McMurphy - Edsall "very strong candidate" to return

[Padutch5]

That's ridiculous. Fans want a winning program no matter who the coach is.

Agree, but you do realize that Randy was 2 games over 500 here and had a losing record at Md. Not exactly a winning track record to invigorate the fan base.

 

[whaler11]

no, because some fans get their panties moistened over the prospect of recycling a below average coach, whose current best option is the title of "director of football research-special projects" whatever &*k that means (I think it means a quid pro quo from UConn's Bob Quinn, but I digress)

It means to get paid by Maryland he couldn't be in a coaching position.

 

[Padutch5]

If he has the right players we definitely could be going places, also remember that when he coached UConn, week after week our apponents were Miami, West Virginia, FSU, Pitt, Syracuse, BC, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, and one or two more I'm forgetting. To go 74-70 against competition like that for a school that just upgraded football is quite an accomplishment. He is definitely, for several reasons, one guy who could turn the program around quickly, given the present competition. However, how far and how long that turn around could go is the big question. All that being said if he does get the job he needs to come out and explain why he left the way he did.

Here it is again "if he has the right players".. Whose job is it to get the right [layers?

 

[Bubba1957]

NO, with all due respect your position is exactly the problem we will have in building a supportive fanbase. First, college basketball is not like college football in terms of ability to become a player out of nowhere. It's not like it at all. Second, your theory rests on hiring Jim Calhoun, who (at worst) is the second best college basketball coach of the last 40 years. The odds of any school being able to find football's version of Jim Calhoun, before he has achieved at a high level, is infinitesimal. It's great if it happens, but if you're just going to wait around and cycle through coaches until it happens, the odds are you will never get anywhere in your lifetime.

I think it's more that reasonable for UCONN to be the best team in New England, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Eastern Penn. We should also be competing at the top of the AAC. The Huskies could turn that part of the map blue. (and get a lot of electoral college votes!) There is obviously a big gap between that and the team that was lucky to beat Maine, but that nonetheless is a reasonable goal. I believe that UCONN has more to sell that any other school in that region and in the AAC, we just need a coach who can tap into it. Right now we need to climb a few floors before we can even see the ceiling. Once those floors are climbed (think of Calhoun's first NIT appearance) who knows how close the ceiling will look?

 

[businesslawyer]

Winning is what builds a supportive fanbase. The point is you don't accomplish anything if you're imposing some arbitrary standard on the program beyond which you have no hope of ever going. That's what kills the potential to get somewhere that you're trying to go.

I'm not suggesting you have to find a once in a lifetime quality coach to be at least an occasional top 25 team. Somehow Houston, Temple, UCF, USF and Memphis have figured out a way to do it. If they can without necessarily hiring a once in a lifetime miracle worker, then so can we.

If you think UCONN is resigned to second tier status just because it's in New England, that's the real problem with generating a fanbase. That's the same small minded, provincial New England thinking that helped put us where we are right now. Lew Perkins had the vision to see beyond those perceived limitations, and it appears David Benedict is making an attempt to change that culture. As far as I'm concerned anyone that's in that camp is part of our problem as a fanbase. It's the same crowd that was crowing here a few days ago that we don't have the money for the buyout.

Either get behind Benedict and the program or get out of the way. He has a vision and hopefully will hire the right guy to bring us back to respectability. It's not rocket science. Just because we're in the wrong part of the country isn't a death sentence. All I'm suggesting is we can at least become an occasional if not perennial top 25 team, and maybe make it back to the G5 NY bowl game on a rare occasion. If you think all of that is an excercise in futility, then there's no point in even trying, and we should be resigned to dropping back down to IAA and put basketball in the A10 or somewhere. We either make the all out effort to eventually join a P5 conference or we don't.

You don't think Temple, Memphis and the other schools whom you said "we can do that" about aren't second tier programs? I don't know what to tell you.

You don't think winning 8 games or more 4 years in a row and getting to a Fiesta Bowl would be a huge step forward? I don't know what to tell you.

You think we can be Penn State just because we are better than them in basketball, and fanbase, history and recruiting territory aren't important? Not that we can't beat them some years but we can be them? I don't know what to tell you.

I want to get better over time. I don't know where the top is. But the goals of many here are unrealistic. My law firm hasn't done what it's done in 35 years of growth by sitting here wishing we could be Wachtell Lipton. We have accomplished what we have not by saying "this is our cieling and we can never go higher," but by saying "we want to reach up and get to this point in five years." But "that point" needs to be set realistically.

 

[#1 PA Husky Fan]

Who's to say that Edsall can't change to be less controlling, hire the right assistants and allow them the freedom to perform. He's had time to reflect on his shortcomings, and is no longer auditioning for the next big job. Additionally, I am confident that AD David Benedict will be very direct in his expectation. He already proved that he can win here, hire a great staff, and develop players. Moorhead would awesome, but I don't think that he is leaving Penn State yet.

 

[UConnNick]

You don't think Temple, Memphis and the other schools whom you said "we can do that" about aren't second tier programs? I don't know what to tell you.

You don't think winning 8 games or more 4 years in a row and getting to a Fiesta Bowl would be a huge step forward? I don't know what to tell you.

You think we can be Penn State just because we are better than them in basketball, and fanbase, history and recruiting territory aren't important? Not that we can't beat them some years but we can be them? I don't know what to tell you.

I want to get better over time. I don't know where the top is. But the goals of many here are unrealistic. My law firm hasn't done what it's done in 35 years of growth by sitting here wishing we could be Wachtell Lipton. We have accomplished what we have not by saying "this is our cieling and we can never go higher," but by saying "we want to reach up and get to this point in five years." But "that point" needs to be set realistically.

You're making a bunch of straw man arguments here. Show me where I ever said we can be Penn State, or that we're not currently "second tier" if that's the term you want to use to describe it. I prefer mid major but either term works for me.

And I agree that making the Fiesta Bowl would be a great accomplishment. I as much as indicated that in my post if you care to read it again.

I'm not suggesting we're at the genesis of a plan that will ever take us to the CFB 4 team playoff. Not by a longshot. But if we want to ever elevate our status beyond second tier, you don't start that journey believing it can never be done. Otherwise, what's the point in even making the attempt?

 

[ktuck911]

Fact: when he was here our football program was growing... It's easy to argue that if he stayed, no matter how much we thought we were so limited with him our underwhelming talent overachieved. He spoiled the crap out of us... When we supposedly brought in the last 2 guys, that could recruit higher caliber players, it turns out they couldn't coach worth a damn...

IF he's coming back, how can we look at this move as a bad move? We simply cannot. He developed a culture here that everyone resonated with, with all the shortcomings. We had identity, albeit more so on the defensive side of the ball, but we had an identity that EVERYBODY was a part of (players and fans alike). We understood who we were.

With all that said, the program should be in a better place than it was when he was here before, in terms of recruiting. We're now able to reruit TX, for instance, on a regular basis because we have conference foes there. It's expanded... That alone should help... Lastly, we should have a healthier budget for the coaching staff than before... I like the guys from the past but there are other guys out there that may be better.

If this is it, make it happen and let's get started winning football games again... while beating teams we're supposed to beat, without doubt, that we're supposed to beat.

 

[CL82]

Ah so,

UConn will never be a serious program...

... because some fans get their panties moistened over the prospect of recycling a below average coach, whose current best option is the title of "director of football research-special projects"

I see. Great insight.

 

[sub legacy]

If they do bring back Edsall, he better bring a hell of an OC with him (*cough, cough — Helfrich — cough).

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Head Coach takes team to the highest point it's ever been.

Head Coach leaves, program begins to go on a backward slide to literally one of the bottom 10 FBS programs.

Logic: Head Coach had a ceiling and would be a terrible rehire.

What.

 

[MASSconn]

If they do bring back Edsall, he better bring a hell of an OC with him (*cough, cough — Helfrich — cough).

Amen

Head Coach takes team to the highest point it's ever been.

Head Coach leaves, program begins to go on a backward slide to literally one of the bottom 10 FBS programs.

Logic: Head Coach had a ceiling and would be a terrible rehire.

What.

Thank you. This board is full of clowns. I'll take beating Notre Dame, WVU and playing Michigan tight on a yearly basis to last second wins against Maine and losing to BC 30-0!

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Also for what it's worth here is Edsall's record at Maryland.

Looks like after he took over they bottomed out and then he got them on the right track and then was fired the next season. Not really great by any means but a lot of people talk out of their ass here and act as if he never achieved any success and was fired after 2 seasons. Simply not truem

2-10 (1-7) ACC
4-8 (2-6) ACC
7-6 (3-5) ACC
7-6 (4-4) B1G
2-4 (0-2) B1G fired. MD finished 1-5 (1-5) B1G

Post Edsall 6-7 (3-6)

 

[SubbaBub]

Here are Edsall's issues:

The schedule he beat here was not good. Yes, we beat some good teams but you could name them on one hand. (No, ND was not a good team that year)

He never showed that he could recruit and develop the QB position. (Dan O doesn't count, unless you have another situation where a local NFL prospect wants to be part of a new era of UConn FB)

He was always looking for another job

He had issues with admissions (admissions are tougher now)

He was in a P6 league then, though one could argue that the AAC is like the old BE in terms of big bowl access. But, you'd have to concede that the lower tier bowl tie ins suck.

He is not new. This would be a bit roll of the dice that winning would solve, but anyone think the new coach is winning out of the gate? RE would get no honeymoon.

Where is energy level at? Is he willing to put in that amount of work, again?

Can he still recruit NJ/PA against expanded ACC/B1G competition?

On the plus side:

He likely does care deeply about the program. Probably can't find another coach who can say that. Even the old assistants would be looking to move on as soon as possible.

He did field a competitive team, schedule aside.

We know what we would be getting, and he is probably a better coach today.

 

[ktuck911]

If they do bring back Edsall, he better bring a hell of an OC with him (*cough, cough — Helfrich — cough).

not happening.. BUT there's some hungry under the radar guys out there that I hope we are lucky enough to grab one of...

 

[ktuck911]

Here are Edsall's issues:

The schedule he beat here was not good. Yes, we beat some good teams but you could name them on one hand. (No, ND was not a good team that year)

He never showed that he could recruit and develop the QB position. (Dan O doesn't count, unless you have another situation where a local NFL prospect wants to be part of a new era of UConn FB)

He was always looking for another job

He had issues with admissions (admissions are tougher now)

He was in a P6 league then, though one could argue that the AAC is like the old BE in terms of big bowl access. But, you'd have to concede that the lower tier bowl tie ins suck.

He is not new. This would be a bit roll of the dice that winning would solve, but anyone think the new coach is winning out of the gate? RE would get no honeymoon.

Where is energy level at? Is he willing to put in that amount of work, again?

Can he still recruit NJ/PA against expanded ACC/B1G competition?

On the plus side:

He likely does care deeply about the program. Probably can't find another coach who can say that. Even the old assistants would be looking to move on as soon as possible.

He did field a competitive team, schedule aside.

We know what we would be getting, and he is probably a better coach today.

I think he'd do a better job on the field right away than what Diaco did... We were Diaco's guinea pig, in live games...

 

[djct1999]

Head Coach takes team to the highest point it's ever been.

Head Coach leaves, program begins to go on a backward slide to literally one of the bottom 10 FBS programs.

Logic: Head Coach had a ceiling and would be a terrible rehire.

What.

Will Edsall invigorate a fanbase? To most, he is a marginal upgrade. You don't payout 3.4 for a marginal upgrade. If Edsall is the guy, wait a year. UConn would save a few bucks, Edsall certainly would still be without a HC gig, and the pulse of the program would basically be the same.

 

[ktuck911]

Will Edsall invigorate a fanbase? To most, he is a marginal upgrade. You don't payout 3.4 for a marginal upgrade. If Edsall is the guy, wait a year. UConn would save a few bucks, Edsall certainly would still be without a HC gig, and the pulse of the program would basically be the same.

wait a year? Did I just read that???? wait a year? with no HC in place, wait a year?????

 

[Excalibur]

wait a year? Did I just read that???? wait a year? with no HC in place, wait a year?????

He's saying you shouldn't have fired Diaco in the first place. I'm not high on bringing Randy back, but that's going a bit far.

 

[Excalibur]

It means to get paid by Maryland he couldn't be in a coaching position.

Haven't seen his agreement but it's likely that any coaching salary would just net out from his settlement payment. Randy ends up in the same place either way.

 

[djct1999]

wait a year? Did I just read that???? wait a year? with no HC in place, wait a year?????

If Edsall is the hire, yes, wait a year to fire Diaco. In other words, I would be shocked if Edsall is the guy DB has in mind.

 

[whaler11]

Haven't seen his agreement but it's likely that any coaching salary would just net out from his settlement payment. Randy ends up in the same place either way.

In the job he has he can get paid and not have it impact the Maryland money.

I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere when he went to Detroit.

 

[Husky25]

Edsall only coached vs Michigan at UConn once and they got trounced in the Big House. Remember Shoemate's fumble on the goal line? He also had a poor record vs. WVU, and while beating ND was a wonderful experience for a growing program, it was a down year for the Irish at the end of which they refused a bowl game bid because they were firing their coach.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Will Edsall invigorate a fanbase? To most, he is a marginal upgrade. You don't payout 3.4 for a marginal upgrade. If Edsall is the guy, wait a year. UConn would save a few bucks, Edsall certainly would still be without a HC gig, and the pulse of the program would basically be the same.

A marginal upgrade? Are you insane?

Diaco was one of the worst FBS head coaches and Edsall won a BCS league twice in his tenure here.

Invigorate a fanbase? In Edsall's last season did we not have back to back weeks with night games against Pitt and West Virginia with a sold out stadium and stormed the field against against West Virginia?

I need to say it again, he wouldn't necessarily be my top choice but some of you just want something shiny and unknown for the sake of it. Minimizing Edsall's accomplishmenta here is just ignorant.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Edsall only coached vs Michigan at UConn once and they got trounced in the Big House. Remember Shoemate's fumble on the goal line? He also had a poor record vs. WVU, and while beating ND was a wonderful experience for a growing program, it was a down year for the Irish at the end of which they refused a bowl game bid because they were firing their coach.

UConn was trounced by Michigan when Rich Rod pulled Denard Robinson out of his arse the week before the game.

Oh by the way, as much as Robinson ran around UConn, Robinson had bigger games for the next four weeks against equally good talent.