New Head Coach Criteria/Wishes

[psilotic]

I'm fine with rolling the dice. What do we have to lose? Safe gets you Pasqualoni

The PP hire was not 'safe' by any stretch of the imagination. It was Conn old-boy-networkism at its worse after Hathaway was caught flatfooted

 

[BlueWolf25]

So the portal open December 3rd and ends Dec 5th. We're in a tough spot. Penn State has had 6 weeks to hire a couch and hasn't found one yet. We got a week before the portal signing period.

That’s the high school signing period. The transfer portal does not even officially open until January

 

[storrsroars]

Nobody knows (yet) how the Kiffin deal is going to play out; whether he takes his staff with him to LSU or chooses to stay at Ole Miss I can think of a lot worse things that giving Charlie Weiss Jr. a long look. Weiss has spent the far majority of his coaching career south of the Mason/Dixon; but, he has NFL experience as a QB coach and has recruiting ties in places where let's face it the best talent tends to germinate. Big green light in my book. Throw Shannon Dawson's (UM OC) name in the mix as well. Maybe Kane Wommack from Alabama. He reigned from South Alabama to take the Alabama DC job under DeBoer.

I've seen a lot of discussion around here about the notion of bringing in a coach that 'knows' the northeast/mid-atlantic region. Frankly, that's not important to me at all because that's not where you find the most competitive teams in college football, FBS or otherwise. We want the best candidate not the guy who appreciates the difference between NJ, NY and CT pizza for god's sake.

And let's be honest, the talent around these parts mostly stinks anyway; the kids that DO get FBS offers ususally never even sniff around UCONN and that's never going to change unless we change our perspective. If we truly want to compete for Big Prizes we are going to have to get more blue chip recruits in the door, through both the portal and HS/JUCO recruiting. More money in the banana stand would also help.

It bears mentioning that Brian Kelly's 'fit' issues at LSU would not at all apply to the reverse situation, where say we brought in a guy like Kane Wommack (Alabama's DC). We're just not that insular and frankly don't have the street cred or history to impose our New Englaned cultural pecularities on what we're looking for in a new head coach.

That's all well and good, but if UConn wants to look to the South for its next HC, it might be more important to vet the coach's wife than the coach himself (see Lashlee, Rhett).

 

[JohnFSilver]

Kansas would like to challenge that statement

I disagree. Kansas has been in a major bowl, and it has half the football resources if UNC.

 

[UDann]

That's all well and good, but if UConn wants to look to the South for its next HC, it might be more important to vet the coach's wife than the coach himself (see Lashlee, Rhett).

One could say Mrs Mira had some influence in this decision as well.

 

[noeynox]

I disagree. Kansas has been in a major bowl, and it has half the football resources if UNC.

Every program is the right hire away from great things. Indiana was the losingest program in FBS history prior to Cignetti.

 

[ktuck911]

Candle is a Nov 12th guy like myself so he's my guy for the HC gig.

 

[DJHurlhoun]

Tom Herman. Has coached at the highest level at Texas and was very successful at Houston. He even praised UConn’s entire athletic department after a loss while coaching at FAU. He deserves a call.

 

[Banta55]

That's all well and good, but if UConn wants to look to the South for its next HC, it might be more important to vet the coach's wife than the coach himself (see Lashlee, Rhett).

Only part of it, he hated Edsall

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Tom Herman. Has coached at the highest level at Texas and was very successful at Houston. He even praised UConn’s entire athletic department after a loss while coaching at FAU. He deserves a call.

I remember speaking to @Nostical the game after we beat FAU last year, saying it sounded like Herman was lobbying for consideration to get on thr list of potential replacements once Mora left.

There's quite a bit to like about hom as a candidate. The one potential red flag is the way he departed FAU. The explanation behind that would be critical as to whether he should or should not be in consideration.

 

[Hoophound]

I remember speaking to @Nostical the game after we beat FAU last year, saying it sounded like Herman was lobbying for consideration to get on thr list of potential replacements once Mora left.

There's quite a bit to like about hom as a candidate. The one potential red flag is the way he departed FAU. The explanation behind that would be critical as to whether he should or should not be in consideration.

I think the explanation will be that he had no money to throw around. I’m pretty sure it was a public complaint. It may have been Herman that said they needed to look at what we were doing and copy it. I’m still concerned he was winless and 0-6 when he got fired at FAU. Great coaches win a few games with or without talent.

 

[Stinger92860]

I think the explanation will be that he had no money to throw around. I’m pretty sure it was a public complaint. It may have been Herman that said they needed to look at what we were doing and copy it. I’m still concerned he was winless and 0-6 when he got fired at FAU. Great coaches win a few games with or without talent.

I just looked at FAU’s historical record and they are typically under 500. Lane Kiffin had two 11-3 seasons, but he also went 5-7 in between. Taggart also had 3 consecutive losing seasons. Not sure what the issue is there. Did Herman and Taggart stop working hard or were there other reasons. Sounds like investment may have been an issue under Herman. All I know is we have to get this hire right.

 

[noeynox]

Tom Herman. Has coached at the highest level at Texas and was very successful at Houston. He even praised UConn’s entire athletic department after a loss while coaching at FAU. He deserves a call.

This dude may have been on drugs.

Pass.