UConn Insider podcast: Breaking down a tumultuous offseason for UConn football

[huskymedic]

@ManthonyCourant and @AlexPutterman dropped by the UConn Insider podcast to weigh in on the UConn football team’s tumultuous offseason and answer Twitter questions

 

[RSTuthill]

Wish someone had asked the question why UConn cannot seem to hire effective strength and conditioning coaches. Don't know about the new guys, but a lack of fitness has been a constant complaint in the last few years.

 

[noeynox]

Wish someone had asked the question why UConn cannot seem to hire effective strength and conditioning coaches. Don't know about the new guys, but a lack of fitness has been a constant complaint in the last few years.

I thought Balis was exceptional. In one off season you saw a great difference in how guys like Levy, and Fatukasi looked. Also for all his suckage, Diacos teams were physical and pretty good tacklers. They guy that just left? Maybe yoga was his thing.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I thought Balis was exceptional. In one off season you saw a great difference in how guys like Levy, and Fatukasi looked. Also for all his suckage, Diacos teams were physical and pretty good tacklers. They guy that just left? Maybe yoga was his thing.

Honestly, after experiencing the 21-7 and 14-3 type losses under Diaco and the 56-30 (or 56-7) losses this year I prefer the former. It’s more likely your offense catches lightning in a bottle than your defense

 

[noeynox]

Honestly, after experiencing the 21-7 and 14-3 type losses under Diaco and the 56-30 (or 56-7) losses this year I prefer the former. It’s more likely your offense catches lightning in a bottle than your defense

The Diaco coached games were tough to sit through. That win against Virginia was worse I ever felt after a WIN. But at least the games weren't over in your mind before kickoff like it was this past year. No prayer of winning with D like that.

 

[tiger8mush]

The Diaco coached games were tough to sit through. That win against Virginia was worse I ever felt after a WIN.

Diaco games were extremely boring (except for the lateral pass vs Houston and the fake FGs)

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

The Diaco coached games were tough to sit through. That win against Virginia was worse I ever felt after a WIN. But at least the games weren't over in your mind before kickoff like it was this past year. No prayer of winning with D like that.

I remember losing 21-0 in Donovan Williams first game against a very good Temple team. Would have been 21-0 after 3 possessions this past year.

 

[whaler11]

I remember losing 21-0 in Donovan Williams first game against a very good Temple team. Would have been 21-0 after 3 possessions this past year.

it was 21-0 after three possession that night too wasnt it?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

it was 21-0 after three possession that night too wasnt it?

Yep. All three were quick drives.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

it was 21-0 after three possession that night too wasnt it?

I realized that too late. 21-0 Is still different than 21-0 on way to 57-7.

 

[RSTuthill]

The other significant thing is that they mentioned the continuity with Giufre as OC. Yup, continuity is highly valued. Underrated even. But whether or not we get continuity has yet to be seen.

 

[geordi]

Are you guys honestly nostalgic about the good old days of Diaco???????

 

[noeynox]

Are you guys honestly nostalgic about the good old days of Diaco???????

Nostalgic over the days when forcing a punt wasn't a pipe dream.

 

[RSTuthill]

Not Diaco, but maybe HCPP just a little bit.

 

[gioff2323]

Disco inherited decent players. He never found one Foley or anything close.

 

[Bubba1957]

Diaco inherited a legitimate FBS team. Several pros or close to pros on D (Adams, Jones, Junior, Foley, Luke and Davis on O). If I remember correctly the first home game was against BYU. They completed, but Diaco screwed things up by switching QBs in and out just when they would get some momentum. He would sit Davis on big 3rd downs. It didn't take a genius to see that Davis had real talent. Of course we all remember his crazy explanations and his bad recruiting. PP > Diaco, RE > both.

 

[junglehusky]

Anthony is exactly right that when the fans come back (if at all) it will be slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwly because people in CT just don't care about Houston or whoever. "Win and the fans will come back" is delusional.

Aside from that, the theme song for that podcast is [fire emoji].

 

[Hogoff]

Anthony is exactly right that when the fans come back (if at all) it will be slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwly because people in CT just don't care about Houston or whoever. "Win and the fans will come back" is delusional.

Aside from that, the theme song for that podcast is [fire emoji].

It doesn’t matter who they are playing if they are winning. You don’t think if UConn were ranked, and a ranked Houston team came to the rent, that it would draw as much as we did playing Big East teams?

 

[junglehusky]

It doesn’t matter who they are playing if they are winning. You don’t think if UConn were ranked, and a ranked Houston team came to the rent, that it would draw as much as we did playing Big East teams?

No, I don't.

We might do well for that one game, but then the next week we'd be lucky to get 30k when ECU or Tulane comes to visit. Non-hardcore fans would watch UConn play Syracuse and BC because they're within driving distance and A) Those schools are not a time zone away B) UConn at least had a couple decades of history with them in other sports C) people from your high school class, or a coworker or uncle or whatever went to those schools so there was familiarity.

 

[uconnyankee]

No, I don't.

We might do well for that one game, but then the next week we'd be lucky to get 30k when ECU or Tulane comes to visit. Non-hardcore fans would watch UConn play Syracuse and BC because they're within driving distance and A) Those schools are not a time zone away B) UConn at least had a couple decades of history with them in other sports C) people from your high school class, or a coworker or uncle or whatever went to those schools so there was familiarity.

People will show up if the game has meaning. That's how it starts.

UConn in national discussion? People will show up.

 

[RSTuthill]

People will show up if the game has meaning. That's how it starts.

UConn in national discussion? People will show up.

You need to qualify the type of national discussion you mean. UConn is in a national discussion right now -- whether or not they should be playing football.

I tend to agree with the hypothesis that winning solves a multitude of problems including attendance. But the AAC just is not attractive to fans in this area. So the maximum potential for attendance is reduced. Probably 25-30K if they start winning. 40K seems really far fetched at this point.

 

[UCFBfan]

No, I don't.

We might do well for that one game, but then the next week we'd be lucky to get 30k when ECU or Tulane comes to visit. Non-hardcore fans would watch UConn play Syracuse and BC because they're within driving distance and A) Those schools are not a time zone away B) UConn at least had a couple decades of history with them in other sports C) people from your high school class, or a coworker or uncle or whatever went to those schools so there was familiarity.

I totally agree on the history matters part. I've said it many times on this board. That being said, I think fans will come back if we start winning regularly AND are playing exciting football. That is possible in this conference. It resembles more Big 12 offense than Big 10. That's exciting to many casual fans. Couple that with a great tailgating scene and I think die hards can start bringing back casual fans and it could have a ripple effect.

If you win in exciting fashion and people have a fun experience overall, like it used to be, people will slowly come back. If we win regularly but it's in the run, run, pass, 21-13 variety, it will be a slow process. That's where opponents with no history will really hurt a rebound.

 

[UConnDan97]

Longing for Diaco is a Top 10 nominee for "Craziest Boneyard Moment". He was literally the worst. And his plummeting career with yearly downgrade of title should confirm that which you should already know.

As for PP; he had to go, but I'm starting to miss that high water mark of 5-7...

 

[SU1968]

I totally agree on the history matters part. I've said it many times on this board. That being said, I think fans will come back if we start winning regularly AND are playing exciting football. That is possible in this conference. It resembles more Big 12 offense than Big 10. That's exciting to many casual fans. Couple that with a great tailgating scene and I think die hards can start bringing back casual fans and it could have a ripple effect.

If you win in exciting fashion and people have a fun experience overall, like it used to be, people will slowly come back. If we win regularly but it's in the run, run, pass, 21-13 variety, it will be a slow process. That's where opponents with no history will really hurt a rebound.

I don't normally jump into a conversation on another school's board, but UCFB nailed it. Dino Babers came to SU and had back to back 4 - 8 seasons after replacing coaches with 15 years of bad football. People started filling the seats again because -- even though they lost games -- SU was playing exciting football that is fun to watch. This year, we were 10 - 3 and already they are raising prices, selling more season tickets, and have started a $100+ million renovation of the Dome.

 

[uconnphil2016]

I don't normally jump into a conversation on another school's board, but UCFB nailed it. Dino Babers came to SU and had back to back 4 - 8 seasons after replacing coaches with 15 years of bad football. People started filling the seats again because -- even though they lost games -- SU was playing exciting football that is fun to watch. This year, we were 10 - 3 and already they are raising prices, selling more season tickets, and have started a $100+ million renovation of the Dome.

Eh I don’t really buy it. Wisconsin and Iowa don’t exactly play exciting football. Fans go because they win. It doesn’t really matter if it’s 17-10 or 62-50. I’ve watched a number of really bad games that were shootouts in the last few years, and have seen a lot of great games that were defensive battles.