The biggest issue - investment in the program

[zls44]

Cincy's OC and DC are making 50% more than Charlton. I think they have 5 assistants making about as much as Charlton.

In 2021, before the Big 12 invited UCF, they paid the head coach $2.3 million and the assistant pool was $3.3 million for a total of $5.5 million.

You guys are talking Cincy and UCF...UConn is a bottom-three team in the sport! Stop worrying about the top rungs of the ladder when the entire middle rung is there in front of you, at the current rates.

UConn can't be Buffalo or Temple or Toledo with this salary pool?!?!?!? How about we start there. This program needs to get there first before folks start thinking about those other teams.

 

[Skies2018]

You guys are talking Cincy and UCF...UConn is a bottom-three team in the sport! Stop worrying about the top rungs of the ladder when the entire middle rung is there in front of you, at the current rates.

UConn can't be Buffalo or Temple or Toledo with this salary pool?!?!?!? How about we start there. This program needs to get there first before folks start thinking about those other teams.

Look - there is absolutely no reason we can’t be playing competitive football with the salaries we currently pay. Hell, URI is playing better football than us with FCS money. The solution isn’t to throw more money at the problem it’s to fire the coaches who aren’t worth minimum wage and go out and make GOOD hires. Which is something we haven’t done for a decade (maybe minus HCJM). Maybe that means paying SLIGHTLY more but it’s obvious that other schools make it work with less.

 

[UConnJim]

You guys are talking Cincy and UCF...UConn is a bottom-three team in the sport! Stop worrying about the top rungs of the ladder when the entire middle rung is there in front of you, at the current rates.

UConn can't be Buffalo or Temple or Toledo with this salary pool?!?!?!? How about we start there. This program needs to get there first before folks start thinking about those other teams.

Buffalo gave Leipold, a D3 coach a chance and nobody else did. Great hire, but how can Buffalo be our comp? One winning season from 1997 to 2012 and 5 winning seasons from 2013 to 2022 and 11-18 since he left. And, they play a much easier schedule. They play 1 P5 school per year. UConn is playing 3 to 4.

Al Golden turned around Temple and Rhule was a great hire. people forget how Golden did it. His first year, he played 5 BCS schools and lost 62-0, 62-0, 43-14, 63-9, and 47-0. His first winning season, he played 1 P5 school (lost 31-6), lost to FCS Villanova., and lost the bowl to a BCS school. He was 0-11 against BCS schools with a total score of 448-79. They dumbed down the schedule to get wins and build the program. It's a strategy, but does UConn want to go that route?

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Buffalo gave Leipold, a D3 coach a chance and nobody else did. Great hire, but how can Buffalo be our comp? One winning season from 1997 to 2012 and 5 winning seasons from 2013 to 2022 and 11-18 since he left. And, they play a much easier schedule. They play 1 P5 school per year. UConn is playing 3 to 4.

Al Golden turned around Temple and Rhule was a great hire. people forget how Golden did it. His first year, he played 5 BCS schools and lost 62-0, 62-0, 43-14, 63-9, and 47-0. His first winning season, he played 1 P5 school (lost 31-6), lost to FCS Villanova., and lost the bowl to a BCS school. He was 0-11 against BCS schools with a total score of 448-79. They dumbed down the schedule to get wins and build the program. It's a strategy, but does UConn want to go that route?

UConn needs to recruit, that’s what the program’s success boils down to. Our 2024 incoming class looks like Mora had some success too. He just needs to keep doing this for the next 3 or 4 years.

 

[UConnJim]

UConn needs to recruit, that’s what the program’s success boils down to. Our 2024 incoming class looks like Mora had some success too. He just needs to keep doing this for the next 3 or 4 years.

In the portal era, you have to expect fast improvement. That is why you hire a good OC who has QB contacts to run his proven offense. I just think it really is that simple. This is year 2 of Charlton and it's not working.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

In the portal era, you have to expect fast improvement. That is why you hire a good OC who has QB contacts to run his proven offense. I just think it really is that simple. This is year 2 of Charlton and it's not working.

Do they just walk through the door? Don’t the coaches have to recruit kids in the portal? I’ll admit the portal makes things a lot quicker but selling the program is still important. The other reason I was never a fan of Charlton are his skills at recruiting FBS level kids, either portal or otherwise. A CT guy like Joe Moorhead would’ve had us rolling.

 

[SwingDog]

So, if we could hire Urban Meyer with top assistants for a total of $6 million per year, you would say no we only pay after they prove than can win at UConn? Isn’t that the mindset that has gotten us into our current situation?

No, I'm saying Jim Mora was hired and agreed to a contract with the university. It's not like he was bamboozled into accepting the offer. It's no secret the program has been bleeding money for years. I am not privy to how much money may or may not be available, but I believe a successful, revenue-generating program can be built on Mora's leadership, and that as success is achieved it puts more money in the coffers. You are also leaving facilities out of the discussion, which many claim is an important part of the equation. If there is more money available for salaries, and a favorable ROI can be ensured, sure, spend it to get some better assistants if you really think that is truly what's needed. I'm just not convinced, that like education as a whole, that simply throwing more money at it is the answer.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I just can't understand how a school like Temple can put out a competitive football product and UConn can't. The recruiting region is similar, but UConn, I'm sure, has vastly better facilities as well as an overall excellent athletic department. Something wrong with that picture. And Temple is just one comparison. There are many others.

Recruiting regions aren't remotely similar when comparing Temple to us. An hour drive (with traffic) in any direction from Temple's campus covers better recruiting territory than a four hour drive from Storrs (also with traffic).
--------------
This season to date has been disheartening as hell but part of me is thinking this would be a bit easier to take if last season had one or two fewer wins.

Our (comparative) success last year included a handful of things going our way and a good amount of energy arriving after the Michigan/NC St road gauntlet. In all candor, what we saw Saturday against Duke wasn't all that different from what we saw a year ago against Syracuse and this year's Duke squad is a better team than Cuse was last year.

It is beyond disappointing that our OL appears to have taken a step backwards. It is beyond disappointing that our WR's look as limited as they have looked and it is beyond disappointing that our QB play may be as bad as it has been since the upgrade more than two decades ago.

I don't get the massive step backwards, especially as there appeared to be significant reason to believe a few of the position groups would be noticeably better than they were last year and reason to believe no group would be worse. I don't get what happened to out OLine or DLine. I don't get what happened to our LBs, DBs or WRs. I'm at a loss.

What gets me more than anything is that against NC St, for the most part we looked like we belonged. If we did a better job of tackling, especially when their QB ran, we wouldn't have had to worry about the PI calls that never should have been called and we would have won the game. It seems that the loss there took out our heart. I just don't get it.

 

[UConnJim]

Do they just walk through the door? Don’t the coaches have to recruit kids in the portal? I’ll admit the portal makes things a lot quicker but selling the program is still important. The other reason I was never a fan of Charlton are his skills at recruiting FBS level kids, either portal or otherwise. A CT guy like Joe Moorhead would’ve had us rolling.

The key to QB recruiting are relationships with coaches and offensive fit. In today's college football, QBs move and many times they follow coaches or move to teams with coaches that recruited them before. Some examples? Fagnano to UConn, Williams to USC, Sanders to Colorado, Plummer to Lousiville, Plumlee to UCF, Buchner to Notre Dame, Millen to Colorado St., ...

 

[TheWall]

Recruiting regions aren't remotely similar when comparing Temple to us. An hour drive (with traffic) in any direction from Temple's campus covers better recruiting territory than a four hour drive from Storrs (also with traffic).
--------------
This season to date has been disheartening as hell but part of me is thinking this would be a bit easier to take if last season had one or two fewer wins.

Our (comparative) success last year included a handful of things going our way and a good amount of energy arriving after the Michigan/NC St road gauntlet. In all candor, what we saw Saturday against Duke wasn't all that different from what we saw a year ago against Syracuse and this year's Duke squad is a better team than Cuse was last year.

It is beyond disappointing that our OL appears to have taken a step backwards. It is beyond disappointing that our WR's look as limited as they have looked and it is beyond disappointing that our QB play may be as bad as it has been since the upgrade more than two decades ago.

I don't get the massive step backwards, especially as there appeared to be significant reason to believe a few of the position groups would be noticeably better than they were last year and reason to believe no group would be worse. I don't get what happened to out OLine or DLine. I don't get what happened to our LBs, DBs or WRs. I'm at a loss.

What gets me more than anything is that against NC St, for the most part we looked like we belonged. If we did a better job of tackling, especially when their QB ran, we wouldn't have had to worry about the PI calls that never should have been called and we would have won the game. It seems that the loss there took out our heart. I just don't get it.

I disagree about the recruiting region. They all look to Florida, the mid-Atlantic, and elsewhere. Seriously, what school is more attractive, UConn or Temple? I'd say more pros in the NFL from UConn than Temple. That would be something I would stress recruiting. I think the difference is UConn has not put together a good coaching staff, top to bottom including recruiters in over ten years now. Every year I find it amazing that such a bad overall team has players drafted into the NFL...and sticking with teams.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I disagree about the recruiting region. They all look to Florida, the mid-Atlantic, and elsewhere. Seriously, what school is more attractive, UConn or Temple? I'd say more pros in the NFL from UConn than Temple. That would be something I would stress recruiting. I think the difference is UConn has not put together a good coaching staff, top to bottom including recruiters in over ten years now. Every year I find it amazing that such a bad overall team has players drafted into the NFL...and sticking with teams.

Do you have any idea of how big HS football is in Pennsylvania? Southern NJ? In all candor Temple should have been a far better program than it was from the late 1970's until Rhule got there as the can put together a decent roster just by taking leftovers from local schools.

As far as which school's football program is more attractive to current HS students, sadly I think we know the answer. As far as who has put more players in the NFL, there was a five year stretch where we did better but the eight us decades before that and the decade after that, they have put considerably more players in the NFL.

 

[Rich]

I just can't understand how a school like Temple can put out a competitive football product and UConn can't. The recruiting region is similar, but UConn, I'm sure, has vastly better facilities as well as an overall excellent athletic department. Something wrong with that picture. And Temple is just one comparison. There are many others.

The notion of 'competitiveness' is entirely relative.

Temple is competitive relative to.....which programs? Miami absolutely DESTROYED them this weekend, at home no less and in the sort of weather that should have enabled Temple to at least keep it somewhat close. I don't think their program is meaningfully better than ours and they're probably gonna be AAC basement dwellers for quite a bit. Right now they're probably the functional equivalent of a basement MAAC basement dweller which ain't where any of us wanna be.

I've said before here that I believe our ceiling should be a high end G5 program at maximized potential. Given the money/facilities/geographic environment/recruiting pool we have at our disposal that's probably where we're capped. But that's far from a negative in today's FBS environment.

I'll tell you what-something that would signal......a degree of progress to me would be an ability to successfully recruit the state's prep schools. Every year you look at the top recruits in those institutions (24/7 ratings) and they're all Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame....that QB who just committed to UGA. When we can pull even one of those kids per season that's what you wanna see.

 

[Rich]

I've seen a lot of complaining around here that we should be better because Mora pulled kids from the portal this off-season. It's useful to remember that every player that isn't a graduate transfer is in the portal for a reason, the majority because they lost a competition for a roster spot at their original institution. It's okay to pick up other peoples' nickels but you better make sure it's a real nickel as opposed to, I dunno, a plugged nickel. Takes some really astute evaluation and I think Mora probably needed to get burned a few times before he learned to master the portal game. But just because your program gets player X, Y, Z does not at all mean they will make your roster better.

 

[Dizzy21]

Cincy's OC and DC are making 50% more than Charlton. I think they have 5 assistants making about as much as Charlton.

In 2021, before the Big 12 invited UCF, they paid the head coach $2.3 million and the assistant pool was $3.3 million for a total of $5.5 million.

Not before they got into the Big 12. Those are post Big 12 numbers for the coordinators.

And as I mentioned with the head coaches, they attracted head coaches at pretty comparable salaries to UConn, who then only got raised after they won at least 11 games.

This is not a case where schools are throwing money at coaches, it is a case of not being able to hire good ones. If that is on the Athletics Department or if it is something fundamental, I do not know. But it is certainly not because other people are throwing bags at coaches.

 

[UConnJim]

Not before they got into the Big 12. Those are post Big 12 numbers for the coordinators.

And as I mentioned with the head coaches, they attracted head coaches at pretty comparable salaries to UConn, who then only got raised after they won at least 11 games.

This is not a case where schools are throwing money at coaches, it is a case of not being able to hire good ones. If that is on the Athletics Department or if it is something fundamental, I do not know. But it is certainly not because other people are throwing bags at coaches.

For the 2021 season when they were in the AAC, before Cincy was invited to the Big 12, their assistant coaching pool was $2.7 million and Fickell was making $3.4 million. Total coaching salary spending was $2.8 million more than UConn is spending this year.

For 2020, before they got the Big 12 invite, the assistant coach salary pool for UCF was $3.5 million. In 2014, George O'Leary was being paid $1.9 million as UCF's head coach. That was almost 10 years ago.

 

[RC111]

Football needs a conference and something to play for other than getting beaten for paydays by superior teams.
Is the 1.8 million the program is going to get for having the privilege of getting crushed by Tennessee, worth it?

UConn and UMass should approach the MAC for football and build from there. No major conference is going to be calling at this point.

Unfortunately, the MAC is on the record saying that they like what they have: one of the only sane, regionally-based conferences left in D1 Football. We have no reason to believe they'd have us.

That being said, would love to see UConn in the MAC. A lot of people have turned their noses at the MAC and how it wouldn't fill the Rent. But every year a MAC team beats a B1G team, and they have a shot at the playoffs. Both are more than we can say. We're not in a position to be looking down on anyone or any potential solution.

I remember going to games against no-name FCS teams when I was a student in 2008 and that place was packed once people got their tailgating fix by mid first quarter. Win, and the fans will come back. There are some nice, semi-close potential rivals like Buffalo.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

IF we do not have a D-coordinator because of a lack of money, we need more money. Big time programs are fully staffed. I capitalized IF because I do not know that a lack of money is the reason for no D-coordinator.

Paying Pagano analyst money as a DC-Lite

 

[CONN78SEJ]

The key to QB recruiting are relationships with coaches and offensive fit. In today's college football, QBs move and many times they follow coaches or move to teams with coaches that recruited them before. Some examples? Fagnano to UConn, Williams to USC, Sanders to Colorado, Plummer to Lousiville, Plumlee to UCF, Buchner to Notre Dame, Millen to Colorado St., ...

I don’t disagree, but that true for all positions, not just QB’s. It’s why we need to give Mora time (a few years) to develop those relationships since he’s been out the game for a while now. He needs to get a DC but that takes money, and he needs to dump Charlton and put Marinelli in the drivers seat.

 

[noeynox]

Buffalo gave Leipold, a D3 coach a chance and nobody else did. Great hire, but how can Buffalo be our comp? One winning season from 1997 to 2012 and 5 winning seasons from 2013 to 2022 and 11-18 since he left. And, they play a much easier schedule. They play 1 P5 school per year. UConn is playing 3 to 4.

Al Golden turned around Temple and Rhule was a great hire. people forget how Golden did it. His first year, he played 5 BCS schools and lost 62-0, 62-0, 43-14, 63-9, and 47-0. His first winning season, he played 1 P5 school (lost 31-6), lost to FCS Villanova., and lost the bowl to a BCS school. He was 0-11 against BCS schools with a total score of 448-79. They dumbed down the schedule to get wins and build the program. It's a strategy, but does UConn want to go that route?

Good research. Good on you. We know CT fans don't show up for crappy opponents and losing football. Duke game kinda showed we ain't showing up for good opponents and crappy football. I don't know if the answer is to dumb down the schedule, but people are tired of the perpetual ineptitude. I could have gone to Duke, since my daughter's event got canceled. Didn't feel like wasting a day in the rain to watch what i suspected was going to be a non competitive performance.

 

[Derucky]

Before getting into the Big 12 those three schools paid assistants the same as Charlton gets and even now they aren't getting much more. UCF and Cincy got Josh Heupel to come on board for 1.7mln and Fickell to come on board for 1.9 mln. Mora Gets 1.5mln. They didn't exactly splash money around to a good coach. They simply hired good ones and then paid them for success after they won and ultimately into the Big 12.

If Mora went 12-1 like Heupel or 11-2 like Fickell, I am sure the money would come like they did for those guys. The Mountain West and Sunbelt Schools have no issue making football good with coaches paid half as much.

Now it would be nice to be able to drop a bag on someone proven, but those schools that got into the Big 12 simply know how to hire football coaches better than UConn does.

FBS football will survive at UConn. Bottom line is we have enough money as a state and have done enough on the field since the beginning. BC has NEVER played in ANY bowl as big as the Fiesta despite their betrayal of the Big East. There are FBS teams that are performing at a high level on the field right now that can't say all that.

 

[SuperHuski]

I don’t disagree, but that true for all positions, not just QB’s. It’s why we need to give Mora time (a few years) to develop those relationships since he’s been out the game for a while now. He needs to get a DC but that takes money, and he needs to dump Charlton and put Marinelli in the drivers seat.

I'm really confused about the DC position.

We earmarked 325k for Spanos' salary for 2023 since he signed a 2-year contract with Mora's staff. @huskymedic pointed out that Spanos is now an analyst at Ole Miss and we're no longer on the hook for his salary for the 2023 year. Or are we? It's the only reason I can think of for not having a DC.

As many have pointed out, 325k gets you a DC + a bonus coach in the Sun Belt.

Even if we don't have a DC because Mora wants to be the DC, we have a coaching spot that can do coaching + recruiting. Yet, we're not utilizing it. Why?

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I'm really confused about the DC position.

We earmarked 325k for Spanos' salary for 2023 since he signed a 2-year contract with Mora's staff. @huskymedic pointed out that Spanos is now an analyst at Ole Miss and we're no longer on the hook for his salary for the 2023 year. Or are we? It's the only reason I can think of for not having a DC.

As many have pointed out, 325k gets you a DC + a bonus coach in the Sun Belt.

Even if we don't have a DC because Mora wants to be the DC, we have a coaching spot that can do coaching + recruiting. Yet, we're not utilizing it. Why?

Good point!

 

[huskymedic]

I'm really confused about the DC position.

We earmarked 325k for Spanos' salary for 2023 since he signed a 2-year contract with Mora's staff. @huskymedic pointed out that Spanos is now an analyst at Ole Miss and we're no longer on the hook for his salary for the 2023 year. Or are we? It's the only reason I can think of for not having a DC.

As many have pointed out, 325k gets you a DC + a bonus coach in the Sun Belt.

Even if we don't have a DC because Mora wants to be the DC, have a coaching spot that can do coaching + recruiting. Yet, we're not utilizing it. Why?

We currently have 1 Head Coach and 10 position coaches which I believe is still the FBS limit (currently).

Marinelli was added as Pass Game Coordinator/Executive Director of Recruiting and we back filled his TE Coach position w/ Christian Pace.

 

[Nostical]

Sure, the money is important but it’s more about the hire. There are dynamic young OC’s that may or may not be the next big thing. Hire the right one and oh boy. But hire the wrong one —like Charlton— and it pulls you down. It all comes down to the right guy. Do Benedict and Mora have the guts to fire him now —and have they spotted a replacement worthy of the turmoil It would cause.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Sure, the money is important but it’s more about the hire. There are dynamic young OC’s that may or may not be the next big thing. Hire the right one and oh boy. But hire the wrong one —like Charlton— and it pulls you down. It all comes down to the right guy. Do Benedict and Mora have the guts to fire him now —and have they spotted a replacement worthy of the turmoil It would cause.

How about giving Marinelli a shot? Didn’t he work under Noel Mazzone?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I don't think much can be done at this point in changing position coaches but moving play calling responsibility to a different offensive assistant is something they could pull off. Whether that would or would not help is open for debate.

Play calling can help a team play to its strengths. What it cannot do (and at times it appears many do not realize this) is make players bigger, faster, stronget or more skilled.

 

[Skies2018]

I don't think much can be done at this point in changing position coaches but moving play calling responsibility to a different offensive assistant is something they could pull off. Whether that would or would not help is open for debate.

Play calling can help a team play to its strengths. What it cannot do (and at times it appears many do not realize this) is make players bigger, faster, stronget or more skilled.

Yes this is very true. Look at the Dolphins. They built their scheme around Tua’s strengths. And I think we all saw what they did to Denver by employing that strategy.

 

[Sole]

Unfortunately, the MAC is on the record saying that they like what they have: one of the only sane, regionally-based conferences left in D1 Football. We have no reason to believe they'd have us.

That being said, would love to see UConn in the MAC. A lot of people have turned their noses at the MAC and how it wouldn't fill the Rent. But every year a MAC team beats a B1G team, and they have a shot at the playoffs. Both are more than we can say. We're not in a position to be looking down on anyone or any potential solution.

I remember going to games against no-name FCS teams when I was a student in 2008 and that place was packed once people got their tailgating fix by mid first quarter. Win, and the fans will come back. There are some nice, semi-close potential rivals like Buffalo.

I wonder what uconn football value is… is there a conference that would take us?…some posters are talking that we should be in a power conference…i’m not sure any conference would want us

 

[Skies2018]

I wonder what uconn football value is… is there a conference that would take us?…some posters are talking that we should be in a power conference…i’m not sure any conference would want us

it’s actually probably pretty easy to determine our value I think. Isn’t it just what our TV payout plus ticket sales is?

I would also think we would need to show a solid record of consistent winning seasons to be considered for a conference. Which honestly, given the timeline we have for ACC GOR expiration is probably still feasible if our goal is to form a conference with their leftovers like Cuse, BC, WF, etc.

 

[SuperHuski]

We currently have 1 Head Coach and 10 position coaches which I believe is still the FBS limit (currently).

Marinelli was added as Pass Game Coordinator/Executive Director of Recruiting and we back filled his TE Coach position w/ Christian Pace.

Thanks for the info.

This actually makes the lack of production in the passing game worst. We have an extra coach (1 TE, 1 WR, 1 OC, 1 Passing Coordinator) specifically for the passing game but it's yielding the least results.