"The expectation is to win every football game." Diaco

[jdb50]

"I'm a winner. I'm going to win." Coach Boone. We will win more this year, I hope we can add em up to 6.

 

[junglehusky]

...and somehow I was referring to Jimmy Serrano???

Jimmy has a tendency to have burning ears when the conversation may or may not be about him. He probably thinks Spiro Agnew('s ghostwriter William Safire) was talking about him when he made his quip about the nattering nabobs of negativism.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Exactly right, Carl.. TBD. But all due respect, quit harping on it until he proves he can't.

Edsall took a team who won a 1-AA playoff game the year before and fell flat on his face. It took him 4 seasons and a future 10+ year NFL veteran QB to even reach bowl eligibility. Reference the 68 schlorship limit all you want, Diaco had less scholarship players than that by the time last season ended.

With all due respect, I won't stop. I wrote this summary in another discussion last week.

http://the-boneyard.com/threads/201...onference-media-day.78713/page-4#post-1383070

I'm excited for a new season, but I'm balanced by a lot of realism. The potential that Diaco has is enticing. My biggest concern with him is that he drives our program to a string of losing seasons, gets his education as a head coach and then goes and applies it elsewhere to win. That would suck. I have great confidence in his recruiting though, and his recruiting plans over a few seasons I believe will leave this program in far better condition than what Pasqualoni found in March 2011 for spring ball, and what Diaco found in March 2014.

I do hope he follows the trend of UCONN athletics sports coaches and stays in his position for a long time, with lots of success.

Either way, we're witnessing the education of a head coach in real time. People need to realize that. You expect improvement, that's all.

As for all this media stuff, I've listened and watched the actual stuff I can find everywhere again. Diaco talks about the expectation to win every game. Much better (and different than last season) than talking about winning at getting out of bed on time and winning at eating 3 squares a day. That's all, and it's good.

The undefeated season and NCG playoff thing is a media fackup misquote taken out of context because the coach panel was discussing the AAC conference and its place in the current landscape. Diaco's point was that given our schedule, IF we do go undefeated we absolutely would deserve a spot in that playoff, and he's right. FWIW, if that were to actually happen, it would be a hell of a discussion after the Fiesta Bowl appearance 4 years ago in 2011. But back to reality.

His words were taken out of context. Period. Idiot, stupid media problems. Of all the things Donald Trump has said and done,the most important is he is the only one to point out how much of a problem our media is for taking out of context and twsting reporting. It's not unique to politics.

I know of some discussion among uconn alumni, that were like "really, coach relax!!" After the headlines of "don't expectto ever lose again." was out. Out of context info,twisted, affects people. Writers need to be accountable somehow, and really websites like this is the only way, so i write my diatribe.

So, we are approaching this season withthe expectation to win games, and our player leaders think we have the ability to do it against our schedule. This is a good thing.

Diaco though, education of a coach, what happens if we lose a game? We'll see. Can the attitude be maintained, are we going to be consistent in preparation through all the highs and lows of a game and a season?

We'll see. I can't look past Villanova, I'm concerned about them, and its not 1991 anymore. That is aggravating - for me.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Fwiw: #25 - do you think that Edsall would have had job security and handled questions well while HE was getting his education as a first time head coach at UCONN and his string of losing seasons?

I like that Diaco is able to say publicly that he thinks UCONN can win the national championship. We can, if we win games. That is something Edsall never believed, even when we were at our best in 2008-2009, he let the program fall in recruiting and was one foot out the door.

It all starts with Villanova.

 

[Husky25]

Fwiw: #25 - do you think that Edsall would have had job security and handled questions well while HE was getting his education as a first time head coach at UCONN and his string of losing seasons?

Edsall's job security came from low expectations through the transition seasons from 1AA to 1A. And I don't think Edsall handled the media fairly at all. He was confrontational before he earned the right to be confrontational.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Edsall's job security came from low expectations through the transition seasons from 1AA to 1A. And I don't think Edsall handled the media fairly at all. He was confrontational before he earned the right to be confrontational.

True. Its inevitable that discussion will lead to Edsall. Low expectations were fine and a multiyear losing process was acceptable because there was no significant fanbase, and we had our silver spoon in mouth for BCS money from the Big East, and even got it early.

In our Division 1 existence, he is the only coach so far to build a winner. As for expectations, I personally opine and just think it irked Edsall that the UCONN fanbase which built under his program had the gall to expect more than what he accomplished and that UCONN had a higher ceiling, rather than just accept how amazing it was that we came from trailers to play the likes of Michigan and Oklahoma. Just my opinion.

I do know that he did not like that UCONN leadership demonstrated no understanding and appreciation, or 'gulp' humility, for the situation we were handed by the Big East to join the big money group, and the way we went about our business about it.

That said, he never demonstrated through actions or words that he believed UCONN could do any more than what he accomplished.

So we get to Diaco 5 years later. Still rebuilding after the 2010 season. Expectations are different. We no longer have the ticket buying fanbase we had 6-7 years ago, have a different league schedule, and no BCS silver spoon golden goose.

Yet, this guy, can say with conviction and belief, that if we win the games, we should be,and expect to be in the national championship picture. He's right. Edsall would be in danger of soiling himself saying the same things when we were a legit top 25 team, even though, he also would have been right.

I will not trade consistent mediocrity for failure to reach full potential.

If Diaco isn't the guy, we'll eventually move on to someone else. His throwaway season is over.

He knows it, we all know it. Start showing improvement, and it starts with protecting home field.

 

[huskymedic]

RandyEdsall 8:49am via Twitter for iPhone
"A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her."-David Brinkley

 

[Waquoit]

Yeah, the team he was given was pretty bad. But Diaco was worse. The year before they finished strong, last year they quit. They never looked prepared. Now Bob has won me back a bit with the incredible Civil ConFLiCT trophy, but he is going to have to pick up his game immensely and show some improvement.

 

[RedSoloCup]

Yeah, the team he was given was pretty bad. But Diaco was worse. The year before they finished strong, last year they quit. They never looked prepared. Now Bob has won me back a bit with the incredible Civil ConFLiCT trophy, but he is going to have to pick up his game immensely and show some improvement.

The year before they had an experienced oline that could be coached up by their original recruiting coaches.

Last year new coaches across the board worked to change a culture and build a foundation.

Not sure how that translates into Diaco was worse. Different, yes. Lost more games, yes. Worse, not sure.

 

[Waquoit]

Not sure how that translates into Diaco was worse. Different, yes. Lost more games, yes. Worse, not sure.

I'm sure. They way I saw last year is that we kept hitting rock bottom, even after we seemingly couldn't get any worse. That USF game was pathetic. Then I went to the Army game. What a debacle, how can we sink any lower? Finished up with the SMU travesty, at least I had no trouble getting out of the parking lot. The fact is after a year and a half, all Diaco has given us is talk. The reality is that may be all he has. Believe me, I hope that isn't the case, but it just may be so.

 

[SubbaBub]

I'm tired of excuses. I'm even more tired of seeing players from these non bowl teams in the NFL and excelling at other programs then hearing the same excuses.

The Johnny Mac year is the only valid excusable non-believers year and that's a stretch because if PP had only run the freaking ball against Vanderbilt they'd have made a bowl game with a walk on QB.

The following years are just further evidence of coaching suckitude right up to the present. It may not be fair to expect medium sized things from BD this year, but it's the reality where we find ourselves.

 

[freescooter]

I'm sure. They way I saw last year is that we kept hitting rock bottom, even after we seemingly couldn't get any worse. That USF game was pathetic. Then I went to the Army game. What a debacle, how can we sink any lower? Finished up with the SMU travesty, at least I had no trouble getting out of the parking lot. The fact is after a year and a half, all Diaco has given us is talk. The reality is that may be all he has. Believe me, I hope that isn't the case, but it just may be so.

This is really a great summary of my view and where I differ from the it was all Pasqualonis fault crowd. There may or may not have been some talent there but USF was on Diaco. Being disorganized is on Diaco. Being unprepared is on Diaco. You don't need a ton of talent to not quit in November, as they did last year. The team I saw last year was reminicent ofto what Robinson delivered at Syracuse or strong' predecessor produced at Louivlle. Teams that were poorly prepared disorganized messes.

 

[RedStickHusky]

it still boils down to him deciding that they were so bad they needed to take the year off from competing.. it's like they audited last years schedule; if it turns into a massive turn around it'll be mad genius. until then,. it's just madness.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

He tore it down.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Diaco made many mistakes last year. Anyone who argues to the contrary is just arguing with their heart, not their head or their eyes. And I'm one of the most positive guys in the room.

Having said all that; we are going to punch some people in #@king mouth this year! Diaco will be better. The team will be better. I will be better. BOOM!!!

Pride. Heart. UConn.
#DezcantstopUConnfromundefeatedseason

Nine pages and finally somebody who makes sense.

I think Diaco felt a need for drastic change last year and sacrificed wins to build the foundation correctly. That produced some ugly football, that was an essential aspect of the decision. He also, as a rookie coach, screwed up. These things both contributed to the horror of last season. Too many seem to thing all the problems were one or the other, some were mistakes, some inevitable for a pure rebuild.

So 2015: (a) there is no rebuild now, this is his team, molded to his requirements; and (b) Diaco is no longer a rookie and needs to cut down his mistakes. If those things happen, there is room for optimism. They will be noticeably better.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I think a few words from Randy Paush's last lecture can best sum up the game time, on field performances of the 2014 UCONN football season which produced a 2-10 win / loss record.

"No matter how bad things are, you can always make them worse."

All us looney tunes can do, is wait until kickoff for 2015, and hope that by making things worse on the field, something else was getting a lot better, with the reasoning to produce something better in the future.

For us looney tunes, we want the future to be now - that's all I got.

3.5 weeks till game time.

 

[mets1090]

He tore it down.

Hopefully he can build it back up.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

I'm hoping HCBD is even a little bit sane. I'm hoping for crumbs after last year...and I'm hoping that Kevin Caliente from Nova has to eat his words.

Nothing like a shred of optimism.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I take it you lost

It took you three and a half days to come up with that response? We should call you Costanza.

For the record I know NYC more than well enough to know where I should spend my time (I have no interest in Chinatown). It would be amusing however (and worth the $500) to watch you give the chicken a shot.

 

[freescooter]

It took you three and a half days to come up with that response? We should call you Costanza.

For the record I know NYC more than well enough to know where I should spend my time (I have no interest in Chinatown). It would be amusing however (and worth the $500) to watch you give the chicken a shot.

Yup...now I'm sure you lost...

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I'm curious as to which of your friends you had to pay to give you a clever response.

I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll up it to $1,000 to see you take on the chicken.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Hopefully he can build it back up.

Yep that's the $64,000 question. He was roundly criticized on how he tore it down and leaving winnable games on the table, So the building/ rebuilding should be really something around here. Here's to putting up that first wall(Villanova).