Jim Mora’s new staff coming together…

[Chin Diesel]

Parcels applies, I’d hire him.

They would be a package deal?

Good one Chin.

 

[Hogoff]

They would be a package deal?

Good one Chin.

Took me a sec to get it, lol!

 

[Hornet22]

I fully agree that the reality in this situation mocks the law. My solution would not be to cure the problem by removing coaches from the law. My solution would be to say that if the law works well enough for the Attorney General to hire lawyers and UConn to hire professsors, I don’t accept that it can’t apply to football coaches. At least make them look at resumes that might bring them better candidates before just hiring people they’ve already worked with.

I think in sports, organizations want to bring in a leader who has a proven track record of winning. Yes, there are instances where giving a young up and coming coach with a lack of experience leading an entire team a crack at the job which can ultimately create a more fair and balanced way of vetting resumes.

But let’s be fair, the majority of this board (not saying you BL) is excited about the Mora hire why? Well, he has experience being a head coach at the collegiate and pro levels which means what? He was networked into the position via who he knows and the relationships he’s made along the way. Even if the hire was tasked to a search committee and dozens of resumes were looked at, the point you make of trying to find qualified candidates would ultimately lead to who has attained the most success at coaching. So the perusing of said resumes would only be a perfunctory exercise where the true objective would be exclusion of coaches that may have articulated a wonderful vision but lack the experience as a HC.

Unlike a regular state job, head coaching and sports hires are usually tied to large monetary gains or losses and are almost immediate in their impact. These hires affect fanbases that are the vehicles of the support needed to make the money and grow the franchise. There might be a few fans out there that wouldn’t mind a no name candidate that articulates a great vision for UConn football that was hired through a fair and balanced process that has absolutely zero wins as a HC. But unlike the whole 2-3 years of experience disclaimer that lots of jobs add to their postings, the “qualified” sports coach usually needs to display a record of winning which places them in a smaller fraternity. You’re catering to the fanbase. Fanbases don’t really want equity in the HC hiring process- they want a proven winner. Just my humble opinion.

 

[huskymedic]

Still no Defensive Coordinator yet, or did I miss that?

Nope... nothing since Wednesday:

Wednesday afternoon recap:

Head Coach: Jim Mora

Assistant HC/OC/Quarterbacks: Nick Charlton
RB Coach: EJ Barthel
WR Coach/Passing Game Coord: John Allen
TE: John Marinelli

DC:
LB Coach: Siriki Diabate
DB Coach: Dalton Hilliard
DL Coach: Ryan Osborn?

General Manager: Preston Pehrson

“?” = no official announcement from UConn yet

Latest postings close 12/6/21

 

[Pudge]

Still no Defensive Coordinator yet, or did I miss that?

20 minutes ...

 

[uconnfan68]

I can see both arguments. I want transparency, but I wanted Corey Edsall to stay too.

I meant when the state was arguing he should be allowed due to the nepotism clause.

 

[uconnfan68]

Just why??? We don’t need reminder of RE2!! Corey needs to get away from UCONN and his father’s shadow And he will be fine.

I meant during the hiring kerfuffle.

 

[Palatine]

This delay does hint that the new DC is coaching in the championship round or playoffs.

 

[ktuck911]

Gotta think/believe/feeling that once these last college games are played this weekend that we'll find out who will fill out the remainder of our staff. Seems/Sounds like folks that are currently with one of these staffs still playing, but they won't be coaching at any of those schools come bowl season. They'll be in Storrs. They should be by then anyways.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I worked for GE Military Engines first job out of UCONN; and was shocked by the older engineers who would tell me that Airplane engines were a very mature technology and not their future. They jumped to techy stuff related somehow. I still have visions of billions of parts coming together into a T64 military helicopter engine to present costing to the Government auditors.

I wanted to ... like Steven Songheim song ... Make a Hat.

It's all ball bearings nowadays.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I never took stats....

What are the odds?

 

[RSTuthill]

You heard it here first. Disco is coming back as DC.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

I am literally NEVER getting anything done around here until this staff is settled. I have a bare Christmas tree in my living room.
"I'll just pop in to the Boneyard to check on things. Just for a minute."

 

[RSTuthill]

I am literally NEVER getting anything done around here until this staff is settled. I have a bare Christmas tree in my living room.
"I'll just pop in to the Boneyard to check on things. Just for a minute."

You need to get interested in hockey and hoops. Stamp collecting and macrame are also good.

 

[UConnDan97]

I am literally NEVER getting anything done around here until this staff is settled. I have a bare Christmas tree in my living room.
"I'll just pop in to the Boneyard to check on things. Just for a minute."

And that's the greatest thing of it all. We've been historically bad... and I mean HISTORICALLY... and now there's a bunch of buzz and juice put back into the program again.

No matter what happens from here, we've gotta give big kudos to Benedict for a fantastic job. Mora is absolutely nailing it so far...

 

[the Q]

This delay does hint that the new DC is coaching in the championship round or playoffs.

After the Maine hc hire, I’m kinda hoping if it isn’t chesney.

I wouldn’t have thought that before that oc hire

 

[Stinger92860]

After the Maine hc hire, I’m kinda hoping if it isn’t chesney.

I wouldn’t have thought that before that oc hire

Are you suggesting Chesney for DC?

 

[the Q]

Are you suggesting Chesney for DC?

I’m not suggesting. More just asking if that could be the situation. It would be similar to the Maine hc hire.

And his team just lost yesterday, Which would line up with it not being announced yet

 

[RSTuthill]

I’m not suggesting. More just asking if that could be the situation. It would be similar to the Maine hc hire.

And his team just lost yesterday, Which would line up with it not being announced yet

Interesting thought. I do like that guy after I heard an interview in the week leading up to their game with UConn. And what a northeast recruiting juggernaut that would make. Charlton, Chesney, Marinelli? Holy cow.

 

[Kolumbo]

A team player

 

[Woof 101]

You heard it here first. Disco is coming back as DC.

Very sick sad post. Some folks could take this serious!!! This creating a suicidal group of bad karma fans.
Why the negativity??? A dozen wink emojis would not make up for the content of your post.

 

[Palatine]

If Calhoun had been a head coach UCLA, there would have been more excitement.

If Calhoun had been a head coach in the NBA there would have been more excitement.

Figure it out.

 

[Pudge]

It was a different era

Good ol' Dom Perno. He was the way hiring used to be: alum and had been an assistant; he was deeply integrated into CT and NE. It was like Dee Rowe handed him a crown/scepter/throne. No search really as Toner obviously knew who he was. We were vastly unprepared for what the Big East became. Raftery too really. Seton Hall was a mess when they showed up to play. Then we got our tails whipped. The Corny Thompson, Mike McKay, Aleksinas talent was high - for out Program. But that descended quick. And I guess I am still amazed at what Calhoun did winning that NIT.

Recently, they were throwing us back into the time machine describing the VCU game in that NIT (as we played VCU in Bahamas). There is a tear in my eye thinking of that smelly old fieldhouse and the tight memories.

 

[cohenzone]

It was a different era

Good ol' Dom Perno. He was the way hiring used to be: alum and had been an assistant; he was deeply integrated into CT and NE. It was like Dee Rowe handed him a crown/scepter/throne. No search really as Toner obviously knew who he was. We were vastly unprepared for what the Big East became. Raftery too really. Seton Hall was a mess when they showed up to play. Then we got our tails whipped. The Corny Thompson, Mike McKay, Aleksinas talent was high - for out Program. But that descended quick. And I guess I am still amazed at what Calhoun did winning that NIT.

Recently, they were throwing us back into the time machine describing the VCU game in that NIT (as we played VCU in Bahamas). There is a tear in my eye thinking of that smelly old fieldhouse and the tight memories.

True enough about Calhoun. Both Perno and Raftery actually had decent records prior to entering the BE, which was obviously over their heads. In hindsight, the player making the worst decision to play for UConn was Corny. I think he had an offer from Dean Smith. He really didn’t progress as much as he might have as good as he was. Edsall was more like Perno. Hired as a D1A coach he was defaulted into our entry into the BE and caught lightening in a bottle when Danny O stayed home and made us competitive much faster than anyone had a right to expect. To his credit RE pretty much kept us competitive even with his bad record with getting quality QBs, discussed here ad nauseum. I just think RE was never as good as he fancied himself. I was less than thrilled when we rehired him. I wish he had proven me wrong. Mora has a tough job, an independent, no bowl affiliation and a program in the pits. Which gives him a decent grace period.

 

[Watchdog]

These laws aren’t perfect, but they all exist for a reason. If you think that taxpayer money should go to the most qualified, and not reserved for friends of bosses even if they are overwhelmingly white and male, how do you not require some amount of openness in the hiring process?

Unless you think that college sports are so damn important that letting coaches hiring quickly and freely is more important than anti-discrimination laws.

So, basically you're saying you don't think JM is smart enough to both follow good hiring practices and hire the qualified and competent coaches he needs for UConn to be successful, so he has to have some government process in place to keep him honest.