The Optimist in Me Says....

[Chin Diesel]

.....it's refreshing having a coach who has performed so poorly that there's no chance of another school poaching him.

The pessimist says Don Brown has about a half dozen jobs he can take if he wants.

 

[Uconnalliance]

Warde is gonna have a half dozen headaches if Don gets away.

 

[rich1122]

P gets another year and then Brown takes over. It's like Calhoun had another year and Ollie was taking over. If Geno goes then Jen Rizotti takes over.

It's all baked into the cake. Trust me.

 

[metsfan2323]

P gets another year and then Brown takes over. It's like Calhoun had another year and Ollie was taking over. If Geno goes then Jen Rizotti takes over.

It's all baked into the cake. Trust me.

I would not be surprised if Don has been given reason to hope he is coach in waiting. Something caused him to turn down Yale at the last minute.

 

[whaler11]

I think when people fawn over Don Brown.. They ignore three important realities.

A. There is a lot of talent on the defense. And its mature senior talent

B. UConn's schedule is awful

C. Teams have so little respect for UConn's offense they are conservative on offense.

Good coordinator. But please relax a little bit.

 

[businesslawyer]

I think when people fawn over Don Brown.. They ignore three important realities.

A. There is a lot of talent on the defense. And its mature senior talent

B. UConn's schedule is awful

C. Teams have so little respect for UConn's offense they are conservative on offense.

Good coordinator. But please relax a little bit.

Unnecessarily harsh, but the answer is A. Nothing against Don Brown, but this D is stacked with both talent and experience. And it hasn't produced turnovers. Not saying he's not doing a good job -- I think he has == but sainthood isn't earned yet.

 

[Srqhusky]

I think when people fawn over Don Brown.. They ignore three important realities.

A. There is a lot of talent on the defense. And its mature senior talent

B. UConn's schedule is awful

C. Teams have so little respect for UConn's offense they are conservative on offense.

Good coordinator. But please relax a little bit.

anytime you are the best in your league and top 20 nationally you have to tip your cap.

 

[whaler11]

Unnecessarily harsh, but the answer is A. Nothing against Don Brown, but this D is stacked with both talent and experience. And it hasn't produced turnovers. Not saying he's not doing a good job -- I think he has == but sainthood isn't earned yet.

Yes an overreaction on purpose to the constant Don Brown worship.

Moore, Wilson, Williams and Smallwood are GREAT college football players.

I think Brown is a very good coordinator, but he has gotten some credit that the players deserve. What gets lost is that having corners like Wilson and Gratz make players like Tim Willman look great. If Joseph didn't get hurt Trevardo Williams would have looked like Lawrence Taylor all season.

Before we crown Brown how about we see what he can do with players that weren't developed before he got here.

 

[whaler11]

anytime you are the best in your league and top 20 nationally you have to tip your cap.

Yes he's been good and deserves credit. He also sat down at the table with pocket kings. A lot of coordinators could play his hand well.

 

[Srqhusky]

Yes he's been good and deserves credit. He also sat down at the table with pocket kings. A lot of coordinators could play his hand well.

most of the defense was here before he got here. Look at the defensive stats the year before he got here and now. Pretty good improvement.

 

[whaler11]

most of the defense was here before he got here. Look at the defensive stats the year before he got here and now. Pretty good improvement.

Really the defense wasnt good in 2010? With these seniors as sophomores?

 

[UC990411]

A. There is a lot of talent on the defense. And its mature senior talent.

Wait, I thought Edsall left nothing here?

 

[whaler11]

Wait, I thought Edsall left nothing here?

That would be the funny thing about Brown leaving after this season. He actually would be doing what Edsall was accused of.

 

[huskymedic]

Wait, I thought Edsall left nothing here?

In the offensive cupboard you are right - it was sparse with mostly generic products (but not empty - especially TE). The defensive cupboard was full of top shelf ingredients

 

[metsfan2323]

Yes he's been good and deserves credit. He also sat down at the table with pocket kings. A lot of coordinators could play his hand well.

I absolutely believe Don Brown has made the talent better. He gets the most out of his players, something great coaches do, and Don is a great coach.

You say he inherited the talent. Well lets examine this years defense. When Don took over two years ago:

Ryan Wirth was buried deep, very deep on the bench. Who the heck is Ryan Wirth? There was no way Ryan Wirth would be able to replace Reyes, yet he has. Our interior D has probably improved in spite of losing both interior players and Shamar Stephen being hurt most of the year. How the heck did that happen? No Jesse Joseph, yet the beat goes on.

When Don Brown took over Yawin Smallwood was a nobody. He never played.

When Don Brown took over Gratz stunk. Now he probably plays on Sunday's

When Don Brown took over our safeties were terrible, awful, they sucked, and they always sucked under Edsall.

When Don Brown took over Jori Johnson was a nobody, never played.

Heck only three players on this year's D were considered solid players two years ago, Blidi, Sio, and Williams, and all three of those guys have benefited greatly from Don Brown's aggressive D. Blidi is a lock down corner, Edsall would have had him playing soft zone, remember the 2010 Rutgers game? Sio has proven to be a great pass rusher something we would have never discovered with the old regime.

It is not a coincidence that the people who decided to turn this into a Don Brown inherited the players thread are all Edsall apologists who were very hesitant to embrace the 180 degree shift in defensive philosophy and for some reason still are in spite of the results.

 

[businesslawyer]

Nope. I think he's done a good job. I don't think it was necessary to play the defensive philosophy differently, but I don't think there is anything wrong with it either. But to say kids who were playing as sophs weren't good, and wouldn't have gotten better, but for him is silly. He inherited talent and has been doing a good job. If his D is great again next year, I will be much, much more impressed.

 

[BlueDogs]

This is classic. Lets all fight over the only decent to excellent coach we have instead of the buffoon running the show and his O joker.

 

[TRest]

If Gratz plays on Sundays it's on special teams.

 

[huskymedic]

This is classic. Lets all fight over the only decent to excellent coach we have instead of the buffoon running the show and his O joker.

Last I knew it was a staff... Plenty of shoulders to carry the blame for a trying season. Maybe it ends on a positive note (which still won't be appreciated by many) but will be by most.

 

[whaler11]

I absolutely believe Don Brown has made the talent better. He gets the most out of his players, something great coaches do, and Don is a great coach.

You say he inherited the talent. Well lets examine this years defense. When Don took over two years ago:

Ryan Wirth was buried deep, very deep on the bench. Who the heck is Ryan Wirth? There was no way Ryan Wirth would be able to replace Reyes, yet he has. Our interior D has probably improved in spite of losing both interior players and Shamar Stephen being hurt most of the year. How the heck did that happen? No Jesse Joseph, yet the beat goes on.

When Don Brown took over Yawin Smallwood was a nobody. He never played.

When Don Brown took over Gratz stunk. Now he probably plays on Sunday's

When Don Brown took over our safeties were terrible, awful, they sucked, and they always sucked under Edsall.

When Don Brown took over Jori Johnson was a nobody, never played.

Heck only three players on this year's D were considered solid players two years ago, Blidi, Sio, and Williams, and all three of those guys have benefited greatly from Don Brown's aggressive D. Blidi is a lock down corner, Edsall would have had him playing soft zone, remember the 2010 Rutgers game? Sio has proven to be a great pass rusher something we would have never discovered with the old regime.

It is not a coincidence that the people who decided to turn this into a Don Brown inherited the players thread are all Edsall apologists who were very hesitant to embrace the 180 degree shift in defensive philosophy and for some reason still are in spite of the results.

I don't feel like diving into this whole post, but talk about revisionist history.

I know my post was intentionally over the top - but meet me back here in 12 months if Brown stays another season. The idea that Wilson, Williams and Moore weren't good players before Brown got here is ridiculous.

 

[Srqhusky]

Really the defense wasnt good in 2010? With these seniors as sophomores?

where did I say the defense wasn't good in 2010 ? Look at the 2010 defensive stats and look at them now. These guys were on the team. I'm just saying the same players improved under brown. Brown is doing things that havent been done by uconn previously. That is a good thing.

 

[ZooCougar]

This defense is stacked! Stacked!

I think the lack of turnovers has been weird, but we do generate a ton of 15 yard sacks.

 

[BlueDogs]

Last I knew it was a staff... Plenty of shoulders to carry the blame for a trying season. Maybe it ends on a positive note (which still won't be appreciated by many) but will be by most.[/quote
Medic. I appreciate the kids immensely. They are much better than they are being coached, at least on the O side of the ball. The lack of overall good coaching has nothing to do with being downright giddy about possibly going bowling. But, let's not lose sight of reality either. The performance and execution on the O is horrible, unimproved and purposely held back.

 

[J187Money]

Unnecessarily harsh, but the answer is A. Nothing against Don Brown, but this D is stacked with both talent and experience. And it hasn't produced turnovers. Not saying he's not doing a good job -- I think he has == but sainthood isn't earned yet.

Mostly because we drop 3-4 ints a game.

 

[gioff23]

The D will be stacked next year. JJ should be back and rumor is Jennings may be as well. Wirth had a really good year, but Campenni and Myers should develop nicely, along w/the JUCO. I love the young LBs - Ashiru, Vann and Stewart. I think B Jones will be a lockdown corner. I am a big fan of Adams. I love this D, but they are not irreplaceable. And Don Brown deserves a lot of credit for elevating the play of many. We were good on D before 11 and we will be good after 12.

I know many fans here hate PP, but it is surprising that he gets full blame for O and no credit for D. I thought somewhere along the line he coached D. At least he should get credit for taking Don from the dream academy