UConn Announces Jason Candle as New Head Football Coach (Updated)

[BugsyCT]

Candle is the first UConn head coaching hire with roots on the offensive side of the ball since Skip Holtz I think. Don't know much about him but sounds like DB got the guy he wanted. Very good day for UConn Football!

 

[UConnJim]

Candle's recruiting class at Toledo last year: 22 HS kids, 20 transfers.

Transfers were from: Ole Miss, West Virginia, Rutgers, 2 from Purdue, 2 from Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Michigan St., USF, Kentucky, Pitt, Sacred Heart, ECU, 2 from Northern Illinois, Holy Cross, UMass, FAU, NC A&T

 

[Dove]

What is Coach Candle's record in OT?

 

[JohnFSilver]

Plus Coach Candle has a great recruiting class of his own so I expect some recruiting going on there. UConn is going to get a huge bounce out of this hire!!!

I would steal every recruit that Candle thinks works here. UConn can’t do this with the moral high ground.

 

[king conn]

Seriously, I love the hire for UConn and it means bowl games forever.

But hearing, "never had a non-winning season" falls flat in these parts due to Mike Tomlin's lack of success in playoffs over the past decade.

Yes, I recognize college FB is different from pro. But the phrase is nails on a chalkboard at this point in Pittsburgh.

I do hope he keeps Sammis. I don't want our HC taking complete charge of either offense or defense. That's what OCs and DCs are for. There's a ton of other things an HC needs to manage.

And I recognize baseball is different than college fb. You know there are yankee fans here right?

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Sorry - I am reposting my post from the other thread since that thread was just closed.

What a week. This is a great morning, let's freakin go UConn nation. Mora did amazing things for us, but he didn't quite have his heart in Huskyland. AD David Benedict probably grew tired of the ever increasing Mora maintenance and so he slow played the CSU counter and rolled the dice. But the dice AD David Benedict threw were loaded, he knew this time around we'd have options. Well played AD David Benedict.

Interesting how the narrative on Mora’s departure has evolved. Between this comment and D’Amelio’s comments, it appears DB was very open to the idea of a change being a good thing for UConn. DB was closer to us to know what it was like to work with Mora, and whether Mora’s heart was in it long term.

Candle appears to be the right guy to ensure stability with the football team while DB continutes to work on getting UConn into the P4.

Time will tell…but I trust DB’s vision for success. Welcome aboard Jason Candle! Let’s go win the bowl game and build the roster for next season!

 

[huskymedic]

 

[RedStickHusky]

Following that I feel bad for wanting him to bring Toledo players over

Right? I'd be extremely impressed if he had the onions to say "we're not gonna go that"; even more impressed if the players followed him anyway.

 

[Tm203]

What is Coach Candle's record in OT?

2-2 with a 6 OT win against Pitt in last years bowl

 

[superjohn]

Having a team meeting before the official announcement in person. No text. Notice his announcement didn't need to say "I am a man of INTEGRITY and HONOR. Everyone should remember how IMPORTANT I am!"

There's a right way and a wrong way to do things...

Randy Edsall forcing Jordan Todman to be a man and address his teammates face to face before the Fiesta Bowl telling them why he was leaving them/turning his back on them while Edsall already had a deal done with Maryland knowing he would sneak off and tell the players via text. Nothing will ever top that in the bad behavior/hypocrite department but Mora handled everything the wrong way in his exit. I'm happy we had Mora when we did and now I'm glad he's gone and we have Candle.

 

[Nameless]

Proven head coach? Check
Good recruiter? Check
Increase in assistant salary pool? Check
Increase in NIL and rev share? Check

Literally everything I wanted, I've seen tweeted in this thread. Needless to say I am absolutely thrilled with this hire. I wanted a guy who could potentially be an upgrade over Mora and I think we got one.

Credit to AD Dave, as someone else said he just quietly went about his business and got his guy.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Right? I'd be extremely impressed if he had the onions to say "we're not gonna go that"; even more impressed if the players followed him anyway.

Get out of here. Get best players. Enough with trying to be the bastion of integrity.

 

[BugsyCT]

 

[mikeinmanila]

Proven head coach? Check
Good recruiter? Check
Increase in assistant salary pool? Check
Increase in NIL and rev share? Check

Literally everything I wanted, I've seen tweeted in this thread. Needless to say I am absolutely thrilled with this hire. I wanted a guy who could potentially be an upgrade over Mora and I think we got one.

Credit to AD Dave, as someone else said he just quietly went about his business and got his guy.

100%

 

[HCCForever]

I'd like to see Victor Rossa reconsider along with a couple of the guys on defense

I’ll add John Neider and Mel Brown to this list

 

[Stinger92860]

Seriously, I love the hire for UConn and it means bowl games forever.

But hearing, "never had a non-winning season" falls flat in these parts due to Mike Tomlin's lack of success in playoffs over the past decade.

Yes, I recognize college FB is different from pro. But the phrase is nails on a chalkboard at this point in Pittsburgh.

I do hope he keeps Sammis. I don't want our HC taking complete charge of either offense or defense. That's what OCs and DCs are for. There's a ton of other things an HC needs to manage.

Doesn’t Andy Reid make the play calls for the Chiefs. Thats been working for at least the last few years.

 

[huskyinfl]

Great hire - green candles all around as our stock is going up. Don't Diaco me!

 

[Dove]

AD Dave does it again!

Grand salami !!!

 

[HuskyNan]

I'm curious what defense will look like.

Candle is supposedly an offensive mind, so whatever DC we hire (or retain) is going to need to be a talent. The DC at Toledo was brilliant--we gotta replicate that.

Team stats/ranking from the NCAA

I don’t know why they can’t use a darker color

 

[tiger paw]

Successful W/L record over a period of time. Don't forget he had to recruit in a state dominated by Ohio St + Cincinnati. He also had to compete for MAC level talent against in-state rivals Ohio U. - Akron. Sounds like our dream coach.

 

[Rdkid]

Looks like he may have $450 to 750k buyout per the interwebs. No biggie, still have a surplus in the change.

 

[RSTuthill]

Just a plethora of thoughts, mostly joyful.

Someone said that if he is successful he will probably be gone after three or four years. Well, maybe, but maybe not this time. If he is successful he will most likely have UConn on the verge of joining a P4, likely the ACC, when all the GOR's and TV contracts are renegotiated in 2030/2031. That would be worth sticking around for I would think.

Another random thought: I can visualize HCJC first walking into the AD reception for him at UConn very soon. Gotta think the number of D1 championships his new colleagues have won will impress him.

Lastly, on a slightly unrelated topic, it is just hilarious that a team that UConn beat is playing for the ACC championship tonight. Does that not prove that UConn is on a par with the ACC? Well, there is that little issue of consistency and can UConn do that repeatedly. This morning I am much more confident that goal can be met in the coming years.

 

[huskymedic]

UConn Announces Jason Candle as New Head Football Coach - University of Connecticut Athletics

STORRS, CT – Jason Candle has been named the next head football coach at the University of Connecticut, as announced by director of athletics David Benedict ...

uconnhuskies.com

-> "I am honored to be named the head football coach at the University of Connecticut," stated Candle. "UConn is a prestigious institution and I'm grateful to David Benedict and the leadership team for entrusting me with this opportunity. Nicole, Avery, Cameron, Colton, and I are excited to join the Husky family and become part of the Storrs community. UConn has all the ingredients for success—outstanding facilities, passionate fans, and a commitment to excellence. I look forward to building on the incredible momentum here and developing a program that builds young men of character and makes our fans and alumni proud. I can't wait to get to work with our student-athletes and staff. Let's go Huskies!" <-

 

[Kolumbo]

Seriously, I love the hire for UConn and it means bowl games forever.

But hearing, "never had a non-winning season" falls flat in these parts due to Mike Tomlin's lack of success in playoffs over the past decade.

Yes, I recognize college FB is different from pro. But the phrase is nails on a chalkboard at this point in Pittsburgh.

I do hope he keeps Sammis. I don't want our HC taking complete charge of either offense or defense. That's what OCs and DCs are for. There's a ton of other things an HC needs to manage.

I don't know why you are throwing such nonsensical language into the mix. We've said "never had a losing season" which is absolutely correct and impressive. Especially with such parity in the MAC. Every team in the conference has led the standings over the past 10 years, except UMass of course which just joined.

Conference leaders based on conference record:

2025 Western Michigan
2024 Ohio/Miami (Oh)
2023 Miami/Toledo
2022 Ohio/Toledo-E. Michigan
2021 Kent State/Northern Illinois-C. Michigan
2020 Buffalo/Ball State
2019 Miami/Central Michigan
2018 Buffalo/Northern Illinois
2017 Akron/Toledo
2016 Ohio-Miami (Oh)/Western Michigan

 

[UConnDan97]

How is that possible???

Having 100% retention in the new NIL world... that might be the most impressive stat that a head coach can ever achieve...