Warde on Sirius College Radio

[Jimmy Serrano]

are you kidding me? If he goes 4-4 the rest of the way with this trainwreck he doesn't get the job? I beg to differ. With any kind of offense at all we could easily be 3-1 right now. 4 wins would be a huge program turnaround.

4 wins he gets consideration. Anything less than 4 and he probably doesn't get the gig (barring some unforeseen circumstances). My take:

6 wins or more - near lock to get the job
5 wins - strong consideration.....I would bet he gets the job
4 wins - gets him a look but it's wide open
3 wins or less - probably will land him elsewhere next year

 

[gars44]

4 wins he gets consideration. Anything less than 4 and he probably doesn't get the gig (barring some unforeseen circumstances). My take:

6 wins or more - near lock to get the job
5 wins - strong consideration.....I would bet he gets the job
4 wins - gets him a look but it's wide open
3 wins or less - probably will land him elsewhere next year

I guess it depends on how the offense looks. If he puts an exciting offense on the field, and that means an effective running game, and the team looks and feels like a team again, he gets the job even with 4 wins. If we get 4 wins but look like we do now, no excitement, no offense, then he's out. It's going to be the eye test all the way. All the way.

 

[metsfan2323]

I guess it depends on how the offense looks. If he puts an exciting offense on the field, and that means an effective running game, and the team looks and feels like a team again, he gets the job even with 4 wins. If we get 4 wins but look like we do now, no excitement, no offense, then he's out. It's going to be the eye test all the way. All the way.

Yup, if he goes 4-4 and we are very competitive in all 4 losses and lose a heartbreaker or two he probably gets the job, if we go 4-4 but have 3 blowout losses, doubtful he gets it.

He basically needs to motivate these players to bring the Michigan effort to every game and show he can win. If at the end of that the players want him back and recruiting is going well TJ will be tough to beat. I sure hope he succeeds because that will mean we had some fun the rest of the year.

 

[freescooter]

I'm just telling you what Warde did when it came time to hire a hockey coach. Assistant was promoted to Interim head coach with a team that was 0-4-1. He ended the season a 4 seed in the conference tournament, first winning season in 12 years, 19 wins, 2nd most in the D1 era, .500 non-conference record for the first time in the D1 era, a win over a Hockey East opponent, replaced the record setting goalie with a guy who had spent 3 years on the bench, took the nation's #1 to the limit and when seeding was on the line he went 10-3-2 down the stretch. And his players were practically begging Warde to give him the permanent gig. They would have skated through a wall into a pit of fire for the guy. And he is now the Assistant at Providence College and Mike Cavannaugh is the head coach of mens hockey. I followed that situation fairly closely through friends associated with the program, and when 2 time NCAA Champ George Gwardeky became available, everyone I knew figured that was the only thing that might derail Berard. The way Ward handled the hockey search leads me to believe that he will have a very high bar because honestly, you couldn't have asked anyone to do a better job than Berard did as interim head coach taking a team with a history of losing and turning the tables to go 19-10-3 like he did was remarkable. Not sure how high, but based on his action in that case, I don't expect 6 wins to get it done. And this absolutely will not be an Ollie situation where he announces an extension at the Rutgers game. This choice is too important not to check out who might be available. In some ways, an argument could be made that what Warde does with this job is far more important than even replacing Calhoun was because as much as UConn fans care about basketball success, if we're ever to get out of this mess of a league, it will be football, not basketball that is responsible. So he can't make a feel good choice. He can't have a "Bill Stewart" moment. and I sometimes wonder if some of you guys even know who Bill was or what that even means...

 

[freescooter]

4 wins he gets consideration. Anything less than 4 and he probably doesn't get the gig (barring some unforeseen circumstances). My take:

6 wins or more - near lock to get the job
5 wins - strong consideration.....I would bet he gets the job
4 wins - gets him a look but it's wide open
3 wins or less - probably will land him elsewhere next year

No chance with less than 6. None. Even at 6 he probably gets only a courtesy interview. I don't care If UConn looks like the New England Patriots on Offense and the old Pittsburgh Steelers Steel Curtain on Defense. I don't care if the players like him so much the marry his dogs and live on his front steps just to be near him in the off season. He doesn't win 7-8 games he gets a "thanks for your help" and a nice letter of recommendation for his next job. By the way, I expect none of those things to happen. This is a team that has some real problems and those won't likely be fixed quickly.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I'm just telling you what Warde did when it came time to hire a hockey coach. Assistant was promoted to Interim head coach with a team that was 0-4-1. He ended the season a 4 seed in the conference tournament, first winning season in 12 years, 19 wins, 2nd most in the D1 era, .500 non-conference record for the first time in the D1 era, a win over a Hockey East opponent, replaced the record setting goalie with a guy who had spent 3 years on the bench, took the nation's #1 to the limit and when seeding was on the line he went 10-3-2 down the stretch. And his players were practically begging Warde to give him the permanent gig. They would have skated through a wall into a pit of fire for the guy. And he is now the Assistant at Providence College and Mike Cavannaugh is the head coach of mens hockey. I followed that situation fairly closely through friends associated with the program, and when 2 time NCAA Champ George Gwardeky became available, everyone I knew figured that was the only thing that might derail Berard. The way Ward handled the hockey search leads me to believe that he will have a very high bar because honestly, you couldn't have asked anyone to do a better job than Berard did as interim head coach taking a team with a history of losing and turning the tables to go 19-10-3 like he did was remarkable. Not sure how high, but based on his action in that case, I don't expect 6 wins to get it done. And this absolutely will not be an Ollie situation where he announces an extension at the Rutgers game. This choice is too important not to check out who might be available. In some ways, an argument could be made that what Warde does with this job is far more important than even replacing Calhoun was because as much as UConn fans care about basketball success, if we're ever to get out of this mess of a league, it will be football, not basketball that is responsible. So he can't make a feel good choice. He can't have a "Bill Stewart" moment. and I sometimes wonder if some of you guys even know who Bill was or what that even means...

I don't think the situations are he same.
1. This coach was brought in by Warde. possibly as PP replacement.
2. This coach is a Michigan man. and blood is thinker than water.

 

[freescooter]

I don't think the situations are he same.
1. This coach was brought in by Warde. possibly as PP replacement.
2. This coach is a Michigan man. and blood is thinker than water.

No and No.

 

[Nostical]

Here's what gets him hired.
Winning 7-8 games (even if due merely to fluke plays, nice bounces and a few WTF calls by the refs in our favor.)
OR
Winning 5-6 games with the following:
Boyle becoming a standout, our receivers shining and our running game on full throttle.
Our fans actually pumped and excited all game long.
Increased attendance and donations!!
Increased interest from the national media.
Playing with energy, winning with passion, losing with class but never quitting till the final gun.

He's got the character that SH demands. She wants him to succeed. At the press conference I thought he displayed that elusive "it" factor. It's his job for the taking. For starters, he has to rev up Husky Nation. USF must be beaten like a wet mule. I can't wait.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

As seldom as I agree with scooter I do (to a point) agree here.

WM is not calling off a national coaching search unless somehow TJ runs the table. If TJ does very well (in terms of how the players respond more so than wins vs losses) he will get consideration and yes, he may well be able to convince Warde that he is the best candidate but I believe that Warde will be very thorough before making the decision. I also believe that Warde is looking at bigger game than TJ for the job at the moment. Weist will need to convince WM that he can lead us to where WM wants us to be.

 

[metsfan2323]

If Weist magically wins 6 with a Freshman QB and what looks like a bad team (very unlikely it happens) he will be AAC coach of the year, we will be on our way to a decent bowl game finishing no worse than third in the league and Bob's will be selling "TJ Weist is God" T-shirts. TJ will be nationally known as a miracle worker....

....But some think we will turn that away for a "Big Name". The biggest name in CT will be TJ Weist.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

If Weist magically wins 6 with a Freshman QB and what looks like a bad team (very unlikely it happens) he will be AAC coach of the year, we will be on our way to a decent bowl game finishing no worse than third in the league and Bob's will be selling "TJ Weist is God" T-shirts. TJ will be nationally known as a miracle worker....

....But some think we will turn that away for a "Big Name". The biggest name in CT will be TJ Weist.

Yeah. The search will go on. But Weist gets the job with 6 wins.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

But seriously.....it's a ridiculous discussion to have right now.

 

[CL82]

Yeah. The search will go on. But Weist gets the job with 6 wins.

Agree.

 

[junglehusky]

But seriously.....it's a ridiculous discussion to have right now.

About as ridiculous as any discussion that includes Lane Kiffin.

 

[SAMCRO]

No and No.

Yes and No.

 

[BlueDogs]

If TJ manages 4-4 (which is no small matter given the state of the team)I think they give him anothervyear to prove he can do better, unless there is an exceptional "must have" candidate. I still thinks he gets to 5-3. If he gets a W under his belt this week, there will be buy-in and belief. They will have a shot against L'ville, mark my words.

 

[gars44]

If TJ manages 4-4 (which is no small matter given the state of the team)I think they give him anothervyear to prove he can do better, unless there is an exceptional "must have" candidate. I still thinks he gets to 5-3. If he gets a W under his belt this week, there will be buy-in and belief. They will have a shot against L'ville, mark my words.

No shot against Louisville, and rationally, I don't think even Knute Rockne could squeeze more than four wins out of the remainder of this schedule. There is so much to be done and undone, and not much time. If TJ gets to 4 wins it will be a minor miracle. If he does that I'll be very surprised. But this talk of 6 or 7 wins? Not a buyer.

 

[whaler11]

If TJ gets the job without a national search for going 4-4 in this disgrace of a league I might have to take a good hard look at finding a new hobby. If that happens you can pretty much forget this athletic department.

There is really no realistic outcome that shouldn't end in a well run process to determine the next coach. If it's TJ good for him - but there had better be a legitimate process.

 

[freescooter]

If TJ manages 4-4 (which is no small matter given the state of the team)I think they give him anothervyear to prove he can do better, unless there is an exceptional "must have" candidate. I still thinks he gets to 5-3. If he gets a W under his belt this week, there will be buy-in and belief. They will have a shot against L'ville, mark my words.

I agree that it won't be easy to turn things around, but on the other hand, getting 4 wins means beating USF, Temple, SMU, and Memphis. Those 4 are a combined 2-10, so while it would be an improvement for us it wouldn't exactly be comparable to running the table in the SEC. And SMU's win was by a point over an FCS team. So I'll say again, 4 wins gets him a pat on the back and a nice letter of thanks. Can't believe some of you want to give the guy the head coach's job for winning games against that pile of horse spit. Seriously...I hope he turns it around, but you have to do more than beat 4 of the worst teams in FBS football.

 

[Kgun7]

I don't think the situations are he same.
1. This coach was brought in by Warde. possibly as PP replacement.
2. This coach is a Michigan man. and blood is thinker than water.

The hockey coaching search was telling ... but I agree with AZ on this one. Warde will give Weist a long, hard look because that is why he brought him here. It was no fluke that Weist maintained his calm the entire time ... he had an idea this whole scenario would play out the way it has.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

If TJ gets the job without a national search for going 4-4 in this disgrace of a league I might have to take a good hard look at finding a new hobby. If that happens you can pretty much forget this athletic department.

There is really no realistic outcome that shouldn't end in a well run process to determine the next coach. If it's TJ good for him - but there had better be a legitimate process.

Nobody is saying there shouldn't be a legitimate process. I'm saying if Weist goes 6-2 he will be almost impossible to beat.

 

[whaler11]

Nobody is saying there shouldn't be a legitimate process. I'm saying if Weist goes 6-2 he will be almost impossible to beat.

Bluedogs said 4-4 would get him another year.

I disagree on 6-2, but it's not worth worrying about since it's about a 1% chance of it happening.

 

[SubbaBub]

If TJ has the right stuff, it should be obvious enough that we won't have to argue about it.

He will have the advantage of being the bird in the hand if we only attract lower/midrange candidates.

After hearing Warde, and Susan for that matter, post firing, I am convinced they have no intentions of short circuiting the process for external conveniences. They intend to hire who they believe is the best FB coach they can get.

If they find TJ is the next Urban Meyer, he'll get the job. Beating USF and Memphis won't factor into the decision very much.

 

[ZooCougar]

Outside of a winning season and a bowl game, he better not get hired.

I don't care about the "it"factor. It's one thing to win a press conference, it's another to go win games every week, which is what Weist has to do.

If we go 6-6 or 4-8 then that's a commentary on how bad P was and not how good Weist is.

 

[IMind]

I don't think we have anything to worry about in terms of a comprehensive search based on Ollie and Berard. Warde wanted to go outside for basketball... did for the hockey team. I think he does here too... I really think Weist has to work miracles in order to get more than token consideration.

 

[ZooCougar]

When it comes to Weist, I just refuse to drink the Kool Aid before it is made.

And let's be honest, he is a part of this 0-4 debacle too. It's not like he was an innocent bystander.

Most likely, he gets his audition and it's great on his resume. But Warde will look outside and that will be that.

 

[metsfan2323]

Most likely, he gets his audition and it's great on his resume. But Warde will look outside and that will be that.

Yes this is true.

We are just having fun speculating and debating on what it will take to get the job because speculating and debating is what we do.

Your comment that if Weist gets 6 wins it just shows P is a bad coach is absurd. Edsall never had 6 conference wins.

Some of you need to see an eye doctor because you have no vision. The players would stage a palace revolt if Warde replaced Weist after 6 wins, it would be the most amazing story in our football history and replacing the head coach at the end of it would be like murdering Cinderella.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Yes this is true.

We are just having fun speculating and debating on what it will take to get the job because speculating and debating is what we do.

Your comment that if Weist gets 6 wins it just shows P is a bad coach is absurd. Edsall never had 6 conference wins.

Some of you need to see an eye doctor because you have no vision. The players would stage a palace revolt if Warde replaced Weist after 6 wins.

We don't often see eye to eye......but you are dead right about that.

But unfortunately........I also agree with whaler in that there's a slim to none chance of us getting to 6 wins.

Personally I'm not expecting miracles and my money is on Weist moving on elsewhere next year.

 

[ZooCougar]

Yes this is true.

We are just having fun speculating and debating on what it will take to get the job because speculating and debating is what we do.

Your comment that if Weist gets 6 wins it just shows P is a bad coach is absurd. Edsall never had 6 conference wins.

Some of you need to see an eye doctor because you have no vision. The players would stage a palace revolt if Warde replaced Weist after 6 wins, it would be the most amazing story in our football history and replacing the head coach at the end of it would be like murdering Cinderella.

6 wins in the AAC is not 6 wins in the Big East. Time for you to go to the doctor.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

6 wins in the AAC is not 6 wins in the Big East. Time for you to go to the doctor.

This year's version of the league isn't all that different from the Big East of years past. Pitt & Cuse are awful. UCF is better than both of them. You have to look at the 6 wins with a little bit of perspective. He'll assumingly do it with a true freshman QB with a team that couldn't beat Towson at home.