Jim Mora’s new staff coming together…

[DoctorWho85]

John Marinelli - It is really nice to see how serious about recruiting in Connecticut Jim Mora is. Bringing in a coach who grew-up in Connecticut and attending a high school football game here is a terrific way to start.

Getting kids from CT I think also helps gets fans in the seats. More CT means more family and friends coming to see them play every week.

 

[UConnKev]

 

[noeynox]

Getting kids from CT I think also helps gets fans in the seats. More CT means more family and friends coming to see them play every week.

I think the bigger takeaway for me has always been, if UConn is going to start landing 4 star players at any point is going to have to start with instate kids. Even UConn BB started the train rolling with Chris Smith and Scott Burrell.

 

[RSTuthill]

Maybe we should recruit the Maine QB. LoL

In this situation with a coaching change at Maine, will the requirement to sit out a year be waived if he comes to UConn? I have lost track what with the pandemic rules changes which I guess are now expiring?

 

[Waquoit]

I know I'm always down on CT HS FB, but it's nice having a HC who doesn't actively detest it.

My thought exactly. UConn has had more outreach with to CT HS in a day with Mora than we've had in 2 decades.

 

[Waquoit]

Hopefully the younger Marinelli breaks this dam.

That's why he's here!

 

[TRest]

In this situation with a coaching change at Maine, will the requirement to sit out a year be waived if he comes to UConn? I have lost track what with the pandemic rules changes which I guess are now expiring?

i believe if you come from FCS to FBS you don't need to sit a year, don't know if it works both ways

 

[Pudge]

If you look over the geography of like 10 programs that are FBS in Texas, you see many many examples of Texas HS coaches rising to be significant coaches at the University programs. Then - Briles, Drayton, Morris, etc - becoming HC at the FBS level. It really doesn't happen like that in full colors in other major regions - California or Ohio or PA. But Marinelli ... I am rooting for him to rise up to his full potential.

 

[Hogoff]

i believe if you come from FCS to FBS you don't need to sit a year, don't know if it works both ways

Every player can transfer one time without having to sit a year.

 

[Slick]

Exactly.

When RE was there: "he didn't like our guys. Screw him"
When PP/GDL and Diaco was there: "They stink, why would we send them there?"

Hopefully the younger Marinelli breaks this dam.

Not easy to break. A lot of top ct players ended up at Michigan, ND ,Penn State etc. Not easy to convince kid to come to UConn or play in front of 90;000 at the big house.

 

[UDann]

wow..No UConn if you don't come to my camp? Tip of the dysfunctional iceberg?

Well football is a different animal but from my experience with baseball the camps are way for coaches to bring extra money into the program and give the assistants extra cash. Also, all the coaches I have spoken to say they have so many players they are following or want to be recruited its best to go to one of their camps if you are interested. They don't want to waste their time recruiting someone that has no interest in going to their school. One showed me he has thousands of emails from players and there is no way he can sort through all those emails. If you go to the camp they can focus on players they have a shot at getting.

That said if you are a superstar obviously you don't need to go to camps. It would seem to me that in football you need a lot of players and if your scouts think they are good enough no reason not to offer them especially a CT kid.

 

[AD DB Burner]

I am hopeful that we find out the last few staff members today. Very interested in who the DC and O-Line coaches will be.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

wow..No UConn if you don't come to my camp? Tip of the dysfunctional iceberg?

It would be a lot easier to measure the comment on camp attendance vs offers if Marinelli pointed out who Edsall should have offered without having the opportunity to observe the kid outside of some game film.

The names that were included in the article were a player everyone knew (and Marinelli even excused) was headed to ND regardless and a kid who would have had to have been recruited by Diaco.

 

[Ajs120102]

I am hopeful that we find out the last few staff members today. Very interested in who the DC and O-Line coaches will be.

Curious if Mora thought about being DC himself lol

 

[Pudge]

i believe if you come from FCS to FBS you don't need to sit a year, don't know if it works both ways

I believe you have that backwards. It was always a free transfer from FBS to FCS. The rules and the "Single Transfer" conversation of the last few years have me confused on the current state of eligibility

 

[huskysupporter]

Not easy to break. A lot of top ct players ended up at Michigan, ND ,Penn State etc. Not easy to convince kid to come to UConn or play in front of 90;000 at the big house.

I don’t think UCONN is going to get the four and five star kids. Just not going to happen. But there are solid three stars here that we constantly lose (some of this has been because of admission standards)

We need to get those kids to stay.

So happy Victor Rosa is apparently still firmly committed. He is going to be a solid player.

 

[RSTuthill]

We need to get those kids to stay.

That is exactly the problem. Retention is the key. That is why the coaching staff narrative is critical. The value proposition to the prospective and current SA is that this is an exceptional coaching staff coming in and UConn has world class facilities. We are building something special and you should be part of it. This program was great at one time and will be again. And oh, btw, for the exceptional SA there are minutes on the field right now that are available here immediately and just about nowhere else. If you want to maximize the speed of your development, UConn is the place to do that.

That value proposition has a shelf life of perhaps one to two years maximum. Either the program improves in non-linear fashion, in which case the competition for minutes will become fierce like everywhere else, or improvements stall and the pitch will not resonate.

 

[TRest]

I believe you have that backwards. It was always a free transfer from FBSto FCS. The rules and the "Single Transfer" conversation of the last few years have me confused on the current state of eligibility

yeah typed that backwards

 

[Jimdish255]

Following some of these social media accounts this thing seems to be blowing up in a really good way. Starting to think we can get back to where we were in my lifetime. Some of the games were such misery watching stubborn Coaches drive our kids into the ground, then getting hammered mercilessly by the sports media and internet trolls. We've been through a lot and deserve to put some humble pie on the menu for the gravediggers contingent. Start having fun again.

 

[Jimdish255]

I am hopeful that we find out the last few staff members today. Very interested in who the DC and O-Line coaches will be.

Wondering if Jim has guys in mind for both but needs to sweeten the deal. These are huge hires for us.

 

[HobokenHusky]

DC - Corey Hetherman? JMU DC, was at Maine with Charlton for a bit. Guy is a rising star.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Here's what has also changed in terms of in state recruits- NIL. Mora has to have a plan to help kids with that. Will make a major dent with playing time and NIL opportunities

 

[Exit 4]

Not easy to break. A lot of top ct players ended up at Michigan, ND ,Penn State etc. Not easy to convince kid to come to UConn or play in front of 90;000 at the big house.

Not getting those kids...but I want to improve our chances to get them when they portal out.

And I want to do better at getting that next tier down (lower P5).

There is a fair amount of decent talent ranked 5 through 15 in our state that we haven't been getting a shot at.

 

[AD DB Burner]

Not getting those kids...but I want to improve our chances to get them when they portal out.

And I want to do better at getting that next tier down (lower P5).

There is a fair amount of decent talent ranked 5 through 15 in our state that we haven't been getting a shot at.

All of this. Especially the line on the portal. Getting in early on those types of kids is important to establish a relationship should things not work out as they hoped at these big-time programs and they are looking for a new home and most importantly a chance to see the field.

 

[UCMB88]

Wondering if Jim has guys in mind for both but needs to sweeten the deal. These are huge hires for us.

I'm guessing Mora has the remaining coaches selected, but they are most likely with teams who will be playing in bowl games, so the announcements won't come until after the bowl games when those assistants can formally leave their current school.

 

[Ajs120102]

I'm guessing Mora has the remaining coaches selected, but they are most likely with teams who will be playing in bowl games, so the announcements won't come until after the bowl games when those assistants can formally leave their current school.

a few more weeks without a potential DC is suboptimal.

 

[Chin Diesel]

a few more weeks without a potential DC is suboptimal.

Suboptimal but doable.

If Mora really does know the name, he and the named assistants can start laying groundwork. Some recruits may be okay with being recruited by the position coach and the HC while waiting for the DC.

As a recruit you have to have some semblance of knowing the DC will support the HC's objective. Especially true when the HC has a defensive background.

 

[metsfan2323]

I'm guessing Mora has the remaining coaches selected, but they are most likely with teams who will be playing in bowl games, so the announcements won't come until after the bowl games when those assistants can formally leave their current school.

Doubtful the delay would be because of a bowl game, maybe the FCS playoff's or a team in a FBS conference championship game. Could be an NFL team too or Mora might still be looking for the guy.

 

[coachcap]

Just a thought: Coach Mora has hired Marinelli, which should help with recruiting in Fairfield County. Now that Jay Rose has used up his eligibility, I wonder if HCJM would offer him a graduate assistant position to help with recruiting the Central Ct.-Greater Hartford area where he was a high school star. I have no insight as to Jay's future plans, but it seems like a seamless fit.

 

[UC1995]

So true... but there was Hathaway choosing PP and this guy to run Uconn's offense....
" DeLeone was the fall guy for two seasons of shame, two years that brought a 10-14 record, plummeting attendance and a black eye to SU’s tradition. ‘In the minds of the public, clearly something had to be done, or we were going to lose everybody,’ (Syracuse AD) Crouthamel said. ‘One way to do that is to have George leave.’"

I can't wait for the day where I don't need to see RE, PP or GD's name or initials on this board ever again! If we really want to move on we need to stop invoking their names (aka stupidity).