Poll: Who do you want as UConn's next football coach? | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Poll: Who do you want as UConn's next football coach?

Poll: Who do you favor as UConn's next football coach?

  • Pat Fitzgerald

    Votes: 36 14.1%

  • Joe Moorhead

    Votes: 6 2.3%

  • Al Golden (ex-Temple/Miami HC, now Bengals DC)

    Votes: 20 7.8%

  • Jason Candle (Toledo HC)

    Votes: 47 18.4%

  • Indiana DC Bryant Haines

    Votes: 4 1.6%

  • Indiana OC Mike Shanahan (no relation to famous family)

    Votes: 13 5.1%

  • Jamey Chadwell (Liberty HC)

    Votes: 8 3.1%

  • Tony Reno (Yale HC)

    Votes: 25 9.8%

  • Mike Gundy

    Votes: 3 1.2%

  • Jimbo Fisher

    Votes: 14 5.5%

  • Other

    Votes: 80 31.3%
  • Total voters
    256
UCTitleTown said:
He's already got a handshake deal to take the Michigan State job. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire. The reason Michigan State waited and didn't fire Smith sooner was to make sure they had the new coach lined up.
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MSU is really about to eat a $30 million buyout to hire a dude that went 4-20 in his last two years. Their AD is about to get run out of town lmao
 
How Sway?! said:
MSU is really about to eat a $30 million buyout to hire a dude that went 4-20 in his last two years. Their AD is about to get run out of town lmao
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But the good news is that guy is also a terrible leader.
 
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Thought Golden did a good job with Temple, but that was a while ago. “other” would be ok too.
I do like NFL experience, and would like to see some of the current culture continue. The biggest issue is talent discovery, and team building. You can be a step slower if you’re in the right place at the right time.
 
I could not handle Mike Gundy being hired at UConn. If you grew up in Oklahoma from the 70s forward and did not go to Oklahoma State you would have the same recoil-in-horror reaction I am experiencing right now. That is such a bad, baaaaaad idea. Mike Gundy was successful because T. Boone Pickens gave Oklahoma State a Black American Express Card and big book of blank checks. T. Boone died in late 2019. And in the following years you can watch the trajectory of the money running out along with MIke's W/L record. He is absolutely terrible when it comes to understanding / working with NIL and the portal.

collegesportswire.usatoday.com

Dabo Swinney and Mike Gundy failed to adjust to the NIL and transfer portal era

Dabo Swinney is paying a huge price for not adapting to NIL and portal realities. Mike Gundy will soon be fired. It's a lesson about embracing change
collegesportswire.usatoday.com collegesportswire.usatoday.com
 
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ZooCougar said:
It’s Butch Jones.

But Moorhead followed D’Amelio and some people see that as a sign of something.
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I hope it's just a sign nobody has even reached out to Moorhead and he's desperately trying to get his name in the mix... Worst possible hire of all the names I've seen thrown out there IMO
 
In a perfect world, Bill Parcells in his prime. Alas, that time is past.
Second Choice: Pry Kirk Ferentz away from Iowa. Brand name, UConn Alum, consistent winner, known recruiter. Again, this is a utopian choice: Ferentz's roots are now firmly planted in Iowa City...
 
Nameless said:
I hope it's just a sign nobody has even reached out to Moorhead and he's desperately trying to get his name in the mix... Worst possible hire of all the names I've seen thrown out there IMO
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I don’t agree with that at all.
 
Hoophound said:
When you look at that list you realize that we are getting another surprise candidate or we are getting Reno, Cahill etc. Just too many openings.

I’m really warming up to Cahill.
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Yeah, I agree. The American had its first really good season overall in awhile and got absolutely decimated by the coaching carousel. Both teams in the conference championship, plus both teams that were favored for the championship for the first half of the season (USF, Memphis) have lost their HC before the championship game/playoff. I know it's reality these days but it sucks for the sport. Would've been interesting to see how The American champ would have done in the playoff at full strength and with a full staff this year. It was far and away the best "G" conference.

I'm also happy they are all southern schools because all 4 have the resources and are willing to compete with us for potential coaches. They'll probably look for guys with southern backgrounds whereas we will look for guys with northeastern ones, so there won't be much overlap in candidates.

I'm also kind of curious if Butch Jones still wants to come here now that Memphis has opened up. No idea how much he liked his time in Tennessee, no idea if Memphis wants him but it feels like a potential fit to me. Also wonder if some of the "P" teams will contact him, he hasn't been great by any means at Arkansas State but has turned it around and has a decent track record.

I'm fine with Cahill, if that is the hire. I would prefer someone with more experience, and someone with FBS experience. But you don't go 12-0 because you got lucky. The dude can clearly coach. I would at least be excited to see what he can accomplish here!
 
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Maybe Cahill is this years Bob Chesney. If we promote Sammis to HC we will most likely be doing it before our Bowl game. Tough job for AD Dave no doubt with all the recent openings.
 
jmsjoejms said:
Even though he doesn’t have a ton of experience yet, I think Chandler Whitmer would be a great choice. He’s a UConn guy and a future star. It looks like hist first coaching experience was in 2019 and in 6 years to go to co-oc of a big ten school is impressive.
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He's not ready to be a head coach, I agree, but this kid's really close to being one. He's coached at high levels ... my concern with him is ability to recruit as a HC...
 
Haven't heard any thoughts on Ricky Rahne at ODU. Never thought of Whitmer. The knock on Whitmers age is offset by the relatability factor. Hire an old hand to be "Consigliere" and let the young guy go. Carty or Cahill for me.
 
My top three choices at the moment (not in order):
Safe, solid pick: Charles Huff
High risk, high reward: Kevin Cahill
Somewhere in between: Ryan Carty
 
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AllHusky said:
I think Carty is at least level with Cahill.
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Isn't Delaware his alma mater? That's the main reason I haven't considered him a serious candidate, I don't see him leaving.

If we were to hire him I would really hope he brings Minicucci with him
 
Nameless said:
Isn't Delaware his alma mater? That's the main reason I haven't considered him a serious candidate, I don't see him leaving.

If we were to hire him I would really hope he brings Minicucci with him
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Alma Mater is why he got the gig maybe. But I am sure he has bigger ambitions.
 
I hate when people cite, "NFL experience." They are different environments, have different rules both on and off the field, and NFL experience has virtually no effect on if a coach is successful at the college level (See: Saban, Nick).

I'm a solid "no" on Patricia as head coach. He's been at tOSU for 7 months and has virtually no college recruiting or portal experience. His stint in Detroit was subpar at best, and he had a major hand in ruining Mac Jones in New England.

Al Golden is an interesting name. His last head coaching stint was in 2015, well before the advent of The Portal, but he has time at Notre Dame during the NIL era and knows how to recruit and build a program.

Brian Kelly made $2.7M during his last year at ND, before getting $9M from LSU. LSU pay the supplement of any contract up to $9M over the next 6 years, so he may be a pie-in-the-sky target, with whom I could get on board from the jump. OTOH, at 64, age may be a con.

Chip Kelly - Age (62) might also be a con and he may be looking to move elsewhere from the get go, but he has Northeast ties and was more or less successful wherever he went. Apropos of nothing, Kelly would follow Mora as he did at UCLA.

As others have mentioned, Bard has a list some good options, even if Chesney is now unattainable.
 
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pick6s said:
My top three choices at the moment (not in order):
Safe, solid pick: Charles Huff
High risk, high reward: Kevin Cahill
Somewhere in between: Ryan Carty
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My incredibly sophomoric gut call is Cahill. I also thought we should have hired Chesney when they hired Mora. Based on history, seems like Benedict likes to make a splash or maybe the Mora interview was just that good.
 
ZooCougar said:
Alma Mater is why he got the gig maybe. But I am sure he has bigger ambitions.
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Do you know what he made this year? I know he was extended last year, but apparently the university claimed he wasn't being paid with public funds and thus they did not need to disclose the contract info. I figure the info probably isn't out there but doesn't hurt to ask.

From what I can find, he only made 536k in 2023. I'm assuming he's probably double that if he was extended. But if he's still making less than 1m, he may be easier to poach away than I anticipated.

I agree he probably has bigger ambitions. I just figured the familiarity he has with the university probably provides a level of comfort, and I'm not sure how much of a step up he considers us. I think most of us see it as a major step up, but if he disagrees and thinks the job is only marginally better, we may have to overpay.

He's probably not my top candidate, but we could definitely do worse. I wouldn't mind if he were the hire when all is said and done.
 
I believe Mora really wanted the job and had a plan. Hopefully the next coach can as well and not just hey I’m a good coach.
 
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