One heck of a press conference.

[huskymedic]

His answer to “what needs to change” is NIL - in other words, what needs to change is the players. You have to wonder how else his players can hear that?

It’s no secret to the players… how it was framed publicly versus privately may be a tad different but the message is essentially the same:

Assisted access link <<

-> Mora noted the transfer portal and NIL go hand in hand.

"The positives are that it gives you the opportunity to add quality players who have played in college games and are a little more physically and hopefully emotionally mature and can come in and make an immediate impact," Mora said. "The problems are you have to have money to get them and I think our people who support this program understand that and are doing a great job of addressing that. I feel incredibly, incredibly positive about the direction that's going and it's because there are people who are very committed to it.

"It's become a little bit more cut-throat that I don't really enjoy. Sometimes you have to have difficult conversations with guys on your team that maybe are not quite good enough. I don't like that part at all. That's the human element. There are chances you take when you go into the portal that you don't have the background and knowledge about the personality of a player you're picking to come to your school like you do recruiting a high school player. But that's the way it is and for us to grow as fast as we need to grow we have to go get about 12 to 14 impact players from the portal. It's kind of like the NFL — free agency and the draft and how you balance your budget." <-

 

[ktuck911]

He speaks the truth. If UConn is going to compete against P5 schools, we need to spend like P5 schools. It used to be spending on facilities and coaches, but now it is NIL. It feels to me that when Diaco was fired in 2016, investment in the football program stopped. Think about this, we are paying Mora about the same or less than what we paid the head football coach 8 to 10 years ago.

That $5 million buyout didn't help matters, that's for sure

 

[ktuck911]

We don't need more money to get a talented OC. He is already paid as well or better than a lot of other teams that do way better. He is paid almost as much as the head coach for JMU.

SO do you think we pay less for a different OC?

 

[UConnJim]

His answer to “what needs to change” is NIL - in other words, what needs to change is the players. You have to wonder how else his players can hear that?

Think about this. UConn lost Marion, Turner, and Carter last year to the portal and Brewton and Houston to the portal this year. That is almost all of your best offensive skill players. Don't you think UConn would have been much better with them this year? Don't you think the players know that as well?

 

[Rich]

Thank you coach for ripping the scab off and revealing the bloody gushing mess underlying our football program.

Everything he said is 100% true and accurate and all rooted in the fact that this state, and our alumni by and large (at least the ones with firepower) simply DOES NOT take football seriously.

And that's gotta change otherwise you may as well either disband the whole program or just drop back to FCS. But we HAVE to make a decision because this whistling through the graveyard routine just IS NOT CUTTING IT.

 

[UConnJim]

This was my post from September 2023 which came up with $1.5 million in NIL needs for UConn:


I think UConn is trying to be competitive with mid tier P5 schools (if not, why are we scheduling 3 to 4 P5 schools per year?). Just ball parking based on the Front Office Sports article, it seems UConn boosters should be targeting ~$1.5 million of NIL for football: 24 starters (21 O and D plus punter, kicker, LS) at $25k each comes to $600k, $250k for starting QB, $100k for back up QB, $300k extra for top performers, $250k for the rest of the roster.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Think about this. UConn lost Marion, Turner, and Carter last year to the portal and Brewton and Houston to the portal this year. That is almost all of your best offensive skill players. Don't you think UConn would have been much better with them this year? Don't you think the players know that as well?

The thought that losing those guys would have no effect is ridiculous. Think about how hard it was to keep Mitchell and Haynes.

I talked to an AD at a division I school in hoops this summer. He said… all any players are asking for is NIL

Players transferring for $20k.

 

[uconndogs]

The thought that losing those guys would have no effect is ridiculous. Think about how hard it was to keep Mitchell and Haynes.

I talked to an AD at a division I school in hoops this summer. He said… all any players are asking for is NIL

Players transferring for $20k.

Honestly, this model of college athletics holds no interest for me.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Honestly, this model of college athletics holds no interest for me.

It’s a problem. Coaches hate it. It is free agency every year.

 

[RSTuthill]

Honestly, this model of college athletics holds no interest for me.

That very thought had occurred to me too. I may start watching D3.

 

[giddyup]

So everyone who wants a different OC should probably realize that if that is done, UConn will be back to running plain vanilla plays for half a year. Whole new playbook. That's what happens. No one is gonna come in and run the old playbook. That's not how it works.

I’d rather have a smaller playbook that can create production and build upon itself than one that produces a whole lot of nothing.

 

[Dizzy21]

If he simply took the same salary as the JMU coach who whooped him, and then donated the rest, this team would be 3/4 the way to being at the average of the top G5 schools, just like he said.

 

[businesslawyer]

That very thought had occurred to me too. I may start watching D3.

Only if you like winning. Trinity wins more games in an average year than UConn wins in 5.

 

[uconnric]

Exactly. The poor performance this year is not because the cupboard is bare. It's because the coaching sucks.

JMU doesn't even give the full amount of scholarships, had hardly any portal action, and it's classes are all around ranked less than ours by a lot. Their coaches get paid a third of what ours do too. Coaching talent was the difference in that game, not player talent.

Have to remind you of the old adage. It's not about the x's and o's, it's about the Jimmies and the Joes.

 

[NutmegDog]

Thank you coach for ripping the scab off and revealing the bloody gushing mess underlying our football program.

Everything he said is 100% true and accurate and all rooted in the fact that this state, and our alumni by and large (at least the ones with firepower) simply DOES NOT take football seriously.

And that's gotta change otherwise you may as well either disband the whole program or just drop back to FCS. But we HAVE to make a decision because this whistling through the graveyard routine just IS NOT CUTTING IT.

This weekend's action features #129 UConn visiting #127 UMass. Really, why are either of these schools continuing in FBS? We're not getting into a P5 conference and have been cast into the role of easy early- or mid-season walk-over win for more serious football schools. It's been this way since the end of the Edsall 1.0 era. Let's get real.

 

[JMick]

He speaks the truth. If UConn is going to compete against P5 schools, we need to spend like P5 schools. It used to be spending on facilities and coaches, but now it is NIL. It feels to me that when Diaco was fired in 2016, investment in the football program stopped. Think about this, we are paying Mora about the same or less than what we paid the head football coach 8 to 10 years ago.

Sure, we have been overmatched against some of the P5 teams we play against.

But was Georgia state really that much more talented? FIU? Utah State? USF?

It's convenient he talks about not winning the "big" ones yet refuses to acknowledge that he hasn't been beating anyone this year. Because his coaching has stunk.

I'm done with him. Pack his bags. I spent a lot more time at the school than he has. I paid plenty of money in tuition to go there. He doesn't get to sit there and tell me I need to give some random kid some money to beat Utah State.

 

[uconnyankee]

Bobby Patrino will be available. Not serious but just saying.

The guy can coach.
Would Mora take him for OC?

Guarantee our offense improves across the board with someone like that. Just have to overlook a few things.

 

[Stinger92860]

To me it seems Mora may be setting up his next move which could be to step down, otherwise why bring up last year. He is right on the NIL needs and he may feel that he was blown off last year. I guess we will know on 11/25 or 26th. Hopefully all changes will be announced quickly.

 

[Rdkid]

Sure, we have been overmatched against some of the P5 teams we play against.

But was Georgia state really that much more talented? FIU? Utah State? USF?

It's convenient he talks about not winning the "big" ones yet refuses to acknowledge that he hasn't been beating anyone this year. Because his coaching has stunk.

I'm done with him. Pack his bags. I spent a lot more time at the school than he has. I paid plenty of money in tuition to go there. He doesn't get to sit there and tell me I need to give some random kid some money to beat Utah State.

Yeah, coaching and coaching staff did not come up at all today. And a loss to UMass will bring more heat. It is all so distasteful but nothing new for football at any D1 school at most places most years. Setting money on fire for limited returns. It is why only about 60 schools should be all in on football.

 

[Rdkid]

It’s no secret to the players… how it was framed publicly versus privately may be a tad different but the message is essentially the same:

The tone of these comments versus the tone of the presser re: how good a job of bringing NIL money in are different.

 

[JMick]

Yeah, coaching and coaching staff did not come up at all today. And a loss to UMass will bring more heat. It is all so distasteful but nothing new for football at any D1 school at most places most years. Setting money on fire for limited returns. It is why only about 60 schools should be all in on football.

Giving money to any program that employs Nick Charlton is literally just lighting it on fire. And I'd argue giving money to a program where the head coach thinks he needs P5 players to beat Utah State and FIU is also lighting money on fire.

If we won 2 more games this year, that we should have won with the talent we do have, then he wouldn't be up there crying about NIL.

 

[Rdkid]

The tone of these comments versus the tone of the presser re: how good a job of bringing NIL money in are different.

Referring to CT Post JMU article

 

[Patman]

This weekend's action features #129 UConn visiting #127 UMass. Really, why are either of these schools continuing in FBS? We're not getting into a P5 conference and have been cast into the role of easy early- or mid-season walk-over win for more serious football schools. It's been this way since the end of the Edsall 1.0 era. Let's get real.

thank you for your interest in Connecticut football

 

[Rdkid]

Giving money to any program that employs Nick Charlton is literally just lighting it on fire. And I'd argue giving money to a program where the head coach thinks he needs P5 players to beat Utah State and FIU is also lighting money on fire.

If we won 2 more games this year, that we should have won with the talent we do have, then he wouldn't be up there crying about NIL.

I agree about this year for sure. Clearly for the future all G5 programs will have to pay their players as well if they want to win. Which is why all of this is looking more and more like a fool’s errand. College football has always been an expensive arms race. A nightmare for the average egghead college president. For those who plan to sit back and hope someone else will write the check, say bye-bye to your program’s aspirations.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The guy can coach.
Would Mora take him for OC?

Guarantee our offense improves across the board with someone like that. Just have to overlook a few things.

I absolutely believe that as OC Petrino could fix our offense immediately.

That said, even if Petrino would consider a coordinators job (at a G level school no less) I would be stunned if Mora would hire the that he was fired in favor of not quite too decades ago.

I ran into someone a couple days ago who is not a football insider but is a UConn insider. While this may be more speculation on his part than actual knowledge, I was told that I shouldn't be surprised if we end up with two new coordinators for football next season.