That would make him a mad genius then right?Soooooo ... if we are winning then Sunbelt/MEAC only offers are okay?
(you know what I mean).
There is no responding to someone like you. What I stated was pretty clear and you twist and turn it into the "scarecrow straw man of the year".
Whatever dude.
For the love of all things holy, this board needs to get off the Edsall train, especially in the early years.
Edsall went 4-7 with a team who won their conference, earned a home playoff game, and fought the good fight vs the eventual National Champions the season before. He then proceeded to go 3-8, 2-9, and 6-6 vs predominately 1-AA (FCS) and low level 1-A programs for the next three years. Go ahead and point to the games vs. Miami, Virginia Tech, and a sinking Iowa State team, but the vast majority of their opponents in the transition years were vs. the MTSUs, Ball States, a then recently upgraded Buffalo, Colgates, EMUs, Hofstras (discontinued in 2009), Northeasterns (voted to be discontinued the week they played, if memory serves), UNHs, URIs of the world. Edsall did not have a winning season until year 5 and in his 2nd and 3rd years, his offenses averaged scored under 20 PPG.
I am no longer outwardly defending Diaco, but Edsall may not be the most desirable comparison to be making.
Oh, and what finally turned Edsall's fortunes around? An experienced, competent QB and offensive line. Something Diaco had for about a quarter and a half, 3 years ago.
We aren't recruiting like a mid-major G5, we're being outrecruited by UMass, Texas State, South Alabama, Troy, the entire AAC, Toledo, Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, MTSU, FAU, Georgia Southern.
For the love of all things holy, this board needs to get off the Edsall train, especially in the early years.
Edsall went 4-7 with a team who won their conference, earned a home playoff game, and fought the good fight vs the eventual National Champions the season before. He then proceeded to go 3-8, 2-9, and 6-6 vs predominately 1-AA (FCS) and low level 1-A programs for the next three years. Go ahead and point to the games vs. Miami, Virginia Tech, and a sinking Iowa State team, but the vast majority of their opponents in the transition years were vs. the MTSUs, Ball States, a then recently upgraded Buffalo, Colgates, EMUs, Hofstras (discontinued in 2009), Northeasterns (voted to be discontinued the week they played, if memory serves), UNHs, URIs of the world. Edsall did not have a winning season until year 5 and in his 2nd and 3rd years, his offenses averaged scored under 20 PPG.
I am no longer outwardly defending Diaco, but Edsall may not be the most desirable comparison to be making.
Oh, and what finally turned Edsall's fortunes around? An experienced, competent QB and offensive line. Something Diaco had for about a quarter and a half, 3 years ago.
Diaco's lack of an OL is his fault.
Seriously, over the top bullspit. Please show me the trend of us losing recruits to these schools. One here or there but most I've never seen a commit go to over us.
... yup but with a big assist from PP/GDL.
Besides missing the point entirely.....
Why pretend like Edsall wasn't at a disadvantage due to guiding a team from 1AA to 1AA competing with fewer scholarships than most of the competition those first few years?
Why pretend like once the upgrade was complete and we officially joined the Big East (a year earlier than originally planned) he didn't finish his 7 year career in the Big East with a 50-37 overall record with 2 conference championships?
Does Edsall not get credit for recruiting those OL and RBs and a competent QB to help turn it around?
Diaco's lack of an OL is his fault. Shirreffs, behind that terrible OL, and with very little support in the run game, is arguably as good as any starter we've had since Dan O. If he's below Frazer and Lorenzen, it's splitting hairs.
Eh, that's a stretch at best. Bones and DJ won 9 games between them, and not one opponent ended the year with a winning record, let alone ranked. -- 2005 - Buffalo (1-10), Liberty (1-10), Army (4-7) Syracuse (1-10), USF (6-6), 2006 - URI (4-7), Indiana (5-7), Army (3-9), and Pittsburgh (6-6). UConn beat Central Florida in 2014 and Houston in 2015.Edsall won more games, against a tougher schedule, with Bonislawski and DJ Hernandez at QB.
Just do it appropriately. You don't get the 2008-2011 Edsall without the 1999-2003 versions.Edsall spent 12 years at UConn, you're going to have to accept that he will be used as a reference point.
If this is honestly directed at me, then you are barking up the wrong tree.If you think we should just give up on Bigtime football ... what the hell are you doing here on this board annoying us?
@Husky25
"That's not entirely true. As I mentioned above, UConn played more than their fair share of games vs. 1-AA opponents, whose scholarship limit is 68."
That's just not true. Here are the links, please tell me how many (and which) of the 46 games during the transition were against 1AA.
2000 Connecticut Huskies football team - Wikipedia
2001 Connecticut Huskies football team - Wikipedia
2002 Connecticut Huskies football team - Wikipedia
2003 Connecticut Huskies football team - Wikipedia
I had mentioned low level 1A programs in the post at the top of the page, but it's no surprise that you focus entirely on the 1AA portion of the comment and literally ignore every other point in the response. Be that as it may, a little history: UConn's BOT voted to go Division 1A in 1997 and began steps in earnest in January 1999. Edsall was hired about a month earlier and his first 3 years included one season in Div. 1AA (1999) and the transition years (2000 and 2001). UConn was a full member (albeit, Independent) of Division 1A starting in 2002.
Other than Kentucky, UConn played a full 1AA schedule in 1999.
The 1AA teams UConn played in 2000 were Colgate, URI, USF, and Northeastern. The Low level D1A schools were Eastern Michigan, Buffalo (transitioned a year earlier), and Middle Tenn. State.
Technically, UConn's lone 2001 Div. 1AA opponent was Eastern Washington (to whom they got trounced). On the other hand, the other 10 opponents, included Buffalo (recent transition, awful MAC), Eastern Michigan (awful MAC), South Florida (recent transition, IND), Utah State (IND), and Middle Tennessee State (recent transition, Sun Belt).
Edsall went 4-7, 3-8, and 2-9 in his 1st three seasons vs. that Murderer's Row of opponents. Again, there is no 2008-2011 version of Edsall without the earlier iterations.
Here's what I responded to....
"That's not entirely true. As I mentioned above, UConn played more than their fair share of games vs. 1-AA opponents, whose scholarship limit is 68. UConn had the advantage over those teams by being able to fill a few more scholarships each year until they got to 85. Plus Edsall had the ADvantage of using the future BCS conference affiliation in recruiting."
You were wrong on just about everything. Like I'm sure you do, I have a life outside of the boneyard, so I picked the one thing that was easily proven false. Most of the rest is difference of opinion, so it's not worth discussing because we aren't going to change eachother's mind.
In 1999, UConn was a 1AA. So of course they played a full 1AA schedule. By his third season, he played only one 1AA, which is NOT "more than their fair share" of 1AA games. No, they didn't have an advantage over those teams.
In 2000, our first transition year we played 4 1AA teams. The "low level" qualifier isn't necessary unless you're trying to discredit what was built. We were transitioning, which by definition, is a "low level" 1A team. Maybe we had a slight advantage over those 4 teams, but not the 1A programs who were already playing at that level.
In 2001, we played 1 D1AA opponent. Every other program had been playing at a higher level than we had, even if one or two only had a 1 year head start, the rest had been there for years. That USF team went 8-3 and Leavitt was in his 5th year. That MTSU team also went 8-3. No advantage to UConn there to be had, so you're wrong on everything but the 4 games in his 2nd year. And even that point is weak at best.
Also, you're wrong about this:
"Plus Edsall had the ADvantage of using the future BCS conference affiliation in recruiting."
We weren't supposed to start playing Big East football until 2005. So at best, Edsall could tell the kids in 2000 (his 2nd year) that they'd get one year of Big East football as redshirt seniors. It wasn't until his 4th year that he could tell players earnestly that they'd get the opportunity to play in the Big East, and it still wasn't going to be for their entire career. And then Miami and Va Tech left in 2004.
Back to the original point of bringing up Edsall in these discussions. He repeatedly recruited "below our level" at the time, getting kids with MAC/CUSA and a few lower level offers. He also occasionally beat out other Big East teams for recruits. But he, and his staff, had the ability to coach those kids up. Diaco and his staff have shown no such ability. So the concern about landing kids who only have offers well below our level is exacerbated by Diaco's incompetence. If it were Edsall recruiting these kids, I wouldn't be as concerned, based on his ability.
Here's a good summary of the 2000 football season where UConn played with 70 scholarship athletes. By the last game of the season, only 46 were available due to injury.
FPM: 2000 - The beatdown-ening of UConn football
Yes. Yes it does.Does any of that justify the fact that Edsall went 4-7, 3-8, and 2-9 his first three years?
See? It doesn't.Yes. Yes it does.
Ahhhh, okay. So this is about you pretending somebody here called Edsall a saint, or Lombardi-esque.See? It doesn't.
If you are going to make Edsall a point for comparison, it must be to a comparable time frame. Otherwise it is an apples and oranges comp. That has been my point in every single post in this thread. St. Randall is not the Vince Lombardi-like figure he has been made out to be.
"You are what your record says you are." - Bill Parcells...and Edsall regressed in each of his first three seasons. UConn was on their way to another awful year in 2002, but a four game win streak to end the season pulled them back to even and likely saved Edsall's job.
Ahhhh, okay. So this is about you pretending somebody here called Edsall a saint, or Lombardi-esque.
Now that you've moved the goalposts, can you quote that post?
I'll wait.
While you're looking back over the thread, do me a favor and quote the post where I brought up Diaco's record. My criticism is that he can neither recruit for this level, nor coach players up. Since his recruits aren't seeing the field, and aren't having an impact, I'd love for you to explain why that's wrong without having to pretend like I said Edsall was Vince Lombardi.
I've already addressed this and I disagree.But if we do compare their first three years. Edsall still did a better job considering what he had to work with. With the stadium and the facilities, Diaco has much more to work with than Edsall did his first three years. Doesn't make him Vince Lombardi, just a better coach than Diaco.