TJ Weist...

[Marty Jackson]

does anyone think he's still a candidate for this job?
I suppose if he ends the season with 3 wins it would help his chances. at least it might help his chances landing another gig if he doesn't stay with Uconn.

He's been put in a crappy situation, and has handled it pretty well. I'm torn between giving Weist a real shot and getting someone like Narduzzi or Mullen to come. I want Weist to have some success as I think he could be a good coach that players want to play for. But I also want the best possible coach uconn can get.

If uconn gives weist the shot, does that spell the end of uconn fb in a P5 conference?

 

[noeynox]

If the choice is between Mullen or Weist it's a no contest. Even Narduzzi, has a much stronger resume.

Weist has made some head scratching choices. I wish him the best wherever he ends up, but I dont want him back as head coach.

 

[Yonick]

Just judging what Manual did in the hiring of the hockey coach, my guess is Weist will interview, but the job will go to a hot assistant from a big successful program. Most likely someone with strong northeastern & Midwest recruiting ties.

 

[uconndogs]

Weist has no chance at the job and whomever our next coach is will have no immediate baring on an invitation to a P5 conference.

Weist was put in a terrible situation and I would think he would have a chance at being retained as a WR coach. I would like to think that Foley and Hughes have a shot at staying on as well, but I doubt it.

This will be a house cleaning and a lot of players will be gone as well. Make no doubt about it, P duckked this thing bad.

 

[metsfan2323]

If we can win the last two TJ could become a reasonable fallback position but very doubtful he gets the HC job. Maybe he could stay on as offensive coordinator. I personally wouldn't mind seeing Don Brown as head coach and TJ as offensive coordinator, I think that could be a winning combination for the program, one that could get us turned around quickly like BC this year.

Winning the last three should definitely put TJ in a position to become a head coach somewhere at a lower level. Would like to see him land on his feet, he seems like a good guy. He must have given a good halftime speech last night.

 

[kcc1442]

I really wanted to see him succeed and maybe even take over but since he has been named interim head coach, we haven't produced at all and I'm still a firm believer that this team has the talent to beat at least half of the opponents we've lost to. Even from the standpoint of just motivating a team to play hard he has failed. The team has quit on him in many games. I don't necessarily think its his fault all the time but if he needed to show one thing to WM it was that his team wasn't going to give up and face adversity. I think if you bring him back there would be too much memory of awful uninspiring play next year. We need to start anew and fresh with someone that every player is on square 1 with. Nothing is taken for granted, everyone needs to earn their time and starting spots all over again.

 

[ZooCougar]

No.

 

[Colt house75]

If we can win the last two TJ could become a reasonable fallback position but very doubtful he gets the HC job. Maybe he could stay on as offensive coordinator. I personally wouldn't mind seeing Don Brown as head coach and TJ as offensive coordinator, I think that could be a winning combination for the program.

Winning the last three should definitely put him in a position to become a head coach somewhere at a lower level. Would like to see him land on his feet, he seems like a good guy. He must have given a good halftime speech last night.

Agree with you. however, with the names being tossed around, Warde would probably opt for a very strong candidate with possible HC or big time conference affiliations. would like to see him retained even if not hired as the HC heading up all the assistant coaches that are brought in as WR coach/Recruiting Coordinator to continue what has already been placed into the system. The RC is very key to our success going forward.

Also, like Mr. Mets, really liked Coach Brown and want him back, even if he became Asst. Head coach/Defensive Coordinator. In the short time he was here, he made an impact, coaching up and putting 6 guys in the NFL. Could see TJ running a program and succeeding at a lower level. The position he was placed in stopping the bleeding from GDL and HCPP should give him a leg up on being retained, smoothing out his resume and allowing him to leave
when he can move so with praise.

 

[uconnfan68]

Just judging what Manual did in the hiring of the hockey coach, my guess is Weist will interview, but the job will go to a hot assistant from a big successful program. Most likely someone with strong northeastern & Midwest recruiting ties.

Really? We don't have a hope of midwestern kids coming here. Keep northeast, but look southeast, south, and west.

 

[sportsart]

First game as HC the running game (for the first half) came to life. He still kept trying to pass way to much with young QB's and he/they paid for it.

Why he did not just run, run, run and pass when they absolutely had to, boggles my mind. The second half yesterday should have been the game plan for the previous 5 games. Run it down their throat and by the 4th quarter, just like the old days, the opponent is beat.

If he does not run 70% of the time for the next 2 games it will mean he does not get it. It minimizes mistakes and creates a positive atmosphere for the offense. RU and Memphis do not have great defenses. Both winnable.

We also need to see more of Max. (sorry Puppy). We need to know what he is capable of.

 

[Marty Jackson]

I really wanted to see him succeed and maybe even take over but since he has been named interim head coach, we haven't produced at all and I'm still a firm believer that this team has the talent to beat at least half of the opponents we've lost to. Even from the standpoint of just motivating a team to play hard he has failed. The team has quit on him in many games. I don't necessarily think its his fault all the time but if he needed to show one thing to WM it was that his team wasn't going to give up and face adversity. I think if you bring him back there would be too much memory of awful uninspiring play next year. We need to start anew and fresh with someone that every player is on square 1 with. Nothing is taken for granted, everyone needs to earn their time and starting spots all over again.

i agree. but he's also competing with a hand or two tied behind his back.
I like the underdog.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

If we can win the last two TJ could become a reasonable fallback position but very doubtful he gets the HC job. Maybe he could stay on as offensive coordinator. I personally wouldn't mind seeing Don Brown as head coach and TJ as offensive coordinator, I think that could be a winning combination for the program, one that could get us turned around quickly like BC this year.

Winning the last three should definitely put TJ in a position to become a head coach somewhere at a lower level. Would like to see him land on his feet, he seems like a good guy. He must have given a good halftime speech last night.

If you assume soothing the restless natives (us), ticket sales and improving perception are as important as coaching ability, TJ's position is worse than untenable.

 

[junglehusky]

Really? We don't have a hope of midwestern kids coming here. Keep northeast, but look southeast, south, and west.

Obviously a new coach will have to recruit the Northeast (NY, NJ especially) and target FL / southeast, Bama Wilson type kids from SEC country who don't get snapped up by SEC teams. But I would add central/western PA and Ohio as places UConn could make inroads in if the new staff has connections there. Edsall did OK there (think Robbie Frey), if you're looking at regions to improve that would be one. Even if Ohio isn't strictly "midwest".

Oh and Quebec/Ontario

 

[Fishy]

I appreciate the position that he was put in when he was given the interim job and last night was a lot of fun (finally), but I haven't seen anything that would make me think TJ should get this job. I was fired up after his intro presser, but the team has shown up for one half of football since then.

We could be completely buried by a guy who's learning on the job - Pasqualoni's messes seem pretty hard for a first-time head coach to clean up. (See Robinson, Greg.)

 

[metsfan2323]

We could be completely buried by a guy who's learning on the job (See Robinson, Greg.)

I agree, I'd prefer to see someone with head coaching experience, not a raw coordinator.

 

[minidarren]

I really really wanted to see TJ succeed. And I actually thought about posting this last evening.

The guy was put into an impossible situation that even Nick Saban couldnt have gotten the team out of. Sure, he has made some poor decisions, but so did FHCPP who had been at the helm of multiple programs as a HC. The team needed to find it within themselves the will to win a football game. And they did that yesterday. We will all see what happens on Saturday with Rutgers. If forward momentum continues, he gets a good look at the job. And rightfully so.

 

[BlueDogs]

If he wins out, I'd give him a serious look. I think he has great potential. He is cleaning up a real mess by PGDL. Oline improving, run game improving, and he has the kids minds coming around.

 

[Kgun7]

I can't add much to what's already been written ... But if "braving very cold temperatures on the sidelines in nothing but a short sleeve polo without a hint of a shiver" is a priority for Manuel's next HC ... Then TJ is a lock!!!

 

[rich1122]

Weist took one for the team. He was in a no win situation. Think people will look not only at W/L, but ow the team responded to him. The guy could have thrown in the towel, but just kept fighting. He has fixed, as best as he could, the OL and established a run game. Not sure what more he could have done. He now has H/C experience and OC experience on the resume.

Nothing against Weist, but I think that everybody goes and the new guy brings in a whole new crew. Old culture has to go. Can't hurt his future. I will be rooting for him.

 

[Woof 101]

Weist has no chance at the job and whomever our next coach is will have no immediate baring on an invitation to a P5 conference.

Weist was put in a terrible situation and I would think he would have a chance at being retained as a WR coach. I would like to think that Foley and Hughes have a shot at staying on as well, but I doubt it.

This will be a house cleaning and a lot of players will be gone as well. Make no doubt about it, P duckked this thing bad.

Not to disagree with you but put the blame where it lies....Hathaway and McHugh, they brought him in with hardly no search at all. The good ole boy network failed.

 

[Huskyforlife]

no just no

 

[Hoophound]

Weist has the guys playing hard and that should be worth something to someone. I can't believe they came back last night. I

'd like him to be here in some capacity but we need a head coach that is close to a sure thing. Pete Lembo.

 

[UConnDan97]

If I'm being honest, I don't want Weist as the head coach or even as the OC. As a receivers coach, sure. But there have been some head-scratching offensive play calls this year, even after the artists formerly known as PPGDL left the building.

However, I think he is showing a good energy and trying to be a leader out there for a group of young men that desperately need one. If he isn't retained as a position coach, I hope he finds a job as a head coach at perhaps a smaller school. If he goes 3-9 here, there's no doubt he lands on his feet somewhere positive for him and his family...

 

[weyuo]

If Weist had run the table from the get go you give him the nod, why break up a streak. But that didn't happen so now it's time to find a head turner, a guy that can get kids to travel half way across the country to come play inspired football and alumni from all over the Northeast to come and watch.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

People have absolutely unrealistice expectations for how quickly a football coach can turn around a sinking ship. Look at Taggert at USF. Holtz was just garden variety awful, not an epic catastrophe like Pasqualoni, and look at the season USF is having with a guy that most would agree is a pretty good coach.

All I expected was the team to try harder, play a little smarter, better play calling, and improved blocking (addition by subtraction with Deleone gone). Weist has delivered on all 4 counts. He hasn't hit it out of the park, but I am satisfied with him as an interim HC, and I think he will win at least 1 more game. The only decision I thought was bad, starting Boyle, was probably not made by Weist.

So I think he is a candidate for the HC job, but I think he has almost no chance of getting it. I don't think Manuel wants to make Weist HC, and I also think there are better candidates out there.