Was Diaco Really a Bad Recruiter?

[PackTheRent]

In 2016, Diaco was able to get commitments from three kids who later decommitted during the turmoil of the 2016 season and the ultimate firing of Diaco later that year. They all went on to play at P5 programs. Has Edsall been able to recruit kids like this? Rob Saulin: decommit as 2016 season fell apart and later signed with Baylor where he is getting some playing time. Rob Cummins: decommit in December 2016 with Diaco firing, and is now at Texas. Not playing much but still on the roster. Dallas Hobbs: decommit after Diaco firing, but now at Washington State and getting some playing time.
Only name that comes to mind for RE is Lorenza Surgers, who flipped to Vanderbilt near signing day 2018. The worrisome thing is that even if RE is able to get commits from 3-stars between now and January, they will flip to P5 programs.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

There’s no need to even read your post.

The answer to your question is yes. Holy hell yes.

 

[BlueandOG]

Yes. The noted lunatic Diaco was terrible at recruiting. The evidence is the total lack of upperclassmen playing on our team.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Considering most of the recruits Diaco was targeting weren't being targeted by any other FBS school - yes, he was utterly horrendous at recruiting. Most guys Randy revoked scholarships from ended up at FCS schools after getting no interest from FBS schools.

 

[Pudge]

Compare and Contrast

You would think Todd Orlando (a former LB and our LB coach and proven Defensive guru) and Bob Diaco (a former LB and proven Defensive guru - so says Broyles) would be a comparable. Take a four year period

with UCONN as their product to sell and school, Diaco brought in Gilmartin, Terry (though not as LB), Diggs, Rodrick, ... and maybe Junior & Britton)
Orlando? last 4 yeas of tenure: Sio Moore, Greg Lloyd, Mike Osiecki (left by injury), Yawin Smallwood, Brandon Steg, Jory Johnson, Jerome Junior ... and that leaves out both Lawrence Wilson & Scott Lutrus (plus Jarvis Hicks & Jarrell Miller - two of the HIGHEST Stars in UConn FBS)

Recruiting and Development: BIG qualitative difference on the PRIME focus - you would think.

I think the Jon Wholley tenure is a question mark today

 

[SirHypeAlot]

There’s no need to even read your post.

The answer to your question is yes. Holy hell yes.

welcome back

 

[Dooley]

Bob Diaco was bad at everything except providing knee slapping quotes during very odd press conferences.

 

[huskymedic]

In 2016, Diaco was able to get commitments from three kids who later decommitted during the turmoil of the 2016 season and the ultimate firing of Diaco later that year. They all went on to play at P5 programs. Has Edsall been able to recruit kids like this? Rob Saulin: decommit as 2016 season fell apart and later signed with Baylor where he is getting some playing time. Rob Cummins: decommit in December 2016 with Diaco firing, and is now at Texas. Not playing much but still on the roster. Dallas Hobbs: decommit after Diaco firing, but now at Washington State and getting some playing time.

Edsall made his living recruiting kids like that...

Saulin was a 2*
Hobbs was a 2*
Cummins was a 3*

Kids flipping commitments has always been a problem moreso now w/ the P5/G5 conference designation. Being used as a safety school place holder is a real possibility regardless of who is the coach.

 

[Durks07]

In 2016, Diaco was able to get commitments from three kids who later decommitted during the turmoil of the 2016 season and the ultimate firing of Diaco later that year. They all went on to play at P5 programs. Has Edsall been able to recruit kids like this? Rob Saulin: decommit as 2016 season fell apart and later signed with Baylor where he is getting some playing time. Rob Cummins: decommit in December 2016 with Diaco firing, and is now at Texas. Not playing much but still on the roster. Dallas Hobbs: decommit after Diaco firing, but now at Washington State and getting some playing time.
Only name that comes to mind for RE is Lorenza Surgers, who flipped to Vanderbilt near signing day 2018. The worrisome thing is that even if RE is able to get commits from 3-stars between now and January, they will flip to P5 programs.

No, he was a solid to great recruiter. We're stocked with high end division 2 talent and have the results to show for it. Thank you for your post, I'm glad I got to read it.

 

[Exit 4]

Edsall made his living recruiting kids like that...

Saulin was a 2*
Hobbs was a 2*
Cummins was a 3*

Kids flipping commitments has always been a problem moreso now w/ the P5/G5 conference designation. Being used as a safety school place holder is a real possibility regardless of who is the coach.

Yep... so Temple has 22 commits per 247. I haven't looked, but are they the safety school for 22 kids as of 10/30/18? We have a safety school problem (I don't disagree), however so does the rest of the AAC and yet they are getting kids.

What I would like to think is that Edsall has decided that this year he wants to recruit the late bloomers. Save room for those that have surprise senior seasons. Right now Temple is almost out of space for late bloomers. We wont be. At least this is what I tell myself.

 

[uconndogs]

Good lord.............YES!

 

[UConnJim]

The number of recruits committed to UConn at this time is about par for Edsall. From 2006 to 2009 (4 recruiting classes), the classes were about 1/3 full at this date. With 7 current recruits, that would work out to a class of 21. In contrast, Diaco's 2 full classes (2015 and 2016) were 2/3 full at this date and we have seen how that worked out.

In my opinion, the Edsall recruits seem to be more athletic than the Diaco recruits and I believe that Edsall is a better developer of talent than Diaco, so I'm not that worried about recruiting right now.

Sure, it would be great for UConn to get a bunch of highly rated recruits, but UConn has been successful with the Edsall recruiting model in the past and I think Edsall can be successful again with the model.

One last point on recruiting. UConn has never, ever recruited freshmen that are ready to contribute when they are true freshmen which is why this year's large number of freshmen starters was concerning and has lead to poor results. Edsall had great success at recruiting underdeveloped football players that are athletic and coaching and building them up. Diaco didn't understand the recruiting model and brought in less athletic, bigger recruits.

 

[noeynox]

You offer 3 recruits as an alternative to the roster he left behind?

 

[huskymedic]

Yep... so Temple has 22 commits per 247. I haven't looked, but are they the safety school for 22 kids as of 10/30/18? We have a safety school problem (I don't disagree), however so does the rest of the AAC and yet they are getting kids.

What I would like to think is that Edsall has decided that this year he wants to recruit the late bloomers. Save room for those that have surprise senior seasons. Right now Temple is almost out of space for late bloomers. We wont be. At least this is what I tell myself.

I agree on late bloomers/JUCO/CC and the liklihood some P5 offers being non-committable on some of the kids we have interest in as they are recruited over as December early signing period arrives. As P5 rosters fill - trickle down will occur.

 

[Woof 101]

GOT TROLL ???
GOT THE THEME SONG HERE...


OP Who is going by the handle P and the underline of Pack The Rent ??? First post is a thread lauding the recruiting prowess of Diaco. Bob is this you? Come on jump out of the closet in your red pants, after all it is Halloween and you can play trick or treat with the best of them.

Randy can be bashed for many things but evaluation of talent and potential is not one of them. The dynamics of recruiting have changed obviously at UConn but he has accepted the job and has to be given time.
P should be aware of the fact Randy sent many a couple star recruits on to the NFL and did the same for two walk-
ons.
If I should be wrong about you P and you are not Bob but just very misguided I apologize. Three players going to other schools and doing very little is as meaningless as it gets.
Happy Halloween.

 

[Pudge]

I haven't looked at the Maryland Terp roster recently ... maybe we are taking en masse.

 

[PackTheRent]

Yes. The noted lunatic Diaco was terrible at recruiting. The evidence is the total lack of upperclassmen playing on our team.

The freshmen are playing because it helps lengthen his survival. Don't fire me because brighter times are just around the corner...just wait until 2020 or 2021. My point is that in the same environment, RE and BD will recruit similar talent. Forget Edsall's recruiting record during the glory years. It was easy to get kids here when you were playing a legit schedule, but now it's Tulsa and E Carolina etc. Now that he's under the same conditions as BD, his first class is very weak, and it shows on the field. If any of the RE freshman kids got their releases and were up for grabs, none of them would get picked up by a Baylor, Texas, or Wash St. Diaco had some duds too, but based on the first round--advantage Diaco. I know this has everyone depressed, but face reality.

 

[noeynox]

Diaco sucked ass. Maybe Edsall will too. Time will tell.

 

[UConnNick]

Diaco sucked ass. Maybe Edsall will too. Time will tell.

I'm afraid we may already be there. One more season like this one and I don't care if we're paying him peanuts, he should be gone one way or the other. We don't have the luxury of five years to see if he can douse this dumpster fire in year five. By then the dumpster fire totally belongs to him.

 

[PackTheRent]

You offer 3 recruits as an alternative to the roster he left behind?

If Randy left in December, would the freshman class roster he left behind be any better than the freshmen Diaco left behind? None of those RE kids would get an offer from a P5 team if they got their release. At least Diaco had 3 kids that were of P5 caliber (why they ever signed up with Diaco I'll admit is a mystery.). Under similar conditions (i.e. we are stuck in the dreadful AAC), BD is probably a better judge of talent than RE. Randy had a much easier recruiting job ten years ago, but now its different, and he's no better (and probably worse than RedPants)

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

This board is being overtaken by very strange trolls.

 

[huskymedic]

This board is being overtaken by very strange trolls.

Short timers...

 

[Exasperated]

Yes. The noted lunatic Diaco was terrible at recruiting. The evidence is the total lack of upperclassmen playing on our team.

Simply because the current coach wants nothing to do with them. It is not about talent, it is about ego. The coach's ego.

 

[huskymedic]

Simply because the current coach wants nothing to do with them. It is not about talent, it is about ego. The coach's ego.

Which (upperclassman) should be playing each week that aren't...

 

[uconnbill]

This board is being overtaken by very strange trolls.

Welcome back Jimmy and good to hear from you once again.

Bob Diaco was a used car salesman who had no idea what was needed after seeing his recruits being passed over by freshman. I am sorry I ever bought into his Vitamin D crap and other stuff he was selling. Actually he is more like a late night person who sells rubber paint or special pillows.