The silence has been deafening. I would think Warde should have an idea if TJ would be worth giving a shot to already. If he thinks that he could improve the overall problems that we have not just on the offensive side. I don't see the point of playing out the season and then considering him. I'd rather know know. A change would help give some energy to the fanbase which I'm very concerned about. Standing pat just means the rest of the season becomes a death march unless something extradinary occurs. It is bacically what he did with the hockey coach decision.
I'm with this camp. After watching the team's (lack of) preparation, motivation, and execution against a FCS opponent, I don't think this season is going to finish any better than our previous two (0-5 wins). So, in that case, I think removing Pasqualoni and DeLeone is addition by subtraction. I'm not suggesting that we are going to find our forever coach on the unemployment right now (that ship sailed when Warde decided to re-up Pasqualoni after last season). But what we would accomplish by making a move now:
1. energizes and unites the fanbase. With one fell swoop, we shed the last bit of garbage left from the horrific Jeff Hathaway era;
2. let's see if Weist can inject some life into the team. The coaching/clock management/preparation/execution can't get worse than it is right now so Weist gets a bit of a pass this year from the fans. But if he can get the team to play with energy again, then great!;
3. holds the players accountable. Players now have to re-prove themselves all throughout the depth chart. They are playing for a new coach and possibly a new coach next year. Much different atmosphere than playing for a lameduck coach that the players know is on the brink of being fired;
4. we show the country that UCONN football is held to the same high standards as our national championship basketball programs and other top athletic programs. We will not settle for a retread "safe" hire any longer and that he was retained with a short leash. Guess what? Being blown out by a FCS opponent in our home opener cuts that short leash. Contract buyout be damned, we will invest in football like we invest in our other top athletic programs and look to improve it when it is not meeting our high standards;
5. we get a huge jump on the 2014 coaching carousel. Let's have some potential coaching candidates watch a few of our games, see the team play with energy and passion under Weist despite the turmoil, see the once-again-excited crowds at the Rent support the team no matter what the finish, and let them see the growth potential that we all see within UCONN football. Jim Calhoun once said that he was always impressed that UCONN basketball sold out arenas despite not being "big time". Let's show our next head coach and the college football world the same thing with our football program;
6. 2013 becomes an exciting wildcard - what I mean is that opposing head coaches do not have anything on film from TJ Weist. Opposing coaches know what they will get from Pasqualoni/DeLeone: poor clock management, mistakes at pivotal moments in games, ultra-conservative playcalling, little to no imagination, stubbornness to change, inability to adapt to in-game conditions and momentum, and the most confused looking offensive line in college football. With a new coach with an uptempo reputation, at least we address and cross off a few items from the Pasqualoni/DeLeone scouting report. And guess what? It *could* equate to wins. And if it doesn't, like I said earlier, it seems doubtful that this coaching staff can lead this team to a record better than the previous two.
I'd fire and buyout Pasqualoni and DeLeone today, name Weist interim head coach and OC, and issue a public statement that UCONN football is held to the same high winning standards of our other national championship programs and that the last 2+ years have been unacceptable. This type of a bold statement would INSTANTLY fire up this fanbase and create some positive buzz around these parts for the first time since the Fiesta Bowl.
