Kind of, but really not OT: Bob Diaco

[amory]

I think this is unfair. He identified a couple recent decisions/statements by Diaco that concerned him, as opposed to taking the team's 2014 W-L record and declaring Diaco a failure based on that.

I really don't understand the hatred for the OP. The unilateral creation of the UCF "rivalry" was pretty embarrassing, even for those of us who like Diaco's enthusiasm.

I didn't really have a problem with the OP. I don't see the point in criticizing Diaco's attitude / personality / way of speaking though. Either you like it or you don't, but he ain't changing who he is.

 

[nomar]

I didn't really have a problem with the OP. I don't see the point in criticizing Diaco's attitude / personality / way of speaking though. Either you like it or you don't, but he ain't changing who he is.

You just made a joke, but others were killing him. I agree that Diaco can't change his attitude--and he shouldn't--but he probably shouldn't be having Enzo Patoni hand craft a trophy for some nonexistent rivalry with a garbage team. I think that's fair to criticize, even if you like the guy.

I think the point is, we're all really bored right now.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Actually, you are.

You really need to know what you're talking about if you're going to make definitive statements - as it stands, you don't.

Would you like to expand? Or just sit there acting you like you know something we all don't? Because everything I said in the part you quoted is true, and then at the end I made a statement that was NOT definitive- "SEEMS out of touch".

 

[mauconnfan]

Diaco is fine and I think he will eventually get the football team back on track. To ask too much too soon after the heaping pile of crap left by HCPP is ridiculous.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Is Diaco a refreshing change from Pasqualoni? Absolutely. Do his comments/actions make for good sports talk? Absolutely. Does he have the ability to fire up players? Sure.

But here's the bottom line, UConn football for as long as I can remember has RARELY (maybe never) recruited and received commitment from a player that is considered over a 3-star recruit. Add that to the fact that we smell on the field, and we aren't in a P5 conference, recruiting will probably not change for the foreseeable future.

If I were a 4-star+ recruit, and I see the measly 2-10 UConn football program on ESPN because they created a phony rivalry, I would simply laugh.

Also, a more realistic thing for Diaco to say is "I believe in these players, and they believe in me. My goal is to improve everyday. If we can do that, we will be successful and eventually become one of the best teams in the country."
His players aren't stupid, they know winning a NC is not a realistic goal. Gotta go game by game, day by day, play by play. Even if they went undefeated, the committee probably wouldn't consider them for the 4 team playoff. Plus, a player's main goal is to get to the NFL.

Here's to hoping Diaco proves me wrong and carries us on his back to the B1G. UConn-MSU at gampel anyone?

 

[mets1090]

There's truly a lot to hate about college football if you are a college basketball fan (and the current state of UConn football doesn't help the cause). However, we can all agree that Bob Diaco is as important to UConn football as he is to most other sports at UConn. It's unfair to judge Diaco after only 1 year, and 1 year of cleaning up the poop that Pasqualoni left on the field.

Ok I'm with you here... seems like a rallying cry for basketball only fans to get behind the football program for the good of the AD.

However, between the hiring of his ND buddy Ernest Jones who stated " should be in the center of our huddle", and the spontaneous (and cringeworthy) creation of a rivalry with UCF, and the declaration that UConn will win every game this year including winning the national championship, Diaco seems out of touch.

Yikes. I don't give a crap about having in the huddle or not. What's funny about using that as an issue on this board is that Ollie has been torched for wearing his faith on his sleeve and I think he's done an OK job connecting with recruits. And you must have missed Diaco's follow up to the "The expectation is to win every game" quote when he basically asked the media "WTF do you want me to say when you ask how many games we want to win?" because they keep asking him how many games he thinks they'll win. Well... what do you want him to say? I want him to say we expect to win every game.

It's fine to have enthusiasm and inspire optimism, but it's as important to be realistic at the same time, and as a wise Kevin Ollie would say, "Take the stairs and not the escalator, 'cause the escalators are for cowards".

This is all well and good but it's also important for fans to not take something like "We expect to win every game" at face value and say LOL BOBBY THINKS WE'RE GOING UNDEFEATED!!!11!1!!!! No one in the country is going to give a flying **** that in August, Bob Diaco said we expect to win every game.

Bottom line, UConn football is going NOWHERE anytime soon, which means UConn basketball is stuck in the American Anemic Conference, where I worry we will gradually fade into obscurity as college basketball is seemingly on the downslope while college football is on the upswing. Kevin Ollie and past national championships are the only things keeping UConn basketball afloat nationally.

Here's the bottom line. If UConn football starts going 6-6 to 8-4 again and goes bowling, attendance will pick up. Until that happens, you (and others with this view) would be well served to support the football program a little bit rather than talk about how much of a joke the program is on our own damn board.

 

[NotADimeBack]

"It's unfair to judge Diaco after one year..."

*proceeds to judge Diaco after one year*

lmao

 

[jazyj]

pretty sure there's threads just like this in the football section

 

[HuskyHawk]

My God this is annoying. It's all I can do to even come to the Yard anymore and endure this stuff. I can't wait for the football team to win a few games and for this crap to stop and be replaced by a legion of former haters shouting about what a genius Diaco is. But you'd think that we could avoid stinking up the basketball forum with this stuff. We will surely have people claiming Ollie is a deity and or completely over his head and unable to win without Calhoun's players soon anyway. Some of them may even be the same people.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Ok I'm with you here... seems like a rallying cry for basketball only fans to get behind the football program for the good of the AD.

Yikes. I don't give a crap about having in the huddle or not. What's funny about using that as an issue on this board is that Ollie has been torched for wearing his faith on his sleeve and I think he's done an OK job connecting with recruits. And you must have missed Diaco's follow up to the "The expectation is to win every game" quote when he basically asked the media "WTF do you want me to say when you ask how many games we want to win?" because they keep asking him how many games he thinks they'll win. Well... what do you want him to say? I want him to say we expect to win every game.

This is all well and good but it's also important for fans to not take something like "We expect to win every game" at face value and say LOL BOBBY THINKS WE'RE GOING UNDEFEATED!!!11!1!!!! No one in the country is going to give a flying **** that in August, Bob Diaco said we expect to win every game.

Here's the bottom line. If UConn football starts going 6-6 to 8-4 again and goes bowling, attendance will pick up. Until that happens, you (and others with this view) would be well served to support the football program a little bit rather than talk about how much of a joke the program is on our own damn board.

I don't care about the Christ in the huddle thing either, it's just that the local media kind of blew it out of proportion, and people didn't like it.

Also, the entire purpose of this post was because I care about UConn football BECAUSE of UConn basketball, because football is really the driving force for an athletic program both financially, and in terms of what conference they are in. The point isn't to bash the football teams and Diaco, the point is that, even though he's fiery and unique, I'm not sure he's the guy to right the ship.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

My God this is annoying. It's all I can do to even come to the Yard anymore and endure this stuff. I can't wait for the football team to win a few games and for this crap to stop and be replaced by a legion of former haters shouting about what a genius Diaco is. But you'd think that we could avoid stinking up the basketball forum with this stuff. We will surely have people claiming Ollie is a deity and or completely over his head and unable to win without Calhoun's players soon anyway. Some of them may even be the same people.

Well, I thought I did an accurate job with the title. So if it's annoying you, don't click on it. Because some of us (during the doldrums of the basketball offseason) find that this is relevant to UConn basketball.

I'm not hating on Diaco, I'm just pointing out concerns.

 

[donyell34]

Kinda funny reading this. I like Diaco and hope he can do the job. All I can say is "go Bobby go".

 

[Bezzz]

Also, a more realistic thing for Diaco to say is "I believe in these players, and they believe in me. My goal is to improve everyday. If we can do that, we will be successful and eventually become one of the best teams in the country."?

He has said that over and over ad infinitum. So when a dooshbag reporter asks him how many games the Huskies will win he responded (sarcasm meter redlining) "we're going to go undefeated and win the national championship." I thought it was a brilliantly cutting response that you're taking on face value out of context.

 

[intlzncster]

We will surely have people claiming Ollie is a deity and or completely over his head and unable to win without Calhoun's players soon anyway. Some of them may even be the same people.

This happens damn near every game.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Why don't you move this post to the football board?
Kind of back handed dumping on a football coach on a basketball board.

If we employed Oregon methods we would get the death sentence.

2 things are obvious from the OP:

A) He knows nothing about football and shouldn't post about it

and

B) He posted this on the hoops board looking for people to take shots at the football program

 

[Husky25]

So you are either 4 or 7 years old. Zach Frazer was a 4* recruit when he originally signed with Notre Dame and transferred in? He not meet your criteria? How about Jarrell Miller? How about Dwayne Difton? Don't remember them? Maybe because they didn't do much (Difton), if anything at all (Miller) at UConn. Why? Stars are only half the battle in football, a concept that you, along with former "Coach" Pasqualoni, don't seem to grasp.

 

[Walker11]

In 3 years, Diaco will either be beloved or fired. Everyone loves a crazy coach, as long as he wins - Les Miles eats grass during the game.

 

[UCweCONN]

The SI rankings this week had UCONN picked to finish last this season.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Byron jones
BWW
Gratz
Beatty
Butler
Davis

What do all these guys have in common? None were over 3*. Rankings in football(and in some cases basketball) are meaningless. Go out and get good character kids, whose talent are under the radar, and we'll win. Harder said then done I know, but you'd have to think that what diaco is trying to do.

 

[donyell34]

Many story lines this year. Everything is on the table ; coach; team; us the fans and more. Hoping for the best but one thing for sure it will be one hell a ride win , lose or draw. These boards might be going crazy if they keep losing or maybe they can exceed expectations and make us happy campers.

 

[Walker11]

Byron jones
BWW
Gratz
Beatty
Butler
Davis

What do all these guys have in common? None were over 3*. Rankings in football(and in some cases basketball) are meaningless. Go out and get good character kids, whose talent are under the radar, and we'll win. Harder said then done I know, but you'd have to think that what diaco is trying to do.

Ugh. This is often repeated, never accurate. Look at the HS rankings of the players on the elite teams. Diaco is doing what he has to do but I hate seeing the statement that rankings are meaningless.

 

[Husky25]

Byron jones
BWW
Gratz
Beatty
Butler
Davis

What do all these guys have in common? None were over 3*. Rankings in football(and in some cases basketball) are meaningless. Go out and get good character kids, whose talent are under the radar, and we'll win. Harder said then done I know, but you'd have to think that what diaco is trying to do.

They're not meaningless. They just don't meassure the entire package very accurately and can't predict the future. A 4 or 5 star recruit very likely has matured early on a physical level. The kid is still 17 years old, mentally. Being a 4/5* recruit doesn't mean he will continue to work once he's out of the house. It doesn't mean he won't turtle at the first sign of adversity because the high school game came so easy.

 

[Devland]

Jim Calhoun's first season at UConn 9-19. I was at an Xmas eve party that year listening to my wifes cousin (a Syracuse grad) tell me that Calhoun could learn a lot about coaching from watching Boeheim. Now I bring that quote up every time I see him. I think I annoy the hell out of him. Don't give up on Diaco yet.

 

[sdhusky]

They're not meaningless. They just don't meassure the entire package very accurately and can't predict the future. A 4 or 5 star recruit very likely has matured early on a physical level. The kid is still 17 years old, mentally. Being a 4/5* recruit doesn't mean he will continue to work once he's out of the house. It doesn't mean he won't turtle at the first sign of adversity because the high school game came so easy.

They don't evaluate, in depth, players who come from NE and go to UConn. They evals are meaningless.

Byron Jones was evaluated as lacking in athletic ability by one scout after watching his game film at UConn.

 

[YearoftheHusky]

When you have 40 four and five stars, you can miss on mammy and still be good. When you get one or two, you can't miss. Stars are not everything, but there is a reason why bama and ohio state both want some of the same kids, many of whom are highly rated. They are highly rated and sought after becaus they are really good.