NCAA says UConn has nation's worst offensive line coach

[ruskin]

This morning UConn is next to last (122 of 123) in rushing offense and sacks allowed. UConn is tied with nine teams for 87th in tackles for loss allowed.

2012, 117 in rushing, 100 in sacks allowed, 101 in tackles for loss allowed. 2011: 97 rushing offense, 117 in sacks allowed, 108 in tackles allowed for loss.

Averages from 2007 2008 2009 2010: 34 rushing (high 13, low 49), 39 in sacks allowed (high 14, low 77), 55th in tackles for loss allowed 55 (high 35, low 78).

How much more evidence is needed that GDL (& P) have completely "fixed" something that wasn't broken? Want to blame this on lack of talent? Go ahead, let's say it dropped, although I don't buy it. There's no way it was as severe as the drop in numbers. RE and his o-line recruiting team didn't get that stupid.

If Warde is "trusting his eyes", he will see a coach who talks down to and can't relate to young players. He'll see players who don't listen to and don't respect their position coach. Think back to every bad coach you had growing up. UConn has Morris Buttermaker coaching their line. I can't imagine what it's like to be Mike Foley to be forced to have to stand by and watch something you built get destroyed so quickly. Watching it from the stands has been bad enough.

 

[J187Money]

Why Foley hasn't left is beyond me.

 

[uconndogs]

P signed his own execution when he let GDL do whatever the hell he's done to this offense and OL over the last three seasons.

 

[Devland]

The coaching may be bad, but this is by far the slowest O-line we've ever had. You can teach athleticism.

 

[ruskin]

The coaching may be bad, but this is by far the slowest O-line we've ever had. You can teach athleticism.

Is it possible that bad coaching can make them look slow?

 

[uconndogs]

The coaching may be bad, but this is by far the slowest O-line we've ever had. You can teach athleticism.

Disagree entirely. I think Bennett and Friend are about as good a pair tackles as I remember us having in a while. Hard for me to judge the interior of this line, but they are certainly some big boys. This coaching staff isolated a very good OL coach in Foley and tried to revamp this offense. They have failed miserably.

 

[Jimdish255]

Disagree entirely. I think Bennett and Friend are about as good a pair tackles as I remember us having in a while. Hard for me to judge the interior of this line, but they are certainly some big boys. This coaching staff isolated a very good OL coach in Foley and tried to revamp this offense. They have failed miserably.

Woof!

 

[superjohn]

Pasqualaloni is a bad coach but nothing comes close to George DeLeone, he is absolutely putrid. I'll never understand why no matter what Pasqualoni has to be tied to DeLeone even when it's so clear he's horrible at his job and could be a major reason why Pasqualoni will be fired. It's so crazy the only thing that makes sense to me is that they have some sort of relationship that goes beyond friendship.

 

[BlueDogs]

Pasqualaloni is a bad coach but nothing comes close to George DeLeone, he is absolutely putrid. I'll never understand why no matter what Pasqualoni has to be tied to DeLeone even when it's so clear he's horrible at his job and could be a major reason why Pasqualoni will be fired. It's so crazy the only thing that makes sense to me is that they have some sort of relationship that goes beyond friendship.

There is something very weird between these two. Thusly, I refer to GDL as P's boyfriend. He clearly prizes George over the interests of the team, otherwise he would have been demoted or fired (not faux demoted to the OL, but made assistant HC atv the same time).

 

[mauconnfan]

This morning UConn is next to last (122 of 123) in rushing offense and sacks allowed. UConn is tied with nine teams for 87th in tackles for loss allowed.

2012, 117 in rushing, 100 in sacks allowed, 101 in tackles for loss allowed. 2011: 97 rushing offense, 117 in sacks allowed, 108 in tackles allowed for loss.

Averages from 2007 2008 2009 2010: 34 rushing (high 13, low 49), 39 in sacks allowed (high 14, low 77), 55th in tackles for loss allowed 55 (high 35, low 78).

How much more evidence is needed that GDL (& P) have completely "fixed" something that wasn't broken? Want to blame this on lack of talent? Go ahead, let's say it dropped, although I don't buy it. There's no way it was as severe as the drop in numbers. RE and his o-line recruiting team didn't get that stupid.

If Warde is "trusting his eyes", he will see a coach who talks down to and can't relate to young players. He'll see players who don't listen to and don't respect their position coach. Think back to every bad coach you had growing up. UConn has Morris Buttermaker coaching their line. I can't imagine what it's like to be Mike Foley to be forced to have to stand by and watch something you built get destroyed so quickly. Watching it from the stands has been bad enough.

It would see the NY Giants may be #124..........

 

[FDNY99]

Only way we will improve the line play is when GDL is gone. Only way P was going to even remotely have a shot at saving his job was to sever all ties with GDL and send him packing ater last season. Warde gave P the rope (keep or get rid of GDL)..P fashioned himself a noose when he kept him on...and with the OL performance we all figured was going to take place because of a lack of coaching change..he has now hung himself with said rope.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Pasqualaloni is a bad coach but nothing comes close to George DeLeone, he is absolutely putrid. I'll never understand why no matter what Pasqualoni has to be tied to DeLeone even when it's so clear he's horrible at his job and could be a major reason why Pasqualoni will be fired. It's so crazy the only thing that makes sense to me is that they have some sort of relationship that goes beyond friendship.

Even when P & GDL were in their final days at Syracuse, DeLeone's downfall was more for unimaginative and timid play-calling, and the dallying over calls, incessant delays of game. Illegal procedure calls at key times. You saw some of that with using 2 timeouts on that 4th down play vs. Michigan.

But DeLeone could almost always be counted on for 1,000 yard rusher, year after year, even when we at Syracuse were not very good teams. The reason Pasqualoni sticks with DeLeone so, is that DeLeone, on a certain level, is a very good line coach. You might not be seeing it right now, but over the long haul he has earned that reputation.

Now, you can argue that being a coordinator is too much pressure for him, and he goes into his shell calling plays, especially when ahead. I think most Syracuse fans would tell you that. But usually he has delivered the goods with good run blocking, especially on inside runs using traps and the like. That's why P trusts him so much. And they've coached together so long that they know each other really well. You could say they share a single mind - in both a good way and a bad way.

I'm surprised that you're not running the ball at all. It's got to be a communication issue between what DeLeone is looking for and what your old line coach was used to teaching. DeLeone is not a bad coach, per se, but they both have different approaches and the kids must be confused.

 

[willie99]

The coaching may be bad, but this is by far the slowest O-line we've ever had. You can teach athleticism.

3 returning starters from a great offensive line in PP's 1st year, including 2 all conference players. They go from be a strength of the team to being a weakness.

that's not about the talent, it's about coaching and technique

the startling numbers presented in the OP should open some more eyes

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Even when P & GDL were in their final days at Syracuse, DeLeone's downfall was more for unimaginative and timid play-calling, and the dallying over calls, incessant delays of game. Illegal procedure calls at key times. You saw some of that with using 2 timeouts on that 4th down play vs. Michigan.

But DeLeone could almost always be counted on for 1,000 yard rusher, year after year, even when we at Syracuse were not very good teams. The reason Pasqualoni sticks with DeLeone so, is that DeLeone, on a certain level, is a very good line coach. You might not be seeing it right now, but over the long haul he has earned that reputation.

Now, you can argue that being a coordinator is too much pressure for him, and he goes into his shell calling plays, especially when ahead. I think most Syracuse fans would tell you that. But usually he has delivered the goods with good run blocking, especially on inside runs using traps and the like. That's why P trusts him so much. And they've coached together so long that they know each other really well. You could say they share a single mind - in both a good way and a bad way.

I'm surprised that you're not running the ball at all. It's got to be a communication issue between what DeLeone is looking for and what your old line coach was used to teaching. DeLeone is not a bad coach, per se, but they both have different approaches and the kids must be confused.

IIRC the blocking schemes that GDL used at Syracuse (which were similar to what Marrone recently used there) was very similar to what Foley was using here. GDL right now is trying to employ a scheme (what Alex Gibbs introduced in Denver a decade and a half ago and now runs with the Redskins) which at a minimum (I have very good reason to believe this) GDL does not know how to teach andat a maximum GDL may not fully understand.

I would give anything for a put a body on a body, physical approach to run blocking. The idea of delivering the blow is (to put it mildly) is greatly discouraged now (I have a couple of stories that I would rather not get into) and for reasons beyond me with how the blocking schemes are called, if the front seven shifts during the snap count, there is often confusion on what assignments have changed and the coach (GDL) responds as if the defense did something completely unexpected and the offensive line never had reason to prepare for.

 

[noeynox]

Fairfield I think your dislike for the staff is maybe shaping your perception on this one. Deleone is VERY respected in NFL circles as an oline coach. I think the problem is he is trying to teach this zone blocking schemes to a group of kids who on the whole are not all that athletic. These guys move and are built more like Maulers and would probably thrive in a straight ahead drive blocking scheme. Problem is he is hell bent in having players fit his system instead of allowing his system to fit the players. Not all that long ago I was reading something where an NFL head coach called him the best OL coach he had worked with, it escapes me who it was.

I think it is easier to teach this system to a group of five athletic professionals than it is to kids who maybe playing their last organized football. Of the current starters, only Jimmy Bennett looks like he has an outside shot at the leauge. These kids may be able to learn the system but are they athletic enough to complete their assignments on a consistent basis?

 

[ruskin]

DeLeone's downfall was more for unimaginative and timid play-calling, and the dallying over calls, incessant delays of game. Illegal procedure calls at key times. You saw some of that with using 2 timeouts on that 4th down play vs. Michigan.

Unfortunately all those things became apparent to people here in early on 2011. That a new offensive coordinator hasn't been able to fix any of those issues is, uh, suspicious despite a lot of protesting too much from the media and new OC last week. Kind of like when DeLeone wasn't the official OC in 2004 but was still in booth calling the plays.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Fairfield I think your dislike for the staff is maybe shaping your perception on this one. Deleone is VERY respected in NFL circles as an oline coach. I think the problem is he is trying to teach this zone blocking schemes to a group of kids who on the whole are not all that athletic. These guys move and are built more like Maulers and would probably thrive in a straight ahead drive blocking scheme. Problem is he is hell bent in having players fit his system instead of allowing his system to fit the players. Not all that long ago I was reading something where an NFL head coach called him the best OL coach he had worked with, it escapes me who it was.

I think it is easier to teach this system to a group of five athletic professionals than it is to kids who maybe playing their last organized football. Of the current starters, only Jimmy Bennett looks like he has an outside shot at the leauge. These kids may be able to learn the system but are they athletic enough to complete their assignments on a consistent basis?

GDL literally wrote the book on many blocking schemes and philosophies and is highly respected on that front by many NFL people. What is not in that book is what he is trying to teach now and there are many things that I am not at liberty to say that leads me to believe that he doesn't know how to teach what he wants them to run. That there are a handful of staple plays that are regularly run by teams that successfully utilize Gibbs' blocking schemes but are not part of our playbook (likely being used as wallpaper somewhere) leads me to believe that there is some misunderstanding as to how this scheme should be utilized.

 

[ruskin]

Deleone is VERY respected in NFL circles as an oline coach.

At one time this may have been true. Take this for what its worth but when his name is brought up in those circles now it inspires more laughter and "not as good as he once was" talk than anything else.

 

[willie99]

damn, now this thread is beginning to remind me of the Dom Perno years. Remember when he was very well respected in the coaching circles? a great x and o guy? his problem was that the best talent would never come to Storrs to play.

history repeating itself 25 years later

I guess I want a little less respect and a few more wins