Warde Speaks:

[huskymedic]

Whats the benefit. He's not a fall guy he's just going to stay in line. That's what professionals do.

The benefit is that he protects his rep a bit.There can also be bad taste left when you bad mouth your former employer (whenever he ends up moving on). It's a fine line that can be walked.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Off the field, I doubt Warde (and Hebst) is a fool. UConn has major athletic capital needs coming-up on the horizon: 1) complete the funding of the basketball center, 2) a new soccer stadium in a new location, 3) renovating both the baseball and softball fields, and 4) some combination of a new hockey arena and a renovated Gampel or a new hockey/basketball center. The UConn fan base, while happy with women’s basketball and relieved with results that KO had as a first year basketball coach, are openly hostile towards the football program’s direction. A hostile crowd does not buy tickets nor donate money. No money means the capital projects do not get done and the AD carries the blame for a part of that failure. Warde knows if it gets any worse, he will have to make a change to save his own ambitions.

 

[ruskin]

Sure he did... You are seeing plays run that UConn has never run before and AC@ UConn Blog points that out multiple times in each of the film reviews.

Yeah, sure, TJW is worried about ending PP career. Aren't you the one who keeps pointing out that TJW' wasn't PP's choice and was handpicked by WM? If true, with that kind of backing - he can say whatever he wants. Hell, WM might even use him as a messenger. You can't have both sides of th argument.

It's easy to keep advancing the conspiracy theory based on previous Cuse experience and the "what do you expect him to say" concept but my eyes and ears are telling me differently. We may never know the answer...

AC's analysis also reflects (without saying directly) UConn got more conservative as the game went on and did not add any new wrinkles after halftime. Gee, where have we seen that before? It's not a "conspiracy" theory. It's the "incompetence doctrine" solidified at Syracuse in 2004 (and before & since). Like I said, the only way you're going to get the real TJ on the record about the Sunshine Boys is in the hospitality room at the coach's convention next January if he's peddling his resume.

You'll notice the Horde didn't bother asking Warde if he's happy with the way TJ is running the offense. Not surprising because other than Duffy and Ed D most them have reported "when PP hired Weist" as if Warde had zero involvement.

BTW how did this little shindig today come about? teleconference? Impromtu presser? Warde show up at the facility? Everybody take a sauna at the same time?

 

[whaler11]

The benefit is that he protects his rep a bit.There can also be bad taste left when you bad mouth your former employer (whenever he ends up moving on). It's a fine line that can be walked.

These guys know who can coach and who can't. TJ has been here two games. All he can do is toe the company line to the media.

 

[jbdphi]

I think some people will never be happy until they see TJ Weist's long form birth certificate.

 

[ruskin]

I think some people will never be happy until they see TJ Weist's long form birth certificate.

Nah, just P/GDL out. Hope TJ isn't collateral damage. The person who probably really knows all is Mrs. Weist. Wonder what she thinks of the Sunshine Boys?

 

[junglehusky]

I think some people will never be happy until they see TJ Weist's long form birth certificate.

9/14 (Maryland game) was an inside job!

 

[sportsart]

I think some people will never be happy until they see TJ Weist's long form birth certificate.

Found a copy of GDL's and PP's birth certificate.

 

[ruskin]

9/14 (Maryland game) was an inside job!

When the 9/11 truth guy starts graffiti-ing around Hartford he can draw Taylor returning the field goal out of the end zone

 

[Chief00]

The longer Warde prolongs this disaster the more he becomes the face of it.

 

[Jimdish255]

Those quotes sound a lot more like someone who has a season long leash for PP than a guy who is going to fire him in 4 days. He is throwing the fanbase a bone by saying he shares the frustration. As much as I think PP is just damaging the program by the day, I dont think Warde feels there is any gain to bin PP now.

If he doesn't relieve the captain before the ship totally runs aground, there might not be enough lifeboats.

 

[Jimdish255]

Why do people want Weist as the intermin coach? You just heard it from himself that he calls the plays... I'd rather have DJ Joey coach.

His quote about the plays seemed a little strangely worded.

 

[rich1122]

What % of the plays that he calls are actually run? That is the question that should have been asked.

 

[Fishy]

We're trying way too hard here - Weist is calling the plays.

You can tell because he said, "I am calling the plays".

What he meant with that statement is that he is calling the plays - unless, of course, you believe that GDL is calling the plays and TJ is trying to steal credit for the offense that is probably mere weeks away from causing the mass unemployment of every human being on the coaching staff.

So, to recap, Weist is either calling the plays or he is a garden-variety lunatic bent on his own professional destruction.

 

[ruskin]

So, to recap, Weist is either calling the plays or he is a garden-variety lunatic bent on his own professional destruction.

Some would say taking a job with the Sunshine Boys, being the first 'outsider' to split them in the organizational chart in 40 years, expecting to run a 21st century offense with GDL coaching your line and not getting rock-solid guarantees of autonomy and future employment would put you in that latter group. I don't think TJ is. I think he took one for the team yesterday. If TJ says the same things at the start of spring practice (where ever he is) that he said yesterday, that's when I'll cry Uncle.

 

[gioff23]

This place is beyond rationale - I am a fan of TJ and I see the O doing things we have not seen in the past. But, 2 minor points - what the heck has he ever done to annoint him the patron saint of UConn football? He was a WR coach for most of his career, absent a brief stint as OC at a SunBelt school. And can we please stop with the every good play was his call, and every bad call was GDL's. It's lunacy. This debacle is bad enough to watch, but some on this board have turned in to truthers and 911 conspiracy nuts.

 

[whaler11]

Weist was available for a reason.

 

[ruskin]

The point of the 'how much control does TJ really have' discussion is being missed. It's not black-and-white. Read between the lines. TJ is altering some of his playcalling to P's whims. P himself acknowledges "sometimes he changes things". How much is the unanswered question. Whose lips are surgically attached to P's ears?

I think it's safe to say GDL has not "called" one single play this year, or changed one on the sideline from the one called from the booth. It's the "scripts" -- especially when UConn takes an early lead as they have in both games this year and as the game gets into the second half -- that look awfully similar to last year's and the year before that. So is the ongoing failure to get plays in in a timely manner.

On the evidence of two games it looks like TJ may not be on a short leash, but he's on one. That's part of the problem. It's too bad TJ can't have just about anyone else in the world as his line coach and GDL 10,000 miles from this program. Then it would be a lot clearer how good/bad he really is.

 

[ruskin]

Weist was available for a reason.

Yep. Butch Jones didn't take him to Tennessee. Not even close to the reasons P and GDL were available in January 2011.

 

[metsfan2323]

Weist was available for a reason.

A coaching change in Cincy. It happens. He landed on his feet pretty quickly, and maybe he turned away another opportunity because he knew this position was opening, maybe it just took a while to announce it.

Our wide receivers look better than ever and our O-line is a disaster that is killing the offense. Who coaches the line?

We also know that we are still operating with GDL's wallpaper; Weist wasn't allowed to install his own system.

How many times in the last 10 years have our WRs been the strength of the team? (the answer is zero) So far this year I would say our WR's are the strength of the team.

Weist is not the problem.

 

[whaler11]

A coaching change in Cincy. It happens. He landed on his feet pretty quickly, and maybe he turned away another opportunity because he knew this position was opening, maybe it just took a while to announce it.

Our wide receivers look better than ever and our O-line is a disaster that is killing the offense. Who coaches the line?

We also know that we are still operating with GDL's wallpaper; Weist wasn't allowed to install his own system.

It's too early to say Weist is a problem.

I'm not saying he's a 'problem'.

Couple of points:

A: I can't imagine how bad the positions were that he would turn them down for this one. This was like boarding the Titanic from a life raft because you like to play violin.

B: The offense is a disorganized mess. He's the offensive coordinator. The only defense one could generate is that he's a patsy. I should have put defense in 'quotes'.

Your post completely contradicts itself If 'we know' GDL is still running the show why would a capable coach with other opportunities sign up. I'll hang up and listen to your response.

 

[metsfan2323]

Your post completely contradicts itself If 'we know' GDL is still running the show why would a capable coach with other opportunities sign up. I'll hang up and listen to your response.

You are assuming P hired Weist. I'm in the camp that thinks Warde played a role. (both have Michigan ties) I hope we find out very soon why Weist took the job.

My post doesn't contradict itself. I'm sure he's making more money as our Offensive Coordinator then he did as a WR coach. Probably six figures more. If things don't work out here he'll land on his feet somewhere else, taking this job is not a risk to his career, it's a great opportunity.

 

[ruskin]

B: The offense is a disorganized mess. He's the offensive coordinator. The only defense one could generate is that he's a patsy. I should have put defense in 'quotes'.

Yep, just as disorganized like the past two years. Poor habits die hard. He's got a cadaver who players have no respect for and the coaching fraternity laughs at as his line coach. Sure, it's fair to question why he came here. Maybe Warde is a better salesman than you think.

 

[Jimdish255]

A coaching change in Cincy. It happens. He landed on his feet pretty quickly, and maybe he turned away another opportunity because he knew this position was opening, maybe it just took a while to announce it.

Our wide receivers look better than ever and our O-line is a disaster that is killing the offense. Who coaches the line?

We also know that we are still operating with GDL's wallpaper; Weist wasn't allowed to install his own system.

How many times in the last 10 years have our WRs been the strength of the team? (the answer is zero) So far this year I would say our WR's are the strength of the team.

Weist is not the problem.

Thank you but what you just said is so painfully obvious it's sad you had to go through it.

And this:

"From Coach [Paul] Pasqualoni's standpoint [coordinators] have complete autonomy," Weist said Tuesday. "I am calling the plays. I work very closely with the offensive staff throughout the week. Everybody has input and during the game everybody has input. I decide what play is called but it's a collaborative effort between all of us and I depend on the offensive staff every drive to tell me what's going on, what do we like, what do we see."

The qualification of that first sentence really leaves a lot of room for interpretation. But seeing it in context he is relying on a group of people during the game to feed him information. Still probably figuring out each week after watching the tapes who's advice was good and who's wasn't. This does not sound like complete autonomy but the collaborative effort he described is accurate, and necessary. He's just going to have to figure out how to filter the good from the bad and what to do about it. Until the o-line situation is fixed (and we know what that means) he's really looking at an uphill battle regardless of the play calling.

 

[whaler11]

Yep, just as disorganized like the past two years. Poor habits die hard. He's got a cadaver who players have no respect for and the coaching fraternity laughs at as his line coach. Sure, it's fair to question why he came here. Maybe Warde is a better salesman than you think.

Has no one else ever been unemployed? Do we really need to discuss TJ's motivation to take the job?