Theuconnblog nails it

[mattp]

Then let's go back to the next logical step. If all Jeff Hathaway had to choose from was P and Whipple, then than that is an indichtment of Hathaway's inability to attract enough quality candidates.

Do we really need to spend time on how lousy Hathaway is? I think we're reached consensus there.

 

[ZooCougar]

Do we really need to spend time on how lousy Hathaway is? I think we're reached consensus there.

Considering who hired Pasqualoni, yes. Most definitely.

 

[ruskin]

Do we really need to spend time on how lousy Hathaway is? I think we're reached consensus there.

Certainly a horse that's been beaten beyond death, but we're living with the collateral damage of JHs failure to do his due diligence. I chuckle when people give credibility to the hire by mentioning that Chuck Neinas' search firm was used - the same Chuck Neinas who was helping plot the Big East's demise at the same time. Gotta give him credit, he killed two birds with one highly-compensated stone!

 

[ruskin]

Through the miracle of Google two wonderful articles on the "consulting" for the Pasqualoni hire, one Jan. 2011 story from The Courant on how wonderful Chuck Neinas is and then one from earlier this year from Alabama about the UAB search that brought them Garrick McGee and how sleazy and corrupt and greedy the "search consultant" business is.

Connecticut paid Alden and Associates $50,000 in 2011 to find Paul Pasqualoni, who hadn't been a head coach since 2004.

 

[ZooCougar]

50k to "find" the retread who was fired from Syracuse? Maybe some school will pay me to find Dave Wannestedt or Jim Bunting for them this winter.

Through the miracle of Google two wonderful articles on the "consulting" for the Pasqualoni hire, one Jan. 2011 story from The Courant on how wonderful Chuck Neinas is and then one from earlier this year from Alabama about the UAB search that brought them Garrick McGee and how sleazy and corrupt and greedy the "search consultant" business is.

Connecticut paid Alden and Associates $50,000 in 2011 to find Paul Pasqualoni, who hadn't been a head coach since 2004.

 

[Carl Spackler]

the most important thing in hiring a coaching staff, for any college athletic program, is the coach's recruiting ability. Knowledge of the recruiting base. Knowledge of the recruiting territory, knowledge of the recruiting demands. Knowledge of the athletic department's and university's expectations from the recruits, and the ability to deliver on those expectations. To that respect, Coach P, was highly appreciative of Edsall, for the quality of student athlete and program that he built.

Coach P, fits the bill, and he put coaches in place, that also fit the bill. There are others, but a person has to actually be interested in applying for and interviewing for a job, to, you know - hire them.

I have a problem with Coach P, in that he's yet to win back to back games as Connecticut head coach, and be able to get the ball rolling, and we're 7-9 right now with his program, and it's not because we haven't scheduled winnable back to back games, we can beat any team on our schedule (that hasn't always been true) and it's not because of play calling, and it's not because he's old, and his OC is old, and it's not because our players all suck. It's because he hasn't found a way to keep these guys focused and motivated yet, at the level they need to be week to week off the emotional highs and lows.

I understand that there is a group of wounded veterans - UConn football fans - veterans - that Coach P has invited on campus today to see the facilities and meet with the players. Hopefully seeing those guys, and listenting to their stories, and seeing their scars, and how they approach life, and how excited they are to be with the players, wehre they play and practice.....with their attitudes, will help teach these players a little bit about being emotionally and mentally ready and on even keel at a high enough intensity level, to start winning games regularly regardless of where, what, when how things are happening around them.

A passionate fan base, is a great thing, and we've got one, the best thing that the football program, coaches, players - can do to avoid backlash (warranted or unwarranetd - irrelevant) - is win.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

He is going to get three years.

 

[Srqhusky]

Ok ok we get it. We would be 4-0 with a 30 year old coach. Next please.....

 

[ruskin]

Carl, I have to respectfully disagree on several fronts:
1) PPs recruiting ties and ability are overrated and overstated. A lot changed in the recruiting world in the seven years he was away from the Northeast. Yes he's getting players with more stars but stars don't equal production. Notre Dame under Faust/Davie/Weis proved that.
2) the playcalling and general offensive "philosophy" have played a direct role in two losses.
3) Think 2008 was the year we became capable of beating every team on the schedule. Think some folks forget what a miracle that was. Edsall warts and all deserves credit for that.
4) I believe the players are motivated and focused. I think the offense is in part frustrated by the uncreative playcalling and stymied much more often than not by the Wildcat. After three great games the defense had a letdown last week. They can't be expected to do it by themselves every week.
5) The only thing that limited the pool of applicants for the opening in 2011 was Hathaway's laziness/football inexperience/lack of contacts and Neinas' naked greed and lack of conscience in fleecing us, not because it was an unattractive job to top-tier candidates. I believe there are good young coaches on this list and beyond who, if they only had been contacted, would have jumped at the chance to coach at UConn, conference instability and all.
I am happy to hear PP brought in the vets as one who comes from a family with ties to the military. I am the first one to stand whenever the "hometown hero" is introduced at the Rent or Gillette. I hope the players (and coaches) listen closely.

 

[freescooter]

I have a slightly different view on this than some people I guess. I was not in the Pasqualoni camp initially. I hav eto say that I also didn't like Mark Whipple...in fact I felt that would be a bigger error. So when Pasqualoni was introduced I felt relieved. Not who I would have picked but I thought he was a safe choice who would likely consolidate our position, maybe even build something pretty reasonable. I never expected him to lead us to the Top 5 though.I think he's done some thing, upgraded our recruiting among others The one thing I think happened is that on the offensive side of the football he had a pretty bare cupboard, that did one thing well...run the football. In his, or more accurately DeLeone's (since they are really a pair) attempt to change the system, upgrade the passing attack, he didn't take into consideration that our line has been built to do one thing and he's trying to A. make them into a pass blocking line; and B. make them much more finesse blockers on the run rather than road graders. We also didn't have the skill players to do what he wants to do, compounding the problem. I've written a lot about the wide receivers. You just need to look at the history of quarterbacks under Edsall including his top recruits, most of whome have left for lower levels with modest at best success. In some ways this reminds me of Wannstadt's first few years at Pitt when he did almost the opposite. He took Walt Harris's finesse team and tried to rebuild it into a power team, with arguably some success...but it took several years. His teams weren't terrible once he go this system and his players 9-4, 10-3, 8-5 were the last 3 years , I mean if you told me we'd go 9-4,10-3 next 2 years I'd sign for that right now, but he ran into the problem of expectations vs reality of what Pitt can be. We are more or less in the same place, though going the other direction from power to finesse. Whether we'll get there I am just not sure, but I think the aim for Pasqualoni was to have UConn in a place where it was regularly won between 8 and 10 games. then we can get the next guy to get us over the top. I don't know if that was a sensible plan, and I don't know if it will actually work either.

 

[Bootsthemonkey]

Nick Saban has already proven himself. What was his age when Bama hired him? Since then he's won, what two National Championships? Before that he won how many at LSU? His track record is virtually unassailable.

If P were 45, he likely would still be the wrong guy based on performance. The fact that he is as old as he is, just compounds it.

Comparing the accomplishments of Saban and PP is completely unfair without considering the vast differences in resources between Bama/LSU and UConn.

 

[huskymedic]

In that vein, I'm seeing chatter about a 'boycott' Saturday, but not on this board (unless I missed it). A boycott would be disrespectful to the players and unproductive (besides, we can't even organize a blue-out properly). The 'boycott' is going to be by the casual fans who will find something else to do, especially if the weather stinks.

Probably same clown that saying he's gonna boycott the NFL games until the replacement officials are gone. Good - take your two friends and go pick apples to make a tart!

 

[huskymedic]

Carl, I have to respectfully disagree on several fronts:
5) The only thing that limited the pool of applicants for the opening in 2011 was Hathaway's laziness/football inexperience/lack of contacts and Neinas' naked greed and lack of conscience in fleecing us, not because it was an unattractive job to top-tier candidates. I believe there are good young coaches on this list and beyond who, if they only had been contacted, would have jumped at the chance to coach at UConn, conference instability and all.

Again with this list... This was written THIS summer. Go back and see what their resumes/employment status were in early 2011. When was the last time you saw a west coast focused coach take a job on the east coast and be successful (and vice versa) so eliminate the PAC 12 and Big 12/SEC lists. You need the right cultural fit.

I have a real hard time believing that Neinas' firm fleeced us. Maybe the budget/package wasn't big enough to attract "the legends. This age argument is getting real old...

 

[ruskin]

those coaches' resumes didn't improve THAT much from Jan. 11 to summer '12, medic. C'mon man. And i could give a crap about age. What I'm saying is Hathaway/Neinas couldn't have found Charlie Strong the year he was available.

 

[junglehusky]

Yeah when it was first announced that Neinas's firm was hired to do the initial search I seem to remember a LOT of positive noises coming from both the boneyard and the horde, that this was a good move since they knew a lot of the right people to talk to to get the complete picture on different candidates. Neinas and co. might not have identified the next Saban / Meyer but there's no reason to think they were incompetent in their due diligence, and it's just silly to suggest they were intentionally sabotaging UConn. (Well, silly for anyone except Conspiracy Kitty).

 

[uchusky32]

When HCPP was hired how many people said yeah! That's just what we need? I sure didn't. Being committed and being the right head coach for us aren't one and the same. If we got some young hot coordinator who used us as a stepping stone that means he was successful and we were good. Then we would get another young stud.

 

[ruskin]

Neinas and co. might not have identified the next Saban / Meyer but there's no reason to think they were incompetent in their due diligence, and it's just silly to suggest they were intentionally sabotaging UConn. (Well, silly for anyone except Conspiracy Kitty).

Neinas might not have been a double agent at the time of PP hire but he's certainly a mercenary/whore. Same year he got paid by UConn he helped pull West Virginia into the Big 12 and probably made good coin doing that.

 

[huskymedic]

Neinas might not have been a double agent at the time of PP hire but he's certainly a mercenary/whore. Same year he got paid by UConn he helped pull West Virginia into the Big 12 and probably made good coin doing that.

... Ummmm, aren't most high powered search firms?