Jim Mora’s new staff coming together…

[WestCoastHusky]

I’m really hoping the new staff takes a recruiting approach somewhat similar to Hurley. Start as close to home as they can - NJ, PA, VA, the Carolina’s, Ohio, Michigan, etc. They can establish a more competitive roster and then start to branch out towards Florida and Texas.

A huge chunk of RE’s recruits had very few offers from more than a few FBS schools. Just going after the guys that end up at MAC and sun belt schools will help us get closer to .500, and I imagine the staff can be far more productive recruiting against those programs compared to the P5.

This is the right approach. Obviously, you want to recruit all the surrounding areas as much as you can since it is easier to sell to recruits and families, and they are familiar with the program. We definitely need to do better in CT, NJ, Maryland, Canada, and PA first, and then branch out to other parts of the country.

Since we have a national schedule, it might be easier to sell UCONN in Texas and CA if we choose to schedule more away games in those states.

The young staff Mora is assembling is a great start. These are young and up and coming coaches that are hungry. Hopefully, they will implement modern offense and defense vs. the 1950s scheme Edsall had it going.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The idea of focusing on local recruiting sounds nice but we will need more than that to get where we want to be.

To paraphrase an old Sam Adam's commercial, states like Florida and Texas spill more than we make.

Our best years under RE 1.0 included finding a number of Florida kids on a regular basis. If we are going to avoid that state (and Texas, where we've finally made some progress) we will need to be materially better than we ever have been in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and we will need to hit Ohio at least as hard as we hit New York/New England.

Yes, it is great for local morale to bring in kids from Ct and obviously we would want any local kid capable of playing at the highest level to do so in our uniform. Additional benefit is that it will help build/strengthen the fan base. That said, I believe we need to pull kids from Florida and I also believe that for us to get to the levels we desire, recruiting Texas would help tremendously.

 

[Ajs120102]

 

[noeynox]

So DC and OL left it sounds like are left?

 

[AD DB Burner]

So DC and OL left it sounds like are left?

Special Teams Coordinator as well.

 

[jostar1]

Per Hartford Courant article:

Ryan Osborn, an analyst at Michigan, is a possibility to join UConn’s staff as defensive line coach.
Dom Amore can be reached at damore@courant.com

 

[Ajs120102]

Per Hartford Courant article:

Ryan Osborn, an analyst at Michigan, is a possibility to join UConn’s staff as defensive line coach.
Dom Amore can be reached at damore@courant.com

heard that was more of a done deal earlier in the week. would be a great hire, isnt being followed by any uconn coaches on twitter so doesnt seem to be close. not that twitter is any indication, but it tends to give hints.

 

[AD DB Burner]

heard that was more of a done deal earlier in the week. would be a great hire, isnt being followed by any uconn coaches on twitter so doesnt seem to be close. not that twitter is any indication, but it tends to give hints.

Osborn is following Mora and is followed by the new DB coach, so could still be something there.

 

[huskymedic]

Tuesday evening recap:

Head Coach: Jim Mora

OC: 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

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

 

[Dizzy21]

Wednesday afternoon recap:

Head Coach: Jim Mora

OC: 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

I believe I read that Charlton would also be the QB coach in the announcement.

 

[Skiblets]

The idea of focusing on local recruiting sounds nice but we will need more than that to get where we want to be.

To paraphrase an old Sam Adam's commercial, states like Florida and Texas spill more than we make.

Our best years under RE 1.0 included finding a number of Florida kids on a regular basis. If we are going to avoid that state (and Texas, where we've finally made some progress) we will need to be materially better than we ever have been in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and we will need to hit Ohio at least as hard as we hit New York/New England.

Yes, it is great for local morale to bring in kids from Ct and obviously we would want any local kid capable of playing at the highest level to do so in our uniform. Additional benefit is that it will help build/strengthen the fan base. That said, I believe we need to pull kids from Florida and I also believe that for us to get to the levels we desire, recruiting Texas would help tremendously.

Agree with about all of this with one caveat. The portal. Didn’t exist during our best years and wasn’t utilized by 2.0. So it opens up other options that are not as relationship based. We shall see

 

[JMick]

The idea of focusing on local recruiting sounds nice but we will need more than that to get where we want to be.

To paraphrase an old Sam Adam's commercial, states like Florida and Texas spill more than we make.

Our best years under RE 1.0 included finding a number of Florida kids on a regular basis. If we are going to avoid that state (and Texas, where we've finally made some progress) we will need to be materially better than we ever have been in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and we will need to hit Ohio at least as hard as we hit New York/New England.

Yes, it is great for local morale to bring in kids from Ct and obviously we would want any local kid capable of playing at the highest level to do so in our uniform. Additional benefit is that it will help build/strengthen the fan base. That said, I believe we need to pull kids from Florida and I also believe that for us to get to the levels we desire, recruiting Texas would help tremendously.

We're mostly offering kids at prep schools... Those kids are from Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, NC, Virginia and more.

 

[CTMike]

Focusing on local relationships and offers will pay more long term dividends than focusing on America’s hat.

 

[UConnJim]

Agree with about all of this with one caveat. The portal. Didn’t exist during our best years and wasn’t utilized by 2.0. So it opens up other options that are not as relationship based. We shall see

Transfer portal is relationship based as well.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

Alot of movement happening in South Bend atm. Could this be why Osborn hasnt been officially announced so yet by the school?

 

[Sprague03]

Our future DC must be going to a bowl game, and can’t leave until after the season is done? that or maybe Spanos had the job but politely declined last minute? i dunno

 

[huskymedic]

Former UConn WR/Supreme Athlete CEO Stanley “Stack”Williams:

 

[JMick]

Former UConn WR/Supreme Athlete CEO Stanley “Stack”Williams:

Sorry but this is nuts, will never happen, and should never happen. That's 7.5 CT kids per class.

 

[huskymedic]

Sorry but this is nuts, will never happen, and should never happen. That's 7.5 CT kids per class.

I agree if you limit the definition of “in-state offers” to only CIAC schools. I’m not sure it’s so nuts if you include the prep schools as “in-state offers”. Win and they will come…

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Would you have said that before Mora was hired? I wouldn't. I didn't realize how much UConn needed a Mora type leader until I have seen him in action.

Maybe Moorhead has that leadership capability, but its hard to imagine anyone making a better first impression than Mora.

I agree 110% with that. Mora is well connected and brings an instant credibility back to UConn. Also his energy about this challenge is intense which is phenomenal. He knows this can work, and we can win here.

 

[freescooter]

The idea of focusing on local recruiting sounds nice but we will need more than that to get where we want to be.

To paraphrase an old Sam Adam's commercial, states like Florida and Texas spill more than we make.

Our best years under RE 1.0 included finding a number of Florida kids on a regular basis. If we are going to avoid that state (and Texas, where we've finally made some progress) we will need to be materially better than we ever have been in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and we will need to hit Ohio at least as hard as we hit New York/New England.

Yes, it is great for local morale to bring in kids from Ct and obviously we would want any local kid capable of playing at the highest level to do so in our uniform. Additional benefit is that it will help build/strengthen the fan base. That said, I believe we need to pull kids from Florida and I also believe that for us to get to the levels we desire, recruiting Texas would help tremendously.

Totally agree with you. Texas and Florida have averaged 320+ players a year (2008-2019). Connecticut: 10.2. Over that 12 year period the most we had was 18 which happened once. So in a typical year, even if we locked up every FBS player in the state, we need just as many from “ away.” And of course we are never getting 100% for a host of reasons, some ours, some having to do with the kids. Maybe one is a receiver at a time we are not Looking for one. Maybe one is the son of a Michigan grad and has wanted to play there his whole career. Maybe one is not a good fit for the system we use. Recruiting needs to be tailored to what UConn needs and want to do, not to what zip code a player hails from.

 

[JMick]

I agree if you limit the definition of “in-state offers” to only CIAC schools. I’m not sure it’s so nuts if you include the prep schools as “in-state offers”. Win and they will come…

I have a feeling we are just offering so many kids to get off on the right foot. The real talent upgrade will be transfers and JUCOs. I doubt we're hitting 8 person CT classes every year 2-3 years from now unless we're getting all of the highest rated kids which seems unlikely

 

[huskymedic]

-> Recruiting is the priority at the moment for Jim Mora and his assistants, with the start of the NCAA early signing period fast approaching on Dec. 15. Marinelli visited close to a dozen Connecticut high schools over his first couple days on the job.

“We’re late into the game,” Marinelli said. “We’re all new, and we’re trying to fill up our ’22 class. We haven’t really started to hit ’23s yet. We’ll get there.” <-

-> “People are so thirsty for UConn, and the high school coaches are so thirsty to have a connection with the state university,” Marinelli said. “The people I talked to say they feel like a weight’s been lifted off their shoulders. They finally have a place and a person and a staff that, I think Coach Mora said it, this is what they’ve always wanted.” <-

-> The staff has handed out several offers lately, many of which have gone to players at schools the previous staff didn’t recruit much, if at all. They want to show they’re serious about investing in local talent.

“There’s such things as political offers. We’re not political offers,” Marinelli said. “Part of my job is going to be having hard conversations with coaches that are going to push their players on me. They think that they’re D-I athletes, and I’m going to have a hard conversation with those coaches and say, ‘Look, we don’t think so or it’s not the right fit.’

“Everyone that we’ve offered we think is a legitimate Division I football player through their film and character evaluations and academic performance. We feel like those kids are worthy of an offer from us and we want to build our class around local talent. We want to continue to build every class with local talent. Connecticut has good football.” <-

 

[coachcap]

I have a feeling we are just offering so many kids to get off on the right foot. The real talent upgrade will be transfers and JUCOs. I doubt we're hitting 8 person CT classes every year 2-3 years from now unless we're getting all of the highest rated kids which seems unlikely

HCJM & Co. giving offers to multiple prep school athletes can have benefits for both sides. For UConn it offers easier inroads to local prep athletes who might otherwise sign with out of state schools. Randy was famous for shunning local preps.
For the prep coaches, it makes it easier to recruit higher caliber athletes as they can show that players on their current roster are getting a lot of interest & being placed on FBS teams.

 

[Palatine]

HCJM & Co. giving offers to multiple prep school athletes can have benefits for both sides. For UConn it offers easier inroads to local prep athletes who might otherwise sign with out of state schools. Randy was famous for shunning local preps.
For the prep coaches, it makes it easier to recruit higher caliber athletes as they can show that players on their current roster are getting a lot of interest & being placed on FBS teams.

I completely agree that offering local products improves the local product. It's more than establishing good relationships. It's helping schools to build interest in football that translates into better football (and players) with the bonus of increasing interest in UConn.