Randy Edsall to retire @ end of season | Page 11 | The Boneyard

Randy Edsall to retire @ end of season

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This roster is much better top to bottom.
You've had some great posts the past few days, but I'm just going to go with the tape. It doesn't have to be the players or the coach. It can be both, the coach and the players the coach brought in.

A defense that can't stop the run or pass, can't tackle, catch up to or cover people. That cannot stop an fcs offense. That can create their own blooper reels on a weekly basis

An offensive line that can't move an fcs defense off the line of scrimmage. WR's that can't create separation except for the occasional broken coverage. And I won't even mention the QB situation

The only standout recruiting class he brought in - and that's relative- is the one that hasn't arrived yet.

What evidence is there that this roster is better, I won't even ask much better, than when he started?
 
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$3mill? Is CT going demand tithing?
I’m tired of hearing how little money UCONN has to throw at a new coach. For the first time in many years Ct. is flush. We are l bumping against the legislative cap on the rainy day fund. If you haven’t noticed Lamont is funding all kinds of programs. He controls the UCONN board. There is no reason he cant direct funds to UCONN to hire a top notch coach.
 
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If Steven Krajewski gets the start he will have to play flawlessly. He is being put in a no win situation. He will have only one week to practice with the ones, the team morale is at an all time low, first career start against a Big10 team (who defeated Oregon State), top two receivers are out and Randy Edsall is still the coach. Whoever starts on Saturday will have to be smart, quick and accurate. Good luck Huskies
 
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I actually think this would be an attractive job for someone. Team gets media coverage and pays. UConn being a national brand has a huge amount of value.
Just hire Chesney at the end of the season.
 

hardcorehusky

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You've had some great posts the past few days, but I'm just going to go with the tape. It doesn't have to be the players or the coach. It can be both, the coach and the players the coach brought in.

A defense that can't stop the run or pass, can't tackle, catch up to or cover people. That cannot stop an fcs offense. That can create their own blooper reels on a weekly basis

An offensive line that can't move an fcs defense off the line of scrimmage. WR's that can't create separation except for the occasional broken coverage. And I won't even mention the QB situation

The only standout recruiting class he brought in - and that's relative- is the one that hasn't arrived yet.

What evidence is there that this roster is better, I won't even ask much better, than when he started?
You have 4 really good running backs (if they stay) for next year. Carter is a stud. You have some really good wide recievers (Drayton, Ross, Marion at the least). You had good TE's then and now. There is talent on the O line- it needs to be coached properly. You have much better special teams and I think there are some players on D to build around(Watts, Nick Harris and McCarthy)
 
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BL, it was great seeing you yesterday.

I've avoided posting for quite a while (got tired of every post turning into an argument). I also wrote most of this post this morning, before the news of RE's imminent retirement and.

Yes, the football program's trajectory over the past decade is a massive problem. Sadly, until things change at a level far higher than the athletic department, there will never be much to look forward to in terms of sustained success, or even success at all.

For reasons that I've never been able to comprehend, any time that UConn has had aspirations (in any field), it has been met with resistance by people within the school, elected officials, people who had some access to media (before the information age and subsequent social media) and private citizens who didn't mind getting loud while voicing their complaints. The idea of the school having ambitions makes a lot of people uncomfortable. This is what needs to change and until it does change we will be climbing a greased rope when trying to build a football program.

I'd wager heavily that when Jim Calhoun said "it's doable" in response to being questioned about the possibility winning a national championship here, if people actually believed it could be done, they would have sabotaged his career here before it began. Hell, we had to lie about the size of (then yet to be named) Gampel prior to approval.

Yes, we need a change in leadership in the football program but if all we do is hire a new head coach every few years, hoping he can accomplish something we'll never get anywhere. Diaco had to go, he had to go weeks, months before DB pulled the trigger. I'm not sure that anyone who is still allowed unsupervised in public is as detached from reality as Diaco was back then. Benedict unfortunately also has his hands tied at the time he brought RE in. He had extremely limited resources, he needed someone who understood the unique challenges of building a program in the northeast (yes, all programs face challenges, they don't necessarily face the same challenges) and he felt finding someone who had been through it before and had some level of success (something nobody else did here) was at worst a way to stabilize the program. He also placed two young coordinators on the staff (contrary to popular boneyard belief, Crocker was DB's decision, not RE's) to be potential replacements for RE somewhere down the road (for different reasons, neither lasted).

A few things that DB didn't realize:

  • How truly depleted (in terms of athleticism) the roster was due to Diaco's recruiting. This played a major role in losing Lashlee (I will address later).
  • The manner (almost identical to his first run here) that RE would manage the rebuild (which I had initially hoped he would accomplish a year or so quicker than the original, but unfortunately appears to be running a couple years longer than that one).
  • The incompatibility of the talent/athleticism of our defensive personnel with the defense Crocker attempted to install.
  • The incompatibility of Lashlee's offense with a defense that couldn't get off the field (Lashlee grudgingly agreed to slowing it down for the sake of the team).
Temple (and Memphis) were able to endure decades of inept football, land a great hire, reach heights they never could have imagined, lose that great hire and then slog, along hoping to one day find their next great hire. We've floundered for a decade (with a minor bowl appearance in that decade) and have been hearing the "we need to drop to FCS" talk for a few years. If our great hire doesn't come soon, those who want football to fail here (and there are far too many that should want success who would greatly prefer failure) will get their wish.

There are things that I really don't get about the current state of the football program. I realize that resources for the football program currently aren't what we'd like (and until the KO settlement happens this won't change) so the idea that we could have landed Joe Moorhead (currently with Oregon) is ridiculous. I do not however understand why we couldn't have landed his protege (Andrew Breiner, arrived at UConn before Moorehead) who currently works for Butch Davis at FIU.

I don't get that we weren't even able to outplay an FCS school in the trenches. Yes, they had a 300lb guard and a 290lb tackle, rarities for their level but even including them, we faced a team who's linemen (offensive and defensive) were 20-30lbs lighter per man and less athletic than what we will normally face. What happened on both lines of scrimmage yesterday baffles me (and it will be much worse against nearly everyone left on our schedule).

I am amazed at how difficult it is for us to find a QB. The kid HC played at QB (true soph from NY State) is better than anyone we've had here in years and bigger than all but Leon on our roster. When he had to come off the field (his helmet came off), the kid they brought in (also a true soph) had more poise than our starting QB.

I don't get how, with two starting LBs who are really 210lb safeties, we didn't have sufficient speed at LB to stop an FCS school.

After what we've seen the past two weeks it would be insane to continue with Jack Zergiotis at QB. One sad reality is (contrary to boneyard opinion), going into this season there was zero reason to believe that he wasn't clearly the best option. Shy some miracle, our answer at QB is/will be during Tyler Phommachanh's redshirt sophomore season (it would be unreasonable to believe he'd be ready earlier) and with what we currently have on the offensive line, he'd get killed before the middle of next year at the earliest.

Our roster is flush with what appears to be a lot of very young talent. Our next head coach should have a good amount to work with. It will be far easier to increase excitement, enthusiasm towards the program thinking the new regime needs year two to be truly competitive than being told the current regime will get there in two more years. I don't believe that this would be anywhere near as impactful on the players as most believe and it will be entirely for those outside of the roster, but the kids who will be returning next season won't be carrying the baggage of RE's first run with the program, his departure after the Fiesta Bowl, the P years, the Diaco years or the first couple of years of RE II.

We need to make a change but it can't merely be change for the sake of change. Hopefully DB has already been working on a list. While I'm sure that he will be able to communicate the 'difficulties' inherent with the job (having experienced them himself), hopefully the hire will understand them well enough prior to facing them that they won't undermine his ability to succeed. I believe DB can also communicate the positives that success here can bring, hopefully the best candidate will have sufficient vision to see this as this is where we will or will not sell the position.

If you want to be angry about the position we are in, be angry with those who were running the school decades ago that felt competing in the Yankee conference offering fewer football scholarships than many schools offered in basketball was acceptable. Be angry with those who were completely dismissive of the idea of moving up to play 'big boy football' for more than a decade after the D1-D1A split and spent the following half decade ignoring the idea. Be angry with those who responded with enmity when the idea of modeling UConn after the University of Michigan was presented (I saw this first hand in the late 1980's). Be angry with the fact that we were basically rudderless for a decade when we were achieving our greatest success (had either a lame duck, interim or looking for greener pastures president), allowing Hathaway to squander a massive amount of perception capital built by head coaches who despised his lack of support and his efforts to claim credit for what was accomplished in spite of him, not because of him.

We can't go part-way, thinking we can try something, if it doesn't work, try something new, ending up on a treadmill similar to the past ten years. We can't do a lazy search (Hathaway hiring P). We can't do a cost-effective retread (RE II) no matter how logical it may appear and we absolutely cannot afford someone with a lot of style but little substance (Diaco), even if he doesn't become completely detached to avoid realizing he is in over his head. Contrary to what the naysayers are preaching, there is enough here for us to be competitive in the not too distant future and, at some point become highly competitive. We will however need more than merely a new coach, we will need to fight (and defeat) those who are against the idea of our competing at this level in football.
what an amazing essay ... thought I was reading THE NEW YORKER
 
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You've had some great posts the past few days, but I'm just going to go with the tape. It doesn't have to be the players or the coach. It can be both, the coach and the players the coach brought in.

A defense that can't stop the run or pass, can't tackle, catch up to or cover people. That cannot stop an fcs offense. That can create their own blooper reels on a weekly basis

An offensive line that can't move an fcs defense off the line of scrimmage. WR's that can't create separation except for the occasional broken coverage. And I won't even mention the QB situation

The only standout recruiting class he brought in - and that's relative- is the one that hasn't arrived yet.

What evidence is there that this roster is better, I won't even ask much better, than when he started?
The DL is a plus IMO. QB, OL, amd maybe DB need upgrades or better coaching. WRs are as good as we have had as a group. RBs are decent. LBs are so so. I stand by it. Compared to what was here when Randy got here the talent is better, but more importantly the roster has been constructed with enough depth and not just a hodgepodge of players like Diaco left.
 
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You've had some great posts the past few days, but I'm just going to go with the tape. It doesn't have to be the players or the coach. It can be both, the coach and the players the coach brought in.

A defense that can't stop the run or pass, can't tackle, catch up to or cover people. That cannot stop an fcs offense. That can create their own blooper reels on a weekly basis

An offensive line that can't move an fcs defense off the line of scrimmage. WR's that can't create separation except for the occasional broken coverage. And I won't even mention the QB situation

The only standout recruiting class he brought in - and that's relative- is the one that hasn't arrived yet.

What evidence is there that this roster is better, I won't even ask much better, than when he started?
Cam Ross is a baller bro, He creates his own separation. Cam was top five in pretty much every category nationally for true freshman WRs. Durante Jones from Georgia is another one that is looking to have a stellar true freshman season, he can ball too, he’s always around the ball and a vocal leader as a true freshman. Nate Carter has some speed and agility to his game, i wanted to see more of him against Holy Cross, the kid stood out to me and played better than mensah. I think we have a lot of good players, but I think it’s more coaching than talent. I think the roster as a whole isn’t great but we do have talent.
 
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The last time the team was undeniably good, we had a murderers row of good coaches on the sideline.
RE 1.0 had a great eye for talent - both players and coaches.

Really don't know what happened. Did he lose it, or was he not able to make the hires he wanted to make due to financial constraints?
 
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Cam Ross is a baller bro, He creates his own separation. Cam was top five in pretty much every category nationally for true freshman WRs. Durante Jones from Georgia is another one that is looking to have a stellar true freshman season, he can ball too, he’s always around the ball and a vocal leader as a true freshman. Nate Carter has some speed and agility to his game, i wanted to see more of him against Holy Cross, the kid stood out to me and played better than mensah. I think we have a lot of good players, but I think it’s more coaching than talent. I think the roster as a whole isn’t great but we do have talent.
Jalon Ferrell has looked good at the other safety. I get it. We just lost to an FCS squad, who can claim we are any good right? But there are pieces here for sure.
 

crazyUCfan23

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RE 1.0 had a great eye for talent - both players and coaches.

Really don't know what happened. Did he lose it, or was he not able to make the hires he wanted to make due to financial constraints?
Probably a combination. Edsall definitely deserves credit for the first go around, but he also surrounded himself with great coaches then and that certainly isn't the case now.
 
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RE 1.0 had a great eye for talent - both players and coaches.

Really don't know what happened. Did he lose it, or was he not able to make the hires he wanted to make due to financial constraints?
It could be financial constraints, but also his approach to the game is just ancient. Yes we pinned HC at t he 1 and defense blew it by letting the HC QB scramble for the long gainer, but I was shocked he punted from the HC 41 in that spot.
 
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The DL is a plus IMO. QB, OL, amd maybe DB need upgrades or better coaching. WRs are as good as we have had as a group. RBs are decent. LBs are so so. I stand by it. Compared to what was here when Randy got here the talent is better, but more importantly the roster has been constructed with enough depth and not just a hodgepodge of players like Diaco left.
DB definitely needs upgrade or better coaching. Again yesterday there were at least two instances where our DB was running step by step with the receiver. Our DB had no idea where the ball was until it was in the hands of the receiver.
 
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Jalon Ferrell has looked good at the other safety. I get it. We just lost to an FCS squad, who can claim we are any good right? But there are pieces here for sure.

I want to believe you guys, the last thing I want to see is another 4 years in the crapper while a new coach has to rebuild.

So far it looks like another rerun. I'm going to hope it's just youth and not playing last year, and we hire a coach that isn't shy about jucos and the transfer portal. Enough of this program building. Winning builds programs
 
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I want to believe you guys, the last thing I want to see is another 4 years in the crapper while a new coach has to rebuild.

So far it looks like another rerun. I'm going to hope it's just youth and not playing last year, and we hire a coach that isn't shy about jucos and the transfer portal. Enough of this program building. Winning builds programs
I mean it has to be prerequisite of the interview process. Once you talk about rebuilding and recruiting "your guys" you void your buyout. Every one is going to recruit. The message to the fanbase should be we will do everything in our power to win day 1. These kids currently in the program deserve that much.
 
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I want to believe you guys, the last thing I want to see is another 4 years in the crapper while a new coach has to rebuild.

So far it looks like another rerun. I'm going to hope it's just youth and not playing last year, and we hire a coach that isn't shy about jucos and the transfer portal. Enough of this program building. Winning builds programs
Definitely need to hit juco and the transfer portal hard.
 
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Definitely need to hit juco and the transfer portal hard.
isn't that part of the problem? that UConn admissions won't let them in for the most part?

You also have to be really careful with the JUCO kids. One of Kansas' biggest issues historically is that they've taken a bunch of JUCO kids and as soon as a coach gets fired or a class goes bad, they have like half a roster
 
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Definitely need to hit juco and the transfer portal hard.

Especially since the vultures are probably already contacting our recruits. And there is not going to be a new coach named before the signing period to combat it.
 

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