealed long before Deleone was relieved of his play calling duties because of it though.

Diaco was an unmitigated disaster. Couldn't recruit well and had quite possibly the worst offensive we've ever seen.

Edsall so far has shown nothing but he is clueless and is living off of couple of really good seasons and a mediocrity for the rest. Giufre is a problem that either needs to be fired or demoted. Hopefully the former. If Edsall is given next year the leash better be real short. If there is 0 improvement within the first 3 games, edsall needs to be kicked to the curb and we need to start looking at young coaches at the FCS or DII level.

 

[ZooCougar]

There's definitely a segment of at least basketball fans who blame the AAC for the basketbal teams woes

These are the people who are the least qualified to comment.

 

[ZooCougar]

Pasqualoni's biggest problem. Was that he refused to accept that Deleone's coaching wasn't a fit for UCONN and he kept trying to force that square peg in a round hole. PP recruited relatively well and had one of the best DCs in UCONN's history. His fate was sealed long before Deleone was relieved of his play calling duties because of it though.

Diaco was an unmitigated disaster. Couldn't recruit well and had quite possibly the worst offensive we've ever seen.

Edsall so far has shown nothing but he is clueless and is living off of couple of really good seasons and a mediocrity for the rest. Giufre is a problem that either needs to be fired or demoted. Hopefully the former. If Edsall is given next year the leash better be real short. If there is 0 improvement within the first 3 games, edsall needs to be kicked to the curb and we need to start looking at young coaches at the FCS or DII level.

Pasqualoni was behind the curve in college football dating back to his Syracuse days. He just continued where he left off at UConn. Technically he may be a good coach but he wasn’t fit to run a program and be what we needed.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Pasqualoni was behind the curve in college football dating back to his Syracuse days. He just continued where he left off at UConn. Technically he may be a good coach but he wasn’t fit to run a program and be what we needed.

I'm no PP apologist, but I think if he hired any OC other then Deleone he would have had way more success. I admire his loyalty to his friend, but Deleone was the sole reason PP failed.

 

[ZooCougar]

I'm no PP apologist, but I think if he hired any OC other then Deleone he would have had way more success. I admire his loyalty to his friend, but Deleone was the sole reason PP failed.

He was a dinosaur. His recruiting practices were less than analog.

 

[CL82]

Basketball fans and AD Dave, otherwise we would have stayed put.

ESPN delegating us to ESPN plus was the kicker, especially since they were taking away our NYC presence by getting rid of ESPN away SNY. Add to that the fact that we are much better financially on a net basis in the Big East rather than the American and our moving to the new Big East was an inevitability. This has really nothing to do with what one group of fans or another wanted. Instead it has everything to do with the numbers.

 

[hardcorehusky]

There is a combination of things that went awry. Most self inflicted and some AAC related.

1) UConn came from a conference of like minded institutions that, outside of Miami and Louisville, accepted the same type of students. In the AAC, only Tulane was an academic peer and it showed in recruiting as all the other schools picked up speed and we dropped like a rock.
2) Herbst took the high road and did not give football the support needed to compete with the AAC schools. (Admissions, coaching pool).
3)Bad hires - PP and Diaco
4) UConn fans stopped coming to games and attendance continued to drop with team performance. It was the names and not the quality of teams that was the issue at first - then it was UConn's ineptitude.
5) I don't blame the AAC as much as the self inflicted wounds. However, Aresco's hideous Media deal was the final straw. Remember, we aren't leaving because we were bad in football or men's basketball, this was all about dollars and cents. That is on the AAC.

Katsouleous has to decide how badly he wants a good football program. RE fits the Herbst model and that is why there has been this slow burn to get this right. Relaxing admissions standards, adding money to assistant pool, this would change the on field product next year.
We need a bigger and better coaching staff- with a young team you need more coaching. Other than the WR group, no unit distinguished itself. We need a Mike Foley and a Hank Hughes - position coaches who make a difference.

 

[LBird33]

ESPN delegating us to ESPN plus was the kicker, especially since they were taking away our NYC presents by getting rid of ESPN away SNY. Add to that the fact that we are much better financially on a net basis in the Big East rather than the American and are moving to the new Big East was an inevitability. This has really nothing to do with Web one group of fans or another wanted. Instead it has everything to do with the numbers.

Your spot on - money trumps all other issues

 

[uconnric]

The fact that we fell so far showed that we weren’t P5 worthy. This school has made terrible hiring decisions.

We were absolutely P5 worthy. Better facilities than BC and Syracuse. BC didn't want us in the club. DeFillipo said as much.

 

[Pudge]

We had a chance to big the big dogs in a smaller conference. We had bigger revenue, bigger resources and everything except a fertile football recruiting territory. This could have been addressed by hiring people that can actually recruit.

It wasn’t a golden opportunity but it was a legit chance to make Lemonade.

silly. What does more $ & revenue get you?

This could be a solid Program - we know that. But We are a “Development “ program. And the only proviso is that the Transfer market vastly changed the game. The fact that we had $80m playing a University with $40m revenue AD. Better coach? Would we have hired Ruhle or Collins or Carey? And EACH of those has a better base & construct to start.

so go ahead & whine. We need to be thrilled with the possibility that UCONN hoop can climb into MM & see solid star players. Football will take time regardless of conference.

 

[Pudge]

Louisville took our spot. Louisville was willing to do things to get into the ACC that we were not, and they got the last spot. Herbst and Warde blew it, and everything else anyone did doesn't really matter. Louisville is an academic wasteland and one of the dirtiest programs in college athletics, and we should have never lost out to them.

You just hit the target and then you rationalized.

Connecticut & this institution would never do the YUM Center or PapaJohns or Pitino or Petrino. End of story. ACC took the cheating sleazy Program. (And B1G took market in Rutgers)

It’s morning in Connecticut

 

[ScottVib]

We were absolutely P5 worthy. Better facilities than BC and Syracuse. BC didn't want us in the club. DeFillipo said as much.

Unfortunately that's the key... were.

The athletic program as it stands now, thanks to football, the basketball downturn and the media narrative about the financial condition of the athletic department is a long ways off. Regardless of the caliber of facilities.. regardless of the willingness to spend at a P5 level, the narratives around the school and it's programs have been extremely negative for a very long time.. and that's bad if you need to make a move. Perhaps the conference alignment change and Hurley can start to correct that.

Jacobs just took advantage of his platform to remind everyone that football stinks and continue the slow burn to try and get the football program killed.

 

[ASweet3781]

Yes, all of the hires were (are) part of the problem. The conference is also part of the problem. It’s not rocket science.

It is absolutely embarrassing how many people can't come to this very simple and accurate conclusion.

 

[ZooCougar]

silly. What does more $ & revenue get you?

This could be a solid Program - we know that. But We are a “Development “ program. And the only proviso is that the Transfer market vastly changed the game. The fact that we had $80m playing a University with $40m revenue AD. Better coach? Would we have hired Ruhle or Collins or Carey? And EACH of those has a better base & construct to start.

so go ahead & whine. We need to be thrilled with the possibility that UCONN hoop can climb into MM & see solid star players. Football will take time regardless of conference.

You are delusional.

we have one of the worst programs in college football.

it shouldn’t be that bad and it is UConn’s fault. That is it.

Temple was worse than we are now and they have been better than UConn for years.

there is no such thing as a Fifty year plan which is what you goobers seem to be proposing.

 

[zls44]

Jacobs just took advantage of his platform to remind everyone that football stinks and continue the slow burn to try and get the football program killed.

He isn't trying to kill the program. That wouldn't benefit him anyway. Try being rational.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Maybe the Big East and Football Independence is just an all around better fit for UConn. No matter the conference, we (just like BC, Syracuse, Rutgers et al) were never going to get a sniff of the football playoff. The system is rigged and only certain preordained schools will ever get a chance to make the playoff. At least as an independent we can schedule some wins and also schedule some money making losses.

 

[RSTuthill]

They had an aggressive AD who lobbied the ACC south vigorously while ours was buffeting in the Bahamas. BC was against us from the beginning and ESPN was also no help.

One small point: by the time the Bahamas rolled around the cake was baked. Preparing the ground occurred long before.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Unfortunately that's the key... were.

The athletic program as it stands now, thanks to football, the basketball downturn and the media narrative about the financial condition of the athletic department is a long ways off. Regardless of the caliber of facilities.. regardless of the willingness to spend at a P5 level, the narratives around the school and it's programs have been extremely negative for a very long time.. and that's bad if you need to make a move. Perhaps the conference alignment change and Hurley can start to correct that.

Jacobs just took advantage of his platform to remind everyone that football stinks and continue the slow burn to try and get the football program killed.

There is no move. Conference Realignment ended years ago when it came to additions. The next moves are about CONTRACTION. The Big 12 debacle proved it and the ESPN contracts re validated it.

 

[Pudge]

You are delusional.

we have one of the worst programs in college football.

it shouldn’t be that bad and it is UConn’s fault. That is it.

Temple was worse than we are now and they have been better than UConn for years.

there is no such thing as a Fifty year plan which is what you goobers seem to be proposing.

Theres some notion ... we just need a BETTER recruiter. A BETTER Salesman

I don’t believe that. College Football, unlike hoop, is about layers & layers of solid kids with skill & character over several years. Edsall did prove that the 1.0 version. When you basically go 6 years in the toilet ... in a State like Connecticut, you have this crap product. Diaco was worse than Pasqualoni. Edsall has been exposed as lacking offensive & defensive schemes ... and the modern game has changed on him. However, I think he is hugely the best of the 3 in evaluation coaching up. Which is the only way UCONN can succeed in FBS. I think Leipold is also excellent. And Ruhle (but not enough info in on Collins/Carey). When you’re not Ohio or Florida or Louisiana or Texas ... you have to have a longer term fix. And not a half dozen year dive.