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Poll: Who do you want as UConn's next football coach?
- Thread starter psilotic
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hes going to Penn State
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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
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Alma Mater is why he got the gig maybe. But I am sure he has bigger ambitions.
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Husky25
Dink & Dunk beat the Greatest Show on Turf.
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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.
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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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.
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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.
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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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Delaware like many of the bigger former CAA programs are endowed.
Also Delaware functions as a pseudo private.
Back when KC Keeler was the Delaware coach he was an eager candidate for the UConn job and I believe he is a Bluehen too.
Carty seems like a killer. I like him. They might literally rule the roost in CUSA soon. It’s an easy pathway to the CFP. But he won’t be at Delaware much longer imo.
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the question is: Does Benedict want someone who could build a sustainable program like Cahill.
Or does he want a splash hire with a big name who can recruit the portal immediately.
It is 2026. The landscape has changed drastically.
Or does he want a splash hire with a big name who can recruit the portal immediately.
It is 2026. The landscape has changed drastically.
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Ricky Rahne, Old Dominion, is someone to defintely look at.
HC experience. Has ODU at 9 wins this year.
Was OC at Penn State beforehand (with a bunch of quality ties there)
Offensive mind
Played at Cornell, started coaching at Holy Cross
HC experience. Has ODU at 9 wins this year.
Was OC at Penn State beforehand (with a bunch of quality ties there)
Offensive mind
Played at Cornell, started coaching at Holy Cross
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I say no on both Brian Kelly and Chip Kelly.
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Temple? 1 year with the Owls, KC Keeler?
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He wants to continue winning to show we are serious about football which is a requirement to get us into a P4 league. If that means the next guy is here for 1-2 years, that is fine. The reality is that any coach who succeeds at UConn will likely be poached by someone. Just like almost every other program. And guys at the programs who aren’t getting poached will likely get fired in 4 years.
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I think he knows we need a head hunter. Someone who wants to hunt big game and put mounts on the walls to show off, because that's the only way UConn is gonna get the invite to a P4. Beating Duke was a great win. We need someone that wants to put that game away by 20 and wants to beat BC 50-3. Do I think we're there right now, no.. but that's the message I want to hear from the next coach. If we want attention, we need that level of ambition so people start turning their heads with a .. "sorry, did I just see that score right?? UConn did that??"
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Many times job candidates look good on paper. Once you get face to face , you can separate the one that is the best fit. Everyone has a plus + minus. DB will have to weigh out ,evaluate, and make judgement who that will be. The best resume is not necessarily the right choice. Unless you are in the interview, we can only speculate.
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That’s pretty funny. Why do you hate UConn?
SonsOfNutmeg
#HuskiesOverEveryone
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Just heard that Butch Jones is interested in UConn... would be a step up in money for him from where he's at in Arkansas State and plenty of NIL funding to rebuild immediately. Wonder if they've talked?
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Butch Jones would be a pretty meh hire to me. He left Tennessee in disgrace and has been pretty bland at Arkansas State. I'd rather give a great FCS coach with some excitement behind them a shot.
Maybe my expectations are too high for a program that was recently a dumpster fire.
Maybe my expectations are too high for a program that was recently a dumpster fire.
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Disgrace how? That seems harsh.
He had two 9 win seasons there. Tennessee isn’t nearly as good as they think they are.
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I think Anthony Poindexter would be an interesting choice. Been co-DC at Penn State since 2021 after DC stints at Purdue (2017-20) and...UConn (2014-16). He was on Diaco's staff and looking back, he was far from the issue (that putrid offense...).
The real reason why I think he's interesting is that he was on the UVA staff in 2010-12 with a young GA named...Gordon Sammis. So I imagine there is some relationship there. He could be the perfect guy that is 1) qualified on paper to be HC 2) has ties to UConn and 3) can convince Sammis to stay on as OC without upsetting the nature of things (see: Moorhead, Joe c. 2011).
Anyone hear any buzz about him?
The real reason why I think he's interesting is that he was on the UVA staff in 2010-12 with a young GA named...Gordon Sammis. So I imagine there is some relationship there. He could be the perfect guy that is 1) qualified on paper to be HC 2) has ties to UConn and 3) can convince Sammis to stay on as OC without upsetting the nature of things (see: Moorhead, Joe c. 2011).
Anyone hear any buzz about him?