Syracuse HC Hunting

[UConn9604]

If Diaco ever takes a coaching gig in NJ, it will be with the Giants. I think he's riding out the UConn train for several more years. If he is wildly successful, then the big boy programs will look at him. Syracuse is not an upgrade, nor Rutgers.

Diaco's not afraid to look around (he interviewed with Temple, BC and Cal in the year before we hired him), but I think he has to feel like he's in a comfortable spot right now. The kids he has here (and coming in), the culture he's created, the success he's achieved in his second year -- there are probably a dozen or so jobs that he'd leave us for in a heartbeat, and another dozen that he might think about, but none of those is named Syracuse or Rutgers.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Diaco's not afraid to look around (he interviewed with Temple, BC and Cal in the year before we hired him), but I think he has to feel like he's in a comfortable spot right now. The kids he has here (and coming in), the culture he's created, the success he's achieved in his second year -- there are probably a dozen or so jobs that he'd leave us for in a heartbeat, and another dozen that he might think about, but none of those is named Syracuse or Rutgers.

I agree, but nothing in NJ would pry him away from UConn, unless they wear blue and play on Sunday. He's not a hot enough name to be courted by anyone who would likely be on his "leave UConn" list, at least not yet. Win a bowl this year, have a one loss season next year with a New Years bowl...and we might have a problem.

 

[UConn9604]

I agree, but nothing in NJ would pry him away from UConn, unless they wear blue and play on Sunday. He's not a hot enough name to be courted by anyone who would likely be on his "leave UConn" list, at least not yet. Win a bowl this year, have a one loss season next year with a New Years bowl...and we might have a problem.

I remember having a coach that people sometimes wanted (Randy) and a coach that no one wanted (Coach P). Given the choice, the former is not a problem...

 

[kibblesnbits]

Speaking of syracuse, on there message board they have a thread about the win vs. Houston

http://syracusefan.com/threads/uconn.96590/

My favorites are the idiots that say, "They wouldn't be 10-1 and ranked 19th in the ACC." That's probably true. They'd be 8-3 or 9-2 and ranked number 19. The ranking takes into account the difference in leagues - which exists but isn't as great as they would like to believe. Syracuse would probably have a slightly better record in the AAC, but they wouldn't suddenly be one of the league's better teams.

 

[UConn9604]

My favorites are the idiots that say, "They wouldn't be 10-1 and ranked 19th in the ACC." That's probably true. They'd be 8-3 or 9-2 and ranked number 19. The ranking takes into account the difference in leagues - which exists but isn't as great as they would like to believe. Syracuse would probably have a slightly better record in the AAC, but they wouldn't suddenly be one of the league's better teams.

Right. I mean, the rankings previously had FIVE two-loss teams, at 11-15, above Houston, and three three-loss teams, at 22-24, below Houston.

So, if their argument is that they would have been 8-2 or 7-3 in another league and not 10-0, OK, great. They'd still be ranked right around 19, or maybe even higher.

 

[gioff23]

Syracuse would probably have a slightly better record in the AAC, but they wouldn't suddenly be one of the league's better teams.

Not sure why one would make this statement in that they are 0-1 against AAC, losing by 3TDs to USF and the AAC (ex-Tulane) pretty much handled its ACC counterparts. Some would reasonably argue the AAC is the better conference in 15. While I will never know how to compare conferences, I would not argue SU would be any better if they were in the AAC. Their signature win was Wake.

 

[pepband99]

These are the same people that loved to bust on our 2011 title as 1) our last ever and 2) a gift from the bracket gods. 1 was obviously wrong, and 2 is sort of negated by their only title almost being derailed by a virtual home game against powerhouse Auburn.

 

[huskeynut]

Too many Cuse fans are living on the legends of Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little. Cuse hasn't been relavent in the nation football scene for a long while.

And what happened to their vaunted basketball program when they left the BE. Like others who left the BE for the ACC - nothing. Boeheim is done and the program is dirty.

They have a serious jealousy factor to deal with.

 

[SubbaBub]

I have never met BD. In fact, I don't know a thing about him other than he has cool hair. However, I refuse to allow my ignorance affect my ability to make bold, unsupported claims about him. Here goes:

HFCBD will not leave UConn. He is building a program built on the philosophy of being the "right kind of guy". The right kind of guy is hard working, honest, trustworthy and loyalty. For him, the money is important, but it is MORE important to build a legacy. He wants to be a coach who is synonymous with the program, and UConn has a tradition of that: Calhoun, Auriemma, Morrone, Stevens (field hockey). He is in the perfect position to become a legend. He will be the coach for the foreseeable future, UConn football will surpass all expectations under his watch, and in 25 years we'll be tailgating at Diaco Field on the UConn campus in Storrs.

He certainly appears to have that overdeveloped sense of purpose and and endless supply of rainbows and candy to make this a possibility, but money and prestige has a funny way of killing that particular kind of thing. Win this conference and make a NY6 bowl or get us into a better conference, then we can contemplate these questions because it has already been proven that the ceiling for this program is at least that.

 

[SubbaBub]

Syracuse would probably have a slightly better record in the AAC, but they wouldn't suddenly be one of the league's better teams.

Not sure why one would make this statement in that they are 0-1 against AAC, losing by 3TDs to USF and the AAC (ex-Tulane) pretty much handled its ACC counterparts. Some would reasonably argue the AAC is the better conference in 15. While I will never know how to compare conferences, I would not argue SU would be any better if they were in the AAC. Their signature win was Wake.

You don't need to argue, reasonably or otherwise. You can confidently state as fact that the AAC is better than the ACC in 2015. I'm not sure it's that close unless you are overly enamored with how bad UCF is.

 

[Stainmaster]

He certainly appears to have that overdeveloped sense of purpose and and endless supply of rainbows and candy to make this a possibility, but money and prestige has a funny way of killing that particular kind of thing. Win this conference and make a NY6 bowl or get us into a better conference, then we can contemplate these questions because it has already been proven that the ceiling for this program is at least that.

From what I've read about Diaco, he seems to be uniquely devoted to his own code of morals. Reading accounts of his coaches and teammates at Iowa, he seemed to be just as disciplined and value-centric as he is today. I'm of the opinion that Diaco believes in community and family a lot more than most others HCs. He sure talks about it more than any I've ever heard. To me, this makes him seem like he would not be anywhere nearly as easily tempted by money or prestige as the average coach. With that in mind, the only other jobs I can ever see him taking are jobs where he's already a part of that community/family -- Iowa or Notre Dame.

 

[FDNY99]

From what I've read about Diaco, he seems to be uniquely devoted to his own code of morals. Reading accounts of his coaches and teammates at Iowa, he seemed to be just as disciplined and value-centric as he is today. I'm of the opinion that Diaco believes in community and family a lot more than most others HCs. He sure talks about it more than any I've ever heard. To me, this makes him seem like he would not be anywhere nearly as easily tempted by money or prestige as the average coach. With that in mind, the only other jobs I can ever see him taking are jobs where he's already a part of that community/family -- Iowa or Notre Dame.

I would also add UVA to that mix too.

 

[UConn9604]

He certainly appears to have that overdeveloped sense of purpose and and endless supply of rainbows and candy to make this a possibility, but money and prestige has a funny way of killing that particular kind of thing. Win this conference and make a NY6 bowl or get us into a better conference, then we can contemplate these questions because it has already been proven that the ceiling for this program is at least that.

To be fair, some who are close to Randy say that the primary reason he wanted to leave was that he didn't get along with Jeff.

Diaco, thankfully, doesn't have that problem.

 

[FDNY99]

To be fair, some who are close to Randy say that the primary reason he wanted to leave was that he didn't get along with Jeff.

Diaco, thankfully, doesn't have that problem.

Didn't get along is putting it nicely..truth is he hated Hathaway's GUTS and couldn't stand him anymore.

 

[uconnphil2016]

We'll be fine this season. After next year, watch out. We could very easily have an 8 or 9 win team competing for an AAC title and Diaco's name being mentioned in the way Rhule and Fuente are now. And that's fine. That's where our program is at right now--a stepping stone for talented, young coaches. In the next wave of CR when we are in big 10/ACC and can afford to pay our coaches more, we'll be able to keep guys like diaco. But it's going to take the Diacos of the world to get us to that point in the first place.

 

[freescooter]

We are ranked and playing on New Year's Day next year and we'll be be doing it with Verducci as acting head coach. Which by the way is a system that needs to change. Teams get screwed when they lose the head coach while preparing for a bowl game.

 

[coachcap]

We are ranked and playing on New Year's Day next year and we'll be be doing it with Verducci as acting head coach. Which by the way is a system that needs to change. Teams get screwed when they lose the head coach while preparing for a bowl game.

From your lips to God's ears about playing on New Year's Day.