UConn AD WM to “discuss the search for a new football coach” tomorrow @the Rent

[metsfan2323]

Sorry Mets, but your assessment here is off a bit. It's not just about Boneyard opinion, but CFB opinion. And it's not just Warde's job on the line, but the university's future competing at the top levels. Institutionally, we can't afford bad perception or a bad hire. I don't know that TJ is a bad hire, but I do know he is not a positive for perception.

I have never been one who has bought into this "we need to hire a name" talk. That's just Boneyard rubbish.

 

[Dooley]

Very odd considering that most of the diehard fanbase will be in the parking lot at the time of the presser. The PC will address either Weist being named head coach or to give the press a generic timeline of what to expect in the coming week(s).

 

[huskymedic]

He could have held it today on campus. The timing and venue are meaningful. Providing an update without specifics is a waste of everyone's time.

Unless he's not on campus today...

I do agree that announcing a "new to UConn" coach before the game would be oddest of odd.

 

[Dooley]

I have never been one who has bought into this "we need to hire a name" talk. That's just Boneyard rubbish.

We need to worry about selling tickets in 2014 too. If the coaching underwhelms, we might not break 15K season tickets sold after this miserable season and no Michigan game to pimp up.

 

[freescooter]

I don't think we need to hire a name either, but we need to hire someone with more of a resume than Weist. We simply do, or we need to follow Nelson's advice and get out of this business, maybe see if we can still play in the MAC or the Sunbelt or the CAA.

 

[UConn Dan]

Unless he's not on campus today...

I do agree that announcing a "new to UConn" coach before the game would be oddest of odd.

The only way announcing a new coach before the game makes sense would be to offer thanks to TJ prior to his final game and for the fans to cheer him on, etc.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Until I can see the official release from the school, this has to be some kind of mole hunt or a sports writer snafu on source or something. The alternative is too disturbing.

 

[HomeKing93]

This is odd. Why not do this after the game if all WM's going to talk about is what the process is going to be?

 

[metsfan2323]

If the best we can do is a guy who will have at best be 3-5 then we really need to re-think this entire venture. Seriously. Or the entire Athletic Department leadership. Or both.

You had this same whiney attitude about Ollie (he wasn't proven enough for you) and you could not have been more wrong about that.

 

[gioff23]

Did he not say after P was fired that he would not say anything until the season is over? Tomorrow, it's over. He will stand up and say, as promised, I want to talk about the process - we want a winner, we believe in UConn and we're going to get the best man .... and then open up for questions.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I'd like to see the release by the university referenced in this statement from the blog post in the OP. I'm not questioning it's existence, just saying that I can't find it any of the usual places I'd see such a thing, and I didn't get any notice of such a thing through the usual methods I would get notices about stuff from the university.

From the posted article:
The UConn athletic director is going to host an 11 a.m. press conference at Rentschler Field on Saturday “to discuss the search for a new football coach” – according to a release by the university.

 

[metsfan2323]

We need to worry about selling tickets in 2014 too. If the coaching underwhelms, we might not break 15K season tickets sold after this miserable season and no Michigan game to pimp up.

We also need to start winning soon (next year would be nice), we can't afford to go through another 3 year purge and rebuild process.

The losers that were on this staff have already been eliminated. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[CTMike]

It isn't going to be Weist. He is not going to say anything of substance, just some very vanilla blather about finding the best man for the job and such. But he has to give the folks something and this is it. If I'm wrong and he hires Weist, I hope he also announces that he is resigning and becoming AD at Southern North Dakota and that UConn is dropping its football program down to 1AA again, because that's where this is headed.

I am shocked and surprised at your negative outlook.

 

[emshorts]

it's all very simple
the game is a pick'em......warde is gonna give tj the job
money swings to uconn then he bets the ranch and takes memphis with the points

 

[freescooter]

Seriously? You guys think that the best guy we can get is 2-5 in his career and best case he'll be 3-5 with wins over Temple and Rutgers and maybe Memphis but losses to SMU and South Florida? glad you guys have a high opinion of UConn's future as a football program...Nobody would make that kind of a hire. I doubt we will.

 

[Dooley]

We also need to start winning soon (next year would be nice), we can't afford to go through another 3 year purge and rebuild process.

The losers that were on this staff have already been eliminated. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I hear ya. The diehards like you and I and many Boneyarders here will be at the Rent next year if it's Weist. I'm just not so sure about the casual fan. We definitely need to win to get out of the AAC but we also need to do it in front of 40K. The schedule itself isn't going to sell tickets to the casual fan and I think most casual fans are looking for a "name" to stay on board.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Just my kooky mind at work, but since I can not find anything about a press conference directly from the school, yet it's being picked up by local writers, and referenced as direct school release of info as such, this smells like an intentional leak of information to guage fan interest/response on retaining Weist as head coach.

If that is case, I like TJ Weist, and I would be curious to see who could be brought on staff to fill the two vacant positions, and what he would do with current staff, but my prediction is that the general fan reaction would be quite poor.

If there is going to be a press conference as described, the only logical purpose would be to announce Weist as the next coach, and if that's the case, Manuel better have taken a lesson from old Lew, and have an impressive list of names that he did interview for the job, and would be able to confirm being interviewed, but turned down, and a good reason as to why.

 

[freescooter]

I don't think they are looking for a name necessarily, but a change in direction. Promoting a member of this staff isn' t going to provide that.

 

[Jimdish255]

Winning against the 3 worst teams in the conference doesn't mean that he should get the job -- PP could have won these games too.

Check

 

[FluxTZ]

I'm still confused as to why the hell we NEED to have this presser. Completely pointless if you ask me. Just do your search and make an announcement after you've decided. Ughhhhh.

 

[freescooter]

You had this same whiney attitude about Ollie (he wasn't proven enough for you) and you could not have been more wrong about that.

I'm not even going to discuss Ollie until he actually does something. first chance comes in March. In major college basketball that and only that is what counts. the rest are basically exhibition games.

 

[UConn Insider]

Palatine reported that Casey was just wearing a T-shirt during the Husky walk. I'd be willing to bet I know who Casey wants to have the job.
Don't underestimate the players' opinion on TJ, that counts. If the players aren't on board you have nothing (witness the Buffalo game)

Wouldn't overestimate player's opinion of TJ either. Yeah, our guys like winning a couple games but it's not like the guy invented the forward pass or anything.

But yes, timing is weird but literally zero indication it will be TJ. More likely a thank you and here's our gameplan for an actual announcement...but what do I know.....

 

[sdhusky]

I'm not even going to discuss Ollie until he actually does something. first chance comes in March. In major college basketball that and only that is what counts. the rest are basically exhibition games.

What a genius. I guess Bazz just won a exhibition game and it doesn't count much. .

 

[CTMike]

Seriously? You guys think that the best guy we can get is 2-5 in his career and best case he'll be 3-5 with wins over Temple and Rutgers and maybe Memphis but losses to SMU and South Florida? glad you guys have a high opinion of UConn's future as a football program...Nobody would make that kind of a hire. I doubt we will.

That's not what I said.

Personally, of the names bandied about, I like Narduzzi the best.

But - IF it's announced that it's Weist - it'll be because he was evaluated as having the necessary ability and skill set to win. It's very simplistic to say "he only has 2 wins!" to the guy that inherited a shtstorm. You don't KNOW that he would be a bad hire. You just react negatively to everything.

I hope we get a guy that has a bit more evidence to support the hire. But UConn Football is NOT over if it's Weist.

 

[Dooley]

Maybe the hoard is incredibly lazy and Warde wants to use the opportunity to get his search buzz out in as many outlets as possible? They won't drive to Storrs to listen to him babble about timelines and his process but they will all be there for the game anyway so might as well seize the opportunity to get his message out. I'm also sure he'll reiterate his good guy "I didn't want to talk to anybody during someone else's season" message that should soothe tensions and get us into the B1G immediately following our win over Memphis.

 

[metsfan2323]

I'm not even going to discuss Ollie until he actually does something.

Bingo, that's exactly why you have no credibility on this subject. In your opinion Ollie has done nothing.

Good Grief!

 

[sdhusky]

That's not what I said.

Personally, of the names bandied about, I like Narduzzi the best.

But - IF it's announced that it's Weist - it'll be because he was evaluated as having the necessary ability and skill set to win. It's very simplistic to say "he only has 2 wins!" to the guy that inherited a shtstorm. You don't KNOW that he would be a bad hire. You just react negatively to everything.

I hope we get a guy that has a bit more evidence to support the hire. But UConn Football is NOT over if it's Weist.

Exactly. I don't give a crap about winning news conferences. If its Weist, I will believe he can be successful until proven otherwise.

Personally, I'd like DeRuyter but I'm not going to have a tantrum if it isn't him.

And I don't give a crap about how the process "looks". Get me a guy that wins over the next few years, anyhow, anyway, anyone.

 

[sdhusky]

Bingo, that's exactly why you have no credibility on this subject. In your opinion Ollie has done nothing.

Good Grief!

If businesslawyer is the new coach, will he call plays from 241?

 

[ruskin]

Geeezus we are a bunch of self-entitled mother foxxers. Guy has been secretive so far and we bitch. We get a cryptic announcement that he will be talking about the search tomorrow and we bitch. Bitch Bitch Bitch. This is why we can't have nice things

I disagree Skibs. It's the timing that's at the least is odd and at the worst is bad. Two hours before kickoff of the last game doesn't make a whole lot of sense. After the game would make much, much more sense. Let TJ coach the damn game without any more drama than is alread there.

Just can't think of a case where an AD did this on gameday ahead of kickoff.

Maybe it's Lembo. DeRuyter, Narduzzi and Herman all have games later that day.

 

[metsfan2323]

Wouldn't overestimate player's opinion of TJ either. Yeah, our guys like winning a couple games but it's not like the guy invented the forward pass or anything.

But yes, timing is weird but literally zero indication it will be TJ. More likely a thank you and here's our gameplan for an actual announcement...but what do I know.....

It's just odd to do that before the game. Do that after the game. Don't do something that distracts from the game about to be played.

However, if it's TJ you do this to fire up the troops and get the announcement out first in case we lose the Memphis game.