New Head Coach Criteria/Wishes

[FfldCntyFan]

Herman was successful over a decade ago. Then moved to Texas and lasted only four years despite having every advantage, being fired in part due to the way he handled the program (check out Texas' budget and compare it to UConn's at that time). He then only lasted a year as an analyst remaining unemployed a season before FAU gave him a shot and flushed him after 2 years.

I'm not saying he wasn't successful, but a lot has changed in the decade since he was last successful, his Texas departure and struggles to find a role that he could stick at since then (even analyst roles) raise red flags. You don't typically get fired from FAU and then move upward and I'd like to think that UConn is aiming a bit higher than someone who couldn't cut it at FAU.

I'm not completely sure his time at UT was unsuccessful and I still view the issues he had with a handful of players as something quite strange, and a few people looking for attention. As far as only spending one year asd an NFL analyst, Nagy got fired and Eberflus cleaned house, It happens quite often in the NFL.

 

[ZooCougar]

To be fair, Tom Herman was also 22-4 at Houston with a CFP/New Year's Six bowl win over Florida State. So just for the fun of it, let's combine those records from four years at non P-5 programs (at the time he coached them). 38-20 = 65.5% win percentage over 4 years.

Jim Mora was 27-23 at UConn = 54% win percentage over four years, and I would argue that UConn has had a much easier schedule as an independent. Don't get me wrong, I give Mora a ton of credit because we were one of the worst FBS football programs before he arrived.

One other point. In a 2024 study on the valuation of athletic programs, UConn was ranked #71 at $178 million with an annual revenue of 93 million. Florida Atlantic did not make this list as it was limited to the top 75. FAU athletics' operating budget for 2024-25 was 35.5 million. UConn spent 101 million.

Herman was a disaster at FAU and often appeared to be on drugs after games and during press conferences.

The guy totally crashed out.

Next.

 

[ZooCougar]

Brian Daboll. Very good offensive mind. Plays a pro system. New York/ New England pedigree. Canadian by birth. Looking for work.

PAIN

 

[Palatine]

PAIN

Hey, he turned Josh Allen into a polished pro.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Daboll doesn't have the temperment to be a head coach.

 

[pj]

He's gone. I'm not on his bandwagon.

I don't get why you're hell bent in saying he sucks. He did great here. You yourself said a team needs resources to succeed. He got a little NIL and did something with it. You're even trying to use that as a knock.

He is NOT irreplaceable, but is not a slam dunk the next guy will be as good.

You're understating your case. Yes, he had a bit more NIL than the G5 generally, but spread among a lot of players, not very much. He could give $10k to a bunch of players and $100k or more to a few. Lots of other G5 programs could compete with that on any given player. He still had to find good players and effectively recruit them with at most a small cash advantage.

I'd guess it's no better than 50% that the next guy will be as good. We did very well getting Mora. Every candidate we can get has some risk.

 

[Hoophound]

1. Wait for Penn State to hire it's new coach. Find out who the other finalist were and target them.
2. Who wants to live in rural CT ?
3. Who has a wife willing to endure living in rural CT.
4. Some one with Northeast ties.
5. Some one with NFL experience.
6. Some one willing to accept being 3rd fiddle to UC MBB +WBB.

I don’t get the rural CT thing. Live in Glastonbury like they all do. Storrs is 20 minutes from civilization. It’s such a silly argument. I actually like Storrs as a place to live. About the only real downside is there isn’t a lot of places to have a 5 martini lunch like some of the socialites like. My wife has always lived in big cities and she loves Mansfield. When my daughter was considering UConn my wife was ready to buy a house there and plant a garden. She thought it was great. She figured it was nothing to go shopping at Buckland etc. Gainesville and Tallahassee are no great shakes. I’ve spent tons of time in both.

 

[ZooCougar]

Hey, he turned Josh Allen into a polished pro.

Have you watched the NY Giants?

 

[Kolumbo]

I don’t understand why people keep suggesting Matt Patricia. I’ve been a patriots fan my entire life, he is not head coach material. He can scheme up good defenses, but no way we want him as the head man; time & time again people keep dipping into Bill’s coaching tree & they flop, hard no. Sammis is not a serious candidate, if we ended up with him we’re in a bad spot.

I’ve said it for a few days now I’m all in on Pat Fitzgerald. It’d signify to our own players, portal players, & the rest of CFB that were fully invested in football, perception matters. I want them to go big at this point. If not Fitz, I’d be looking at P4 assistants or lower G5 coaches that can immediately hit the ground running. Maybe Cahill can smash it here, I’d just be more nervous going after a FCS coach than a P4 assistant with really good connections that can bring players with him right now. Hopefully we get this hire right.

Same thoughts here. We have no head coach, players graduating, players portalling, and recruits possibly getting poached. Our former HC left us in an extremely precarious situation. It may be important to get a current coach who can bring in some players and recruits with him. It may be possible to get a current G6 head coach or P4 assistant coach

Fitzgerald has very little experience outside of Northwestern and is currently at Loyola Academy in IL as an assistant. His son Ryan is now a freshman QB at Iowa but didn't play and only had offers from MAC level teams. Of course Pat may be itching to get back into coaching.

"Following his dismissal from Northwestern, Fitzgerald became a parent volunteer for Loyola Academy's football team. Fitzgerald's son, Ryan, was the team's starting quarterback for the 2023 season. Loyola Academy beat Lincoln-Way East High School to win the 2023 IHSA Class 8A State Football Championship"

 

[pj]

Same thoughts here. We have no head coach, players graduating, players portalling, and recruits possibly getting poached. Our former HC left us in an extremely precarious situation. It may be important to get a current coach who can bring in some players and recruits with him. It may be possible to get a current G6 head coach or P4 assistant coach

Fitzgerald has very little experience outside of Northwestern and is currently at Loyola Academy in IL as an assistant. His son Ryan is now a freshman QB at Iowa but didn't play and only had offers from MAC level teams. Of course Pat may be itching to get back into coaching.

"Following his dismissal from Northwestern, Fitzgerald became a parent volunteer for Loyola Academy's football team. Fitzgerald's son, Ryan, was the team's starting quarterback for the 2023 season. Loyola Academy beat Lincoln-Way East High School to win the 2023 IHSA Class 8A State Football Championship"

Yeah, I like the thought. He's a highly regarded and successful coach at a difficult location. He was very loyal to Northwestern. He did sue them for $130 million, which may put off a bunch of schools (as Kevin Ollie's suit against UConn may have hindered from getting his next job), but that gives UConn a fighting chance to reel him in. If there were no negatives at all he'd be taken by a P4 school.

 

[How Sway?!]

Smith from MSU is an interesting option. Yes, things did not go well at Michigan State but that program has been in a downward trend since the later D'Antonio years. What he did at Oregon State was impressive and shows he has the ability to maximize a tough situation. Plus the MSU buyout lessens the need to pay him top dollar.

 

[huskymedic]

...If there were no negatives at all he'd be taken by a P4 school.

Stand by:

 

[CTBasketball]

I don’t get the rural CT thing. Live in Glastonbury like they all do. Storrs is 20 minutes from civilization. It’s such a silly argument. I actually like Storrs as a place to live. About the only real downside is there isn’t a lot of places to have a 5 martini lunch like some of the socialites like. My wife has always lived in big cities and she loves Mansfield. When my daughter was considering UConn my wife was ready to buy a house there and plant a garden. She thought it was great. She figured it was nothing to go shopping at Buckland etc. Gainesville and Tallahassee are no great shakes. I’ve spent tons of time in both.

If you’re hanging your hat on Glastonbury CT compared to other places around the country then I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

 

[ArtTheFan]

Warde Manuel

I thought it was Dave...thanks for correcting me...