Temple can do it but UCan't?

[weyuo]

I just can't understand how Temple, who wasn't good enough to belong in the Big East has apparently survived and at times thrived in the AAC, where UConn can't gain any ground whatsoever. Temple once again is bowl eligible.

 

[ScottVib]

It hasn't whiffed on each coaching hire and recruiting cycle for the better part of a decade.

 

[The Viking]

It's a fair point. You'd like to think that a State U would be able to have a better football program than friggin Temple. Inexcusable.
Of course it doesn't help when Coach P doesn't give Matkevitch the time of day when the kid is in our back yard - and then he goes to Temple and is a beast for years and then plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

[metsfan2323]

This place just isn't the same.

You're right. Big improvement lately.

 

[formerlurker]

I just can't understand how Temple, who wasn't good enough to belong in the Big East has apparently survived and at times thrived in the AAC, where UConn can't gain any ground whatsoever. Temple once again is bowl eligible.

I'm going to make this post interesting and ask why you felt the need to change your font.

 

[ktuck911]

Location location location. You play home games in a NFL stadium, reside in the same city, not to mention, it's a football state. Took your lumps 10 years ago and eventually got things rolling and haven't looked back. Please don't pitch there's good football in CT too. Fact is we're still not at the same level as what goes on in PA. I think we had too many "knowitalls" at the top here in Storrs that ruined what was being built here. They actually sabotaged things (looking wayyy too far ahead when we still had a lot of work to do)

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

They signed Isaiah Wright in 2012 and the rest is history

 

[gioff2323]

They signed Isaiah Wright in 2012 and the rest is history

When he was in 8th grade? Nice!

 

[gioff2323]

BTW, at some point more than the BY needs to talk seriously about what we are doing across the board to improve the product.

They stood up in the face of peril and said we are committed to playing FB at a high level. I must've missed that proclamation from our Prez and AD.

If we are not going to admit the kids Temple does because we think we are above them, then we will repeatedly fall below them. Look at their front 7 (all of whom can play on Sunday) and ask yourself how many of them would have gotten past the nimrods in the admissions office.

We need to stop making excuses about our location. Boise puts a winner on the field consistently. So do places like K State. Most colleges are off the beaten path - that was the point of their location.

And it'd be nice if we had an identity. Something, anything. Frig, we can't even agree on what our helmets should look like. You want to play at Temple, you better be frigging tough, because they go after each other everyday in hopes of securing a jersey # in the single digits. They are Temple Tuff. What the heck are we ?

 

[UConnJim]

It hasn't whiffed on each coaching hire and recruiting cycle for the better part of a decade.

This.

Temple hired Al Golden, a young and energetic coach, who recruited like mad in the local area and developed them. He rebuilt the Temple roster and changed the mindset. They followed Golden with a questionable hire in Addazio, but followed him with Rhule, a great hire.

At schools like UConn and Temple, if you win, you will recruit better than if you lose. Heck, that’s true for almost all schools.

UConn had a lead on Temple, but lost it due to Temple hiring better coaches than UConn. It’s really that simple.

 

[Pudge]

I just can't understand how Temple, who wasn't good enough to belong in the Big East has apparently survived and at times thrived in the AAC, where UConn can't gain any ground whatsoever. Temple once again is bowl eligible.

AS bad as we all think we are today ... and we suck ... Temple was worse before Al Golden. Worse hires. WORST facilities in modern football ... and by the way ... they aren't much better today. I have toured their facility east off Broad Street.

All you have placed on the table is they did make great hires and figured out how to be good using THIS recruiting base - admittedly Greater Phila & South Jersey is beyond UCONN. And it helps that Schiano left Rutgers.

 

[AAC Guru]

UConn has dug themselves into a massive hole because it has become the laughing stock of college football. Nobody remembers Baylor coming in and getting smacked. It’s the laughing stock of college football on a national level and I think that makes it even more difficult to recruit until the sentiment can change.

 

[huskymedic]

WORST facilities in modern football ... and by the way ... they aren't much better today. I have toured their facility east off Broad Street.

Have you toured the new facility west of Broad Street? They have invested in the program (and renovated 10th and Diamond as well).

 

[Pudge]

Have you toured the new facility west of Broad Street?

where's my emoji kit ...

No. I toured in 2015 late EAST of Broad. It was a good imitation of Crack neighborhood. And the Student Housing ... was prison looking.

So, you are enlightening me. It is not on my general visits to Phila. But, I will google and see. Nonetheless ... my point is Shankman, Burton ... it ain't the facilities that drew their recruiting quality up; it was a strategy and the right coaches out on the path.

 

[SubbaBub]

The power of intelligent recruiting and coaching.

 

[SubInATub]

Awful coaching, location, and even worse fit for the conference. There is your answer. End thread.

 

[huskymedic]

At schools like UConn and Temple, if you win, you will recruit better than if you lose. Heck, that’s true for almost all schools.

UConn had a lead on Temple, but lost it due to Temple hiring better coaches than UConn. It’s really that simple.

Some programs just thrive as the underdog and playing w/ a chip on their shoulders.

 

[Pudge]

Jerry Berndt & Ron Dickerson & Bobby Wallace ... they won 38 and LOST 151. Far below the Mendoza line. Al Golden arrived in 2006. This might be ancient history to some of you; not to me.

Interestingly. They kept each of those three for extended periods. 4 years; 5 years; 6 years. None of them would be on most lists of likely hires at the time. And none of them had much of a career post-Temple. So ... GOLDEN ... was a visionary and still is working; with a AD (*and subsequent ADs that kept this going).

They had several 0 fer years; as in did not win.

 

[LBird33]

But at UConn we’re developing young men and their character. Our strategy is know as the horse and buggy method. It tAkes years to build !

 

[uconnfan68]

UConn has dug themselves into a massive hole because it has become the laughing stock of college football. Nobody remembers Baylor coming in and getting smacked. It’s the laughing stock of college football on a national level and I think that makes it even more difficult to recruit until the sentiment can change.

Thanks ESPN... who said any publicity is good?

 

[SubbaBub]

We lost over 20 FBS games in a row. That's Anthony Young territory (and I'm not a Mets fan).

We deserve as much ridicule for that as we do sympathy for getting screwed by CR.

The only thing to do is move forward and that will take a little time.

 

[AAC Guru]

Thanks ESPN... who said any publicity is good?

Barstool too. And honestly, the school was ridiculously stupid for agreeing to the dumb Edsall bonus structured contract. I don’t blame Edsall at all obviously anyone in his place would have taken the added on bonuses and I understand he is paid a very low salary relative to 1A head coaches. That being said, the bonuses have taken on a life of their own and have become a huge mockery for Edsall, the program, and the school. It was ridiculously stupid on the schools part.

 

[templefan1]

where's my emoji kit ...

No. I toured in 2015 late EAST of Broad. It was a good imitation of Crack neighborhood. And the Student Housing ... was prison looking.

So, you are enlightening me. It is not on my general visits to Phila. But, I will google and see. Nonetheless ... my point is Shankman, Burton ... it ain't the facilities that drew their recruiting quality up; it was a strategy and the right coaches out on the path.

Pudge, I know that since you have been to the facility in 2015 numerous upgrades have been made to the facility since then with the coaching changes. Each coach has had a list of improvements each time they've been hired. Is it on par with UConn's new facility, most definitely not but it serves it's purpose. Also, have an indoor facility now. See below.
Aramark STAR Complex - Photo Galleries - Temple University Athletics

I do agree though with Pudge that it isn't the facilities that draw players to Temple. It is the coaches and the player development that brings them in. I believe Temple is tied for the lead in the AAC for current players in the NFL with 19. Since Golden, every coach has developed a strategy of taking great athletes that may not be the most highly recruited and turning them in to football players. That seems to be the formula to win at Temple. Temple also has increased spending in recruiting, coaching staff salaries, player nutrition etc. They are truly committed to the sport now. Last night's win has made Temple bowl eligible 9 of the last 11 years.

They have also created an identity too. Temple is going to hit you and push you around. They are going to play physical. It works because Temple is never going to be able to recruit at the level of talent that the FL and TX schools do. They can however out effort and play physically to offset that.

On the Uconn side of things, UConn needs to be committed to playing FBS football. That not only means creating a schedule to win, but increasing spending in all other areas. Randy isn't the answer, but the next coach may be up against the wall from the get go. If the goal is to just stay afloat financially and hope you catch lightning in a bottle, it won't work. Anyone have an idea of what the salary pool is for FB at UConn? If you can't get competent assistant coaches to recruit, UConn isn't going to succeed at the FBS Independent level. Temple is paying CO-DC Fran Brown (doesn't even call the plays) $450K. Just an example.

Looks like Temple will be playing UConn in the future in both basketball and football so hoping to make some more trips up to CT in the future.

 

[huskymedic]

Anyone have an idea of what the salary pool is for FB at UConn? If you can't get competent assistant coaches to recruit, UConn isn't going to succeed at the FBS Independent level. Temple is paying CO-DC Fran Brown (doesn't even call the plays) $450K. Just an example.

The current salaries of UConn’s assistant football coaches:

• Offensive coordinator Frank Giufre: $313,500
• Defensive coordinator Lou Spanos: $313,500
• Defensive backs coach Darrell Perkins: $182,875
• Defensive line coach Dennis Dottin-Carter: $177,650
• Special teams coordinator Eddie Allen: $172,425
• Quarterbacks coach Mike Moyseenko: $156,750
• Wide receivers coach Aaron Smith: $151,525
• Star, Nickel, Dime coach Jarren Horton: $129,375
• Running backs coach Kyle Weiss: $114,950
• Tight ends coach Corey Edsall: $98,325

 

[Pudge]

We have been beyond Temple in salary pool in the 2011-2019 period.

again. I think HCRE has great skills in talent evaluation & acquisition. I’m not happy about his Offensive/Defensive concepts today - in modern CFB. However he certainly can be marked as the start. But the talent base in January 2017 was ... putrid. And then you took baby steps from there.