The one good thing to come of this

[UConnSportsGuy]

The one good thing that will come of this is that in three months we are going to find out once and for all what the true intentions for the Football program at UConn.

If we see them hire a fast rising coach that has interest from upper level G5 schools and we pay $2MM+ for the coach and increase the assistant coaches pool, then you know that UConn is serious about trying to make Football work long term.

If we get some re-tread coach or some coach who is skipping a couple of levels and we are paying him $1MM, and the assistant coaches pool stays the same, then we know UConn is just milking this for the short term and there is no intent to spend and build the program back up.

One way or the other, at least the last few of us die hards can find out where we are heading and set realistic expectations going forward. This is the final cross road and we'll see where UConn intends to go with the Football program.

 

[uconnfan68]

Nothing is going to change overnight, or over the course of the season. The best we can hope for is better recruiting success, leading to better development, leading to better on-field success. I really don’t care which type of coach does that. I want stability, growth, and success. My expectations are not BCS bowl level yet. Just stop being the worst.

 

[Bongo Fury]

I think they try to be successful and will be willing to pay for the right person. Successful football could generate return on investment with increased ticket sales and possibly higher media revenue.

 

[manbyrd]

They need to find a way to build a stadium on or near Campus. Students are much more likely to go to a game when they can pre-game/tailgate and then walk to the stadium instead of hiding drinks on a 45-minute bus ride to East Hartford that you have to be up at 9:30AM on a saturday to catch.

If you have student engagement now, in the future you'll have alumni engagement. Alumni have cars, they can drive to Storrs.

 

[LIUCHusky]

They need to find a way to build a stadium on or near Campus. Students are much more likely to go to a game when they can pre-game/tailgate and then walk to the stadium instead of hiding drinks on a 45-minute bus ride to East Hartford that you have to be up at 9:30AM on a saturday to catch.

If you have student engagement now, in the future you'll have alumni engagement. Alumni have cars, they can drive to Storrs.

If it is a 45 minute bus ride from Storrs to E. Htfd. the bus driver should be fired.

 

[RioDog]

They need to find a way to build a stadium on or near Campus. Students are much more likely to go to a game when they can pre-game/tailgate and then walk to the stadium instead of hiding drinks on a 45-minute bus ride to East Hartford that you have to be up at 9:30AM on a saturday to catch.

If you have student engagement now, in the future you'll have alumni engagement. Alumni have cars, they can drive to Storrs.

Hunh. Interesting.

My question is why have we never discussed this before?


But in all seriousness, as much as I agree with you, many have posted here that that will never happen for various reasons, and I I think they're correct. We're stuck with the 'Rent for the foreseeable future.

 

[History Geek]

The one good thing that will come of this is that in three months we are going to find out once and for all what the true intentions for the Football program at UConn.

If we see them hire a fast rising coach that has interest from upper level G5 schools and we pay $2MM+ for the coach and increase the assistant coaches pool, then you know that UConn is serious about trying to make Football work long term.

If we get some re-tread coach or some coach who is skipping a couple of levels and we are paying him $1MM, and the assistant coaches pool stays the same, then we know UConn is just milking this for the short term and there is no intent to spend and build the program back up.

One way or the other, at least the last few of us die hards can find out where we are heading and set realistic expectations going forward. This is the final cross road and we'll see where UConn intends to go with the Football program.

THIS. Half-butting the commitment to football has been the norm since we decided to go to DI. Yes, we built an appropriate stadium (that still can be expanded to 55,000 easily -- remember back then when people were excited about that??). Randy 1.0 was the right guy at the time, but now history has shown the ceiling that was apparent in the late aughts was real. Then we had a myopic, provincial hire in PP that put us in the position of being not good enough at football when the ACC football schools sided with BC and took Louisville over us. Then we whiffed with a hot "up and coming" FBS coordinator. When it was apparent we needed to move on from Diaco, it was at the same time our flagship men's hoop program was cratering and the school was hemorrhaging money. At the time, we could not pay for an up and comer while doing what we needed to fix basketball, so DB took a chance on Randy again on the cheap, hoping he would be motivated and able to repair his coaching legacy and get the program back on its feet again while he fixed basketball. Obviously, we know now the football aspect of that plan did not work.

Now that basketball appears to be fixed by a great hire, it's time to do the same for football if we want to continue the arc towards becoming a well-respected national university. Not only is this is a pivotal time for the football program, but it is also a pivotal time for the athletic department and the school. We have invested in great football practice facilities, workout facilities, and locker room. We have invested in many other sports on campus. It's time to either go all in on football and not half-butting it any more if we are serious. Not giving DB the funds to get the football HC and assistants necessary to succeed at this level will mean the university has resigned itself to end the big-time football experiment.

Some may celebrate that, but I think it would be a mistake. Given the current direction of college athletics (you need a relevant FBS football program to have a seat at the table, and that table is shrinking), I fear it may hurt the long-term prospects for the entire athletic department, including our sacred cow basketball programs that helped turn our good regional university into a national university. It's true that the really big boys look like they may push the Dukes and the Kansases of the world to a lower tier. I would like to be in the position to join them when the time comes. We will need a viable and not dumpster-fire FBS (or whatever it will be called by then) football program to do that.

Time for the Board of Trustees and the other powers that be to either poop or get off the pot.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Randy 1.0 was the right guy at the time, but now history has shown the ceiling that was apparent in the late aughts was real.

I just don't know if the ceiling was ever truly reached, but we'll never know.

If Randy returns to UConn after the Fiesta Bowl, it would have been interesting to see where we could have gone. Pasqualoni compounded with the Big East breakup cut us short from ever finding it out.

I'm not delusional enough to think we'd be competing for national titles, but had the status quo continued to play out post Fiesta Bowl who's to say we couldn't have developed into a West Virginia-lite type program that was always battling at the top of the Big East and found ourselves in the top 25 every so often.

Completely different sports and circumstances, but to me, it would be as if Calhoun left UConn after 1990 Elite 8, the Big East broke up and we made bad hires and said well, that was the ceiling.

 

[BlueMAB]

I've watched the student section for over a decade.

They are not much different than the regular fanbase. They only care when the team is winning, and a winning team isn't enough to get them to and keep them in their seats for the full game.

Moving to an on stadium campus will only make it easier for the students to show up in the 2nd quarter and leave in the 3rd, but one thing I'm sure of: they will continue to show up in the 2nd quarter and leave in the 3rd.

Post as much as you want about the only reason they leave early is to catch the bus, but that's simply an excuse. They're there to party, not for football.

 

[Waquoit]

If Randy returns to UConn after the Fiesta Bowl, it would have been interesting to see where we could have gone.

We make a bowl game the next year, keeping the momentum going right when everything was crumbling. And I'm thinking Robbie Frey comes back.

 

[businesslawyer]

We make a bowl game the next year, keeping the momentum going right when everything was crumbling. And I'm thinking Robbie Frey comes back.

We won five games that year, despite P giving away the Vandy game and Robbie Frey walking away. /Even without good QB play (and it wouldn’t have been McEntie) we win six games and things go on.

Edsall had every right to leave for a different job. But did it hurt us — heck yes. Sometimes when an associate leaves the firm it hurts me. That’s life

 

[SU1968]

What is the status of your AD financial deficit? Will it affect the $$ to hire a new coaching staff?

 

[History Geek]

I just don't know if the ceiling was ever truly reached, but we'll never know.

If Randy returns to UConn after the Fiesta Bowl, it would have been interesting to see where we could have gone. Pasqualoni compounded with the Big East breakup cut us short from ever finding it out.

I'm not delusional enough to think we'd be competing for national titles, but had the status quo continued to play out post Fiesta Bowl who's to say we couldn't have developed into a West Virginia-lite type program that was always battling at the top of the Big East and found ourselves in the top 25 every so often.

Completely different sports and circumstances, but to me, it would be as if Calhoun left UConn after 1990 Elite 8, the Big East broke up and we made bad hires and said well, that was the ceiling.

I think his ceiling was 8-4, 7-5. Physical teams that struggle against faster teams, especially if they had to put ablot of points on the board in a hurry.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I think his ceiling was 8-4, 7-5. Physical teams that struggle against faster teams, especially if they had to put ablot of points on the board in a hurry.

You very well could be right. I just would have liked to see 07-10 with a healthy Lorenzen, non kicked out Endres, healthy Cochrane, or hell, even a Pindell.

Just never really got the QB position figured out aside from early 07 with Lorenzen pre injury and then the run in 09 with Frazer.

 

[RioDog]

You very well could be right. I just would have liked to see 07-10 with a healthy Lorenzen, non kicked out Endres, healthy Cochrane, or hell, even a Pindell.

Just never really got the QB position figured out aside from early 07 with Lorenzen pre injury and then the run in 09 with Frazer.

Yup- Lorenzen's legs and decision making put enormous pressure on opposing Ds.

 

[Bongo Fury]

What is the status of your AD financial deficit? Will it affect the $$ to hire a new coaching staff?

They will find the money

 

[History Geek]

They will find the money

If they want to

 

[UCTitleTown]

I just don't know if the ceiling was ever truly reached, but we'll never know.

If Randy returns to UConn after the Fiesta Bowl, it would have been interesting to see where we could have gone. Pasqualoni compounded with the Big East breakup cut us short from ever finding it out.

I'm not delusional enough to think we'd be competing for national titles, but had the status quo continued to play out post Fiesta Bowl who's to say we couldn't have developed into a West Virginia-lite type program that was always battling at the top of the Big East and found ourselves in the top 25 every so often.

Completely different sports and circumstances, but to me, it would be as if Calhoun left UConn after 1990 Elite 8, the Big East broke up and we made bad hires and said well, that was the ceiling.

And recruited D2 caliber talent thinking they'd succeed at D1.

 

[kemba]

I think his ceiling was 8-4, 7-5. Physical teams that struggle against faster teams, especially if they had to put ablot of points on the board in a hurry.

I think with the formula we used then we pretty much reached the ceiling. A mid tier big east team that when things broke right, like a big edge in the turnover battle, having a favorable home schedule, and not having a dominant team in conference could compete with the best in the conference and and as we saw, win it.

To get to a level where we could beat good teams on the road, truly impose our will on good teams, and actually have a shot in a BCS bowl we needed to bump recruiting up and especially improve QB. Maybe after the fiesta bowl, and just stretching that 07-10 run out longer that could have happened, we'll never know for sure. The flip side is that Edsall struggled badly at Maryland and obviously was a disaster here this time, so that doesn't really inspire confidence he had another level he could take us to

 

[hardcorehusky]

I think with the formula we used then we pretty much reached the ceiling. A mid tier big east team that when things broke right, like a big edge in the turnover battle, having a favorable home schedule, and not having a dominant team in conference could compete with the best in the conference and and as we saw, win it.

To get to a level where we could beat good teams on the road, truly impose our will on good teams, and actually have a shot in a BCS bowl we needed to bump recruiting up and especially improve QB. Maybe after the fiesta bowl, and just stretching that 07-10 run out longer that could have happened, we'll never know for sure. The flip side is that Edsall struggled badly at Maryland and obviously was a disaster here this time, so that doesn't really inspire confidence he had another level he could take us to

That next level was never happening with Hathaway at AD and the academic restrictions. That is what sent RE to MD and PP getting hired. People underestimate the affects of the academic restrictions. We handed guys to Temple like Logan Marchi and others because they couldn't get into UConn. So, what you describe was the ceiling.

 

[Brochacho]

What is the status of your AD financial deficit? Will it affect the $$ to hire a new coaching staff?

Its really a non-factor for three reasons:
1. Just like all other ADs, UConn counts athletics scholarships in the deficit calculation. No cash changes hands. A significant portion of the deficit is the scholarship allocation.
2. UConn doesn't count donations made to the AD in its calculation. UConn has received $27 million in athletic donations over the past year that aren't considered in the computation of the $43 million deficit.
3. $3.5 million of the deficit is a CRDA transfer. Basically the State giving UConn money which UConn gives back to the State.

Granted, UConn has a revenue issue since they don't have a P5 TV deal, but there's definitely money to spend.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

God, Hathaway was such a d - bag.

 

[kemba]

That next level was never happening with Hathaway at AD and the academic restrictions. That is what sent RE to MD and PP getting hired. People underestimate the affects of the academic restrictions. We handed guys to Temple like Logan Marchi and others because they couldn't get into UConn. So, what you describe was the ceiling.

Fair enough.

It's incredible the damage that he did. From pissing off all our coaches because of that and other reasons, hiring PP, and making no effort to actually promote the programs and grow when we actually had products worth promoting. Unbelievably bad at his job

 

[BlueDogs]

The one good thing that will come of this is that in three months we are going to find out once and for all what the true intentions for the Football program at UConn.

If we see them hire a fast rising coach that has interest from upper level G5 schools and we pay $2MM+ for the coach and increase the assistant coaches pool, then you know that UConn is serious about trying to make Football work long term.

If we get some re-tread coach or some coach who is skipping a couple of levels and we are paying him $1MM, and the assistant coaches pool stays the same, then we know UConn is just milking this for the short term and there is no intent to spend and build the program back up.

One way or the other, at least the last few of us die hards can find out where we are heading and set realistic expectations going forward. This is the final cross road and we'll see where UConn intends to go with the Football program.

The problem is the BoT. It is full of yesteryear basketball-only heads that drove the move to the NBE. I have very close contacts and this was hatched well in advance with prodding from certain folks in Hartford concocting bogus financial justifications like saving travel $$ while paying out $17M to exit and taking in less revenue share. It’s all a sham. You hit it on the nose… follow the budget they give to hire a new staff. It will be all-telling.