Timeline of Don Brown departure - questions for Warde

[ruskin]

When Warde sat down for that NPR interview Wednesday morning did he have any inkling that Don Brown was leaving? Or did learn of it, like the rest of us, about the time he was leaving the studio.

I have a bad feeling that PP (intentionally or not) kept Warde out of the loop and PP didn't try to put together some kind of counteroffer or pitch to DB to stay, or consider going to Warde and having him do the same.

Maybe DB had his bags packed when he submitted his resignation and couldn't have been persuaded to stay. But if there was no attempt made by PP to keep him - and PP didn't inform Warde Brown was in the process of leaving - well, just add this to the ever-growing list of evidence of poor, passive management of the athletic department.

Losing good, productive people from your staff while other unproductive, unsuccessful people remain behind is not a sign of a well-run department.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Why do you post questions and criticize people over something you know nothing about? What is the point?

 

[ruskin]

Point of the post, JS. I don't know. Im throwing this out there because I'd like to know if they tried to get him to stay. Yet another horrible sign if nothing was done to try to keep Brown . . . a good AD has his finger on the pulse of what's going on. Spies even. If this caught him like so many other things by surprise. . . .

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Point of the post, JS. I don't know. Im throwing this out there because I'd like to know if they tried to get him to stay. Yet another horrible sign if nothing was done to try to keep Brown . . . a good AD has his finger on the pulse of what's going on. Spies even. If this caught him like so many other things by surprise. . . .

Let me ask you a question. If you were not a UConn fan and were in the coaching profession (in Don Brown's shoes specifically)......what would you do? Add in the fact that you're from Mass. Do you anchor down with P for one more year with an uncertain future or do you go work closer to home and tie yourself to a younger new hire in Addazio where you are almost guaranteed a 5 year run? I'm sure Warde and everything else did what they could to try and get him to stay.

There's enough legitimate stuff to criticize SH, WM, and PP without having to invent make believe stories that may or may not have happened.

 

[Palatine]

Maybe dumping Brown was the change Warde asked P to make.

 

[ruskin]

I'm sure Warde and everything else did what they could to try and get him to stay.

And I'm not. Hence the post.

 

[noeynox]

Think about this logically. If P is as much as a lame duck as this board thinks he is, and Don Brown genuinely wants to live and coach in the Northeast as long as possible, why would he stay at UConn another year, P then gets fired, Brown has to hope that the next coach retains him. By hooking on at BC he is close to guaranteed to be able to coach in area of the country he wants to be in.

Given all the uncertainties around our program, including the conference realignment saga, its a no brainer move.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I guess I'm in the camp that doesn't think WM is a complete and utter idiot who is not even competent enough to work in the ticket office. Because that's what he would have to be if he didn't try to retain Don Brown.

 

[J187Money]

I do know that the current seniors had a lot to do with DB not leaving last year when it was reported he was going to Yale.

 

[Oxford Bob]

And I'm not. Hence the post.

Maybe Don Brown reads the Boneyard. After seeing Ruskin and others constantly call for PP and GDL to be fired, he said, "f&^k it" let me get out while I can.

 

[ruskin]

I guess I'm in the camp that doesn't think WM is a complete and utter idiot who is not even competent enough to work in the ticket office. Because that's what he would have to be if he didn't try to retain Don Brown.

We can definitely agree on that. . . it's the going on NPR part while this was transpiring that bothers me.

 

[ruskin]

Maybe Don Brown reads the Boneyard. After seeing Ruskin and others constantly call for PP and GDL to be fired, he said, "f&^k it" let me get out while I can.

If anything I think the board consensus was to make DB the head coach. . . . not worth research but I recall scenarios where good coordinator actually took a job somewhere else and public pressure forced the AD to fire the head coach and bring back the departed coordinator as head coach. Highly doubt that was DB's intention, but pretty sure it's happened in the South - Midwest a couple of times. Definitely not the New England way.

 

[Dann]

Db is not old/out of it. He couls see a month into this that pp and gdl were past time. Thats why when we should have made the move middle season here that everone thinks i was nutz about.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

We can definitely agree on that. . . it's the going on NPR part while this was transpiring that bothers me.

You are making so many assumptions it's hard to keep up. You think this whole thing went down in the hour that WM was on NPR yesterday morning?

 

[gioff23]

You have to believe this did not come up this week. Addazio apparently has the utmost respect for PP, so he would have approached him immediately. Do you really believe this was a late night coup and the AD was left unaware while on NPR?

Separately, I liked DB, but like another thread here I think the D was far from perfect. Pal got crucified for bringing up the Temple game as an example, but you could look at several examples of where the D could not close out the deal over the past 2 years - Vandy, ISU, Temple, NCSt., Ville, WMU (2X), etc. I loved the agressiveness, but it often fell short when needed most.

Last, look at his resume - he stays nowhere for long. Why is that? Is he jumping because he worries about his ability to maintain things? Where is the commitment from adults to teach and coach kids after you sit with them and their families and convince them where to go for the next 4-5 years? I am frigging tired of where CFB is - the conferences, the schools, the coaches - they all come across as hookers selling themselves for an extra dime.

Good luck coach - I wish you all the best at BC, but you made it clear, you want nothing to do with this program or the kids here, so on to the next guy.

 

[ruskin]

Im not making any assumptions. Only two things are true: A: Warde knew Don Brown was leaving when he went to NPR or B he didn't.
Now, if Warde knew when he went to bed Tuesday and had done everything possible that day to try to keep DB after being informed - preferably by PP, chain of command wise - that would be understandable and acceptable.
If Warde finds out on his way to NPR and does nothing to try to talk DB out of it that would be problematic in my view. The interview could have waited.
If he knows nothing about it until after the interview and learns of it through the media, that's more problematic. It shows he does not have the finger on the pulse of his department. The UConn defensive coordinator position is easily one of the top 5-10 positions in the UConn athletic department.
I guess what I'm getting at is how much of a time gap there is, if any, between the time PP found out and Warde found out. I can't help but think that PP kept Warde out of the loop and by doing so eliminated any chance of trying to convince DB to stay.
I don't think you give up a good coordinator like this without putting up some kind of fight.

 

[businesslawyer]

Good luck coach - I wish you all the best at BC, but you made it clear, you want nothing to do with this program or the kids here, so on to the next guy.

That last post is unbelievably unfair. He was most likely one year more with UConn from having to worry about a new coach moving him out. To translate that into "you want nothing to do with this program or the kids here" is, frankly, assinine.

 

[ZooCougar]

Here is my timeline.

23 DEC: fly to Prague with my girlfriend

Stop giving a about this for at least six months and hope Aliens abduct Paul Pasqualoni

These loser need to get lost.

 

[BlueDogs]

Why do you post questions and criticize people over something you know nothing about? What is the point?

Ruskin, you violated a rule of the BY hear no evil, see no evil crowd. You posed a question in the face of a lack of information that may suggest the folks in Storrs are out to lunch in light of known facts. There are notorious offenders that insist on criticizingfor suggesting a problem in the face of manifest repeated failures.

Keep asking and probing, and dont let them get to you. Mind you, there are a few with vested UConn bureaucracy interests (ie.., paycheck takers whose job it is to defend leadership and CYA the University).

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Ruskin, you violated a rule of the BY hear no evil, see no evil crowd. You posed a question in the face of a lack of information that may suggest the folks in Storrs are out to lunch in light of known facts. There are notorious offenders that insist on criticizingfor suggesting a problem in the face of manifest repeated failures.

Keep asking and probing, and dont let them get to you. Mind you, there are a few with vested UConn bureaucracy interests (ie.., paycheck takers whose job it is to defend leadership and CYA the University).

I want to laugh at your joke......but first you'll have to confirm.....is this a joke?

 

[gioff23]

That last post is unbelievably unfair. He was most likely one year more with UConn from having to worry about a new coach moving him out. To translate that into "you want nothing to do with this program or the kids here" is, frankly, assinine.

In your book. You likely believe in words, I believe in actions. He left kids he is recruiting and kids who are/were committed to play for him to move a few miles away. If he is as good as a coach as some here make him out to be would he really have been out on the street in a year? Give me a break. And save the assinine comments for 241

 

[J187Money]

In your book. You likely believe in words, I believe in actions. He left kids he is recruiting and kids who are/were committed to play for him to move a few miles away. If he is as good as a coach as some here make him out to be would he really have been out on the street in a year? Give me a break. And save the assinine comments for 241

Of course if we stole a coach that we really want he would be a hero.

 

[huskymedic]

I can't help but think that PP kept Warde out of the loop and by doing so eliminated any chance of trying to convince DB to stay.

I'm dying here... What possible reason would he do that for - He knows his job is on the line if they don't produce next year and he pushes DB out?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I'm dying here... What possible reason would he do that for - He knows his job is on the line if they don't produce next year and he pushes DB out?

Oh I didn't know that you were on the UConn payroll too? What dept do you work in?

 

[Husky68]

When Warde sat down for that NPR interview Wednesday morning did he have any inkling that Don Brown was leaving? Or did learn of it, like the rest of us, about the time he was leaving the studio.

Losing good, productive people from your staff while other unproductive, unsuccessful people remain behind is not a sign of a well-run department.

Noting the part of your post that is a question and then a statement.

Not sure why fhcRE's boy and other "just 'cause the smoke is so thick you can't see and the temperature is 800 degrees, doesn't mean there's any fire around here" crew have such a problem with the question. My expectation would be the response is simple. The Rock Star knew, had consulted with PP and Suzy about it, had personally talked to DB and the end result was DB was firm on leaving vs. any attempt to convince him otherwise (which could have been more money or even nothing if WM determined that was appropriate). End of story. Anything other than this is either on DB (he didn't tell anyone until everyone found out); on PP he knew and there was some delay in advising WM (more than would be appropriate); or on WM if he was advised in timely manner and reacted to PP that's your job to select and retain your staff, let me know how it turns out.

The last statement, find hard to argue with in general and specifically to this situation losing DB while retaining PP and GD is exactly that; of the 3 my view after the last 2 years is that the most productive person left and the least productive person stayed.