Jeff Jacobs: UConn AD Benedict Admits Changing Mind About Firing Bob Diaco

[Dooley]

If Diaco passed on Jerry Kill as his new OC, then he deserves to be tarred and feathered. Just shows that he had no interest in bringing UConn football into the 21st century of scoring touchdowns and playing smart, competitive football. Good riddance.

 

[Skiblets]

He has a relationship with Beth Goetz. He was exactly what Diaco needed - great experience, great results and a stated desire to not be a head coach again.

It's almost impossible to draw a different conclusion than Diaco wanted to get fired when he passed on Kill.

The JoeD comment that he isn't getting 3.4 million seems to make that clear.

Spot on

 

[blue93]

Well as a head coach he has a better resume than any head coach in UConn's history. The job he was interviewing for was Offensive Coordinator. For a team that hadn't had a winning record since 2010. To work under a head coach who was 11-26.

Who in the world do you think you could hire that would be more qualified to be the offensive coordinator?

No issue whatsoever as an OC. I was more referring to him as a potential HC (which I think others are inferring as a possibility). I think there are more intriguing, realistic options being tossed out there, but that's just me.

 

[blue93]

Because it's not a video game. In real life, if you are going 8-5 at Minnesota you are doing a very good job.

Yeah I guess you've got a point there...

 

[Adios]

No issue whatsoever as an OC. I was more referring to him as a potential HC (which I think others are inferring as a possibility). I think there are more intriguing, realistic options being tossed out there, but that's just me.

He didn't want to be HC. Just OC.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

Looks like DB tried to do whatever he could to help BD succeed. BD passed like an idiot. Good riddance.

 

[whaler11]

No issue whatsoever as an OC. I was more referring to him as a potential HC (which I think others are inferring as a possibility). I think there are more intriguing, realistic options being tossed out there, but that's just me.

Taking him at his word he doesn't want to be a head coach and with his issues I don't see how anyone at the AAC/MWC level or higher could take that chance. Rutgers made a great hire. He's a great candidate to mentor a young HC while providing a high level at the coordination level.

 

[blue93]

He didn't want to be HC. Just OC.

Understood, info overload on my part I guess. Thanks.

 

[IMind]

If it wasn't for the health issues I'd take Jerry Kill in a heart beat. I thought as soon as I heard that he was fired that Diaco's resistance to changing things up was his undoing. I believe Bennedict when he said he wanted to keep him. The Navy game was his undoing but it also showed that hes a decent defensive coach. If he was willing to address his short comings then he'd probably still be here.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Taking him at his word he doesn't want to be a head coach and with his issues I don't see how anyone at the AAC/MWC level or higher could take that chance. Rutgers made a great hire. He's a great candidate to mentor a young HC while providing a high level at the coordination level.

Kill would've been a perfect fit for BD on offense as it's pretty clear he'll never be a head coach again due to his health. Therefore, he'd have a solid option on the offensive side of the ball who knew his way around creating an offense while not having to constantly look over his shoulder to see if that OC was about to steal his HC seat. Kill would be in a much less physically taxing position so his health concerns would be less of a reason to pass him over. It wouldn't shock me if DB set up this interview with a thought in the back of his head that BD would turn him down and thus open the door for Benedict to push this as the final straw.

 

[TheDoggPound]

Well, he's OC at Rutgers and when you lose games 78-0 (Michigan), 58-0 (Ohio State), and 49-0 (Michigan State), he might be looking for a change of scenery.

More like a challenge.

 

[noeynox]

I don't know how I missed the posts in this thread about Diaco passing on Kill. This dude hired Cummings and Verducci and told us Corley will be a star, and he passes on Kill???

Wonder if he was gonna come back with Corley as his preferred candidate?

Diaco must just realize he is in over his head and wants to hit the reset button on his career. His late season post game conferences sounded like that anyway.

 

[HuskyHawk]

He has a relationship with Beth Goetz. He was exactly what Diaco needed - great experience, great results and a stated desire to not be a head coach again.

It's almost impossible to draw a different conclusion than Diaco wanted to get fired when he passed on Kill.

The JoeD comment that he isn't getting 3.4 million seems to make that clear.

My conclusion is different. I think Bob is a devoted Hayden Frey guy. He's going to do absolutely everything the way hevhinks it should be done. He does not want anyone in strong opinions on staff. He doesn't want anyone with contrary views on play calling or program building. Everything aboout Diaco just screams his level of certainty in what he is doing. He is blind to to truth of what he needed, a more experienced mentor to challenge his ideas.

 

[Nostical]

I missed the posts in this thread about Diaco passing on Kill.

My bad. When I overheard Benedict use the words Kill and Diaco in the same sentence it sounded much more ominous than merely hiring Jerry.

 

[SubbaBub]

BD allowing Kill on the staff would have been stupid. He would basically allowed DB to fire him at any moment thereafter, or in 2018 regradless.

Unless you think there was some massive turnaround coming.

Most likely leverage to reduce the buyout. BD gets a nice check, a chance to find a new job and without the beating his reputation would have suffered next season. Make no doubt it would have been ugly.

Now the RU coach is feeling the heat. Just watch.

A healthy Kill would have been a good HC hire, but guys who appear less than reliable don't recruit well no matter how well you spin that it is under control.

With our luck, he'd win his first 5 games, fall ill and we'd lose the next 7.

Did an amazing job and Minny, but not the right hire for us.

DB has to do the work to find the next great coach. We don't have the depth of talent to suffer an average coach. Unless the OC and Auburn was the brains behind their operation, I'd be wary of him too as a sign that DB didn't do the work and just went with a guy he knows.

RE had the backing of a lot of guys in the coaching circles, NFL, college, and he was the right age, had the right background and at the right point in his career.

I'm as wary on another coordinator as the next guy, but we aren't getting a guy without flaws. I'm hoping the biggest flaw is notoriety.

 

[freescooter]

My guess is this was about 3 things. 1. The OC position. Diaco and Benedict clashed over who it would be. 2. Offensive coaches. Diaco tried to insure his other offensive coaches didn't get replaced. 3. Tickets. Benedict saw the base totally cratering if Diaco came back. They can't be playing in front of 10000 every week.

 

[Adios]

Or perhaps loyalty is ridiculously important in football coaching since coaches seem to be limited in supply and Diaco chose loyalty. Unsurprisingly, he just had the wrong friends.

 

[Waquoit]

You said pee pee.

Heh, heh

 

[Waquoit]

He's a great candidate to mentor a young HC while providing a high level at the coordination level.

And it could be argued that was what BD needed most. He had Patterson in that role until last year. Patterson leaves and Diaco turned back into crap.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

My guess is this was about 3 things. 1. The OC position. Diaco and Benedict clashed over who it would be. 2. Offensive coaches. Diaco tried to insure his other offensive coaches didn't get replaced. 3. Tickets. Benedict saw the base totally cratering if Diaco came back. They can't be playing in front of 10000 every week.

There is also another huge reason he got fired. I can't quote or link it now because I am on my phone, but I read an article from some Notre Dame site last night that I haven't seen referenced here yet. But it essentially said that DB had insisted that BD had to take significant training in both communication and in media relations--and Diaco refused and insisted he didn't need it. Diaco insisted that he didn't need the training and he needed to focus his time on "football."

This sounds like as big a reason as any as to why DB would have had a change of heart. We all know that those two areas are significant area of improvement for BD, and if he refused, would show just how blind he was to his faults and his inability to change.

My guess is that this was a huge reason DB decided to act now, and a key to getting Herbst and the admin on board with the change.