Whoever it is to be, sooner than later is key. They have burned the fanbase to ground. Even diehards aren’t sticking around. Portal transfers are a must and the guy we bring needs to have enough coattails to pull in some talent fast. They better be prepared to open up the wallet for HC and staff, or just turnout lights. It’s past the point of no return without radical intervention.
Who's your list for next HC?
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There are lots of rumors about this job, many leaked by agents to media favorites, but that’s nothing new. Some rumors even have HC candidates coming to DB’s table with their team already assembled (if you can believe some of the pitches being made). Here’s the good news, far from being seen as a dumpster fire, UConn has lots of positives to attract a healthy pool of coaching talent looking to turn around our moribund program. It’s easy for us to list excuses for our failings. To the coach who gets our gig this time, given the money, institutional support and access to talent, either via the portal or with targeted recruiting (perhaps with some limited adjustments re admissions), excuses become challenges. So, as with most successful turnarounds—in any enterprise—it will take an organized mind, a winning game plan, and an extraordinary ability to sell. He’s out there. I say relax and let it play out.
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when last I spoke up ... I said Liam Coen as that Kentucky offense was on fire and the team was playing
Now. Since we are talking guys who have been in the HC interview at UCONN before, I am watching the KC Keeler and Skip Holtz stories today as we get near the last week of October. Figure we are one month away from the announcement. It is intriguing that Keeler is again winning all at FCS at Sam Houston State in Huntsville TX and Skip is 4 hours away at Louisiana Tech in the disintegrating CUSA. Both advanced in age; but we a whole bunch of guys who have been with them for decades. And northeast roots. Both have salaries less than 40% of what DB said. Looking MAC, Lester looks less. And my interesting case story of the week ... Rahne at Old Dominion: Great coaching profile. Was a HC. Was the OC at Penn State after Morehead. Struggling his first year at ODU as a HC. Not looking competitive in some games.
As Nostical says, he is out there.
Now. Since we are talking guys who have been in the HC interview at UCONN before, I am watching the KC Keeler and Skip Holtz stories today as we get near the last week of October. Figure we are one month away from the announcement. It is intriguing that Keeler is again winning all at FCS at Sam Houston State in Huntsville TX and Skip is 4 hours away at Louisiana Tech in the disintegrating CUSA. Both advanced in age; but we a whole bunch of guys who have been with them for decades. And northeast roots. Both have salaries less than 40% of what DB said. Looking MAC, Lester looks less. And my interesting case story of the week ... Rahne at Old Dominion: Great coaching profile. Was a HC. Was the OC at Penn State after Morehead. Struggling his first year at ODU as a HC. Not looking competitive in some games.
As Nostical says, he is out there.
Chin Diesel
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going
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I would hope this would be a bare minimum during the interview process. Any HC worth their salt should already have a staff on his short list. If not a whole staff, the OC, DC and a few other key coaches. I'll be pissed if the HC comes in and has to start finding coordinators and filling out a staff. This staff needs to come in ready to go on day to evaluate current recruits and decide who to press on keeping and who to let go, then start looking at remaining prospects and getting active in transfer portal news.
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Im still holding out hope for Moorhead, Cignetti or Entz. I wouldn't mind Skip Holtz either. He's a great coach and can assemble a good staff.
Didn't he hire Bob Diaco as his DC a few years back. Skip would not get me very excited.
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One of the key guys prospective HC’s are eager to identify to DB is their “recruiting coordinator”. It’s no secret that our roster could use someone selling UConn in the hotbeds of recruiting. It’s interesting how some of these guys are involved with travel squads of prospective HS players that play against each other in an effort to produce film for review. There are videos of some of our defensive players in high school competing against guys like Mac Jones before he went to AL. A full time recruiter with street cred and a good eye may be the most important addition of all in turning this ship around.
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Diaco was Skip's DC one year (2019) and LA Tech won 10 games. For that you criticize him? Skip has 7 bowl appearances in 8 years at LA Tech with 6 bowl victories. He is a good recruiter and would probably be as good as anyone at holding our current roster together so we don't have another 4 year rebuild.
I don't understand why people would be happy with former DC Orlando who has never been a head coach but would not be happy with former HC Holtz who has a long track record of winning. Orlando may very well be a good candidate but he has to be viewed as a higher risk than Holtz.
Chin Diesel
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Yep. Agreed and aware of that.
Chin Diesel
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Well, the tweet saying that “Word around town is that Todd Orlando will be UConn’s top candidate for Football head coach and Dan Orlovsky as offensive coordinator” has been deleted…
I didn't critized him for winning 10 games in 2019 which including shutting out Miami in a bowl game if my memory is accurate. I criticized him for hiring Bob Diaco. I also recall that Skip didn't do very well at South Florida . Skip would be an upgrade from our head coaches over our last 11 years here but I still think there are better candidates out there for our program that we have a chance to hire.
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Don't expect him to do the same thing if he ended up back here somehow. One thing he had here was success. But, at the same time it would be a bit of a shock to bring him back.
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Just saw this... I might need to back track a little on my first thought of it being a surprise if he came back. He's had a pretty decent career as FBS Head Coach
True, especially compared to Edsall (at 102 wins to 136 losses). Also on a side note he was born right down the road from Uconn when Papa Lou was a Uconn assistant back in the day. Makes you wonder what he could've done if he didn't leave to coach with pops at SC. But he's not exactly young or charismatic.
Tweeted by who? Is it a credible tweeter?
He is 57 was only 30 when hired at UConn
Orlando will be out of a job after the season when USC hires a new coach, just like when Herman was let go at Texas and Todd went to USC. Why not poach Skip from LaTech as your HC and see if Todd will come back at DC/Assoc.HC.
Best of both worlds.
Now just find your young innovative OC
Best of both worlds.
Now just find your young innovative OC
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Would a "young offensive OC" candidate want to work under Skip? In his UConn incarnation, he was basicially calling his own shots on on offense. For a young coach to take this in name only position, he would have to be willing llearn under Skip's tutelage & have his own decisions constantly countermanded or second guessed.
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That's like asking if a guy starving on a desert island obsesses over a box of crackers, LOL !
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It’s extremely bizarre, especially considering our lack of real, sustained national success at any point.
It would be like a basketball team wanting an assistant who happened to be at the school when they made the second weekend one time on a miracle shot 15 years ago.
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It's not uncommon at all, Schiano at Rutgers (former coach), Harbaugh (alum) at Michigan are examples and I'm sure there are many others. Moorhead went to Fordham (alum). Brady Hoke is back at Sand Diego State and doing well. Bill Snyder went back to Kansas State.
Our basketball board has a mild obsession with Peikell and if Hurley were to leave suddenly Peikell would be a hot topic.
I think this board is united in that we would love Moorhead to come back.
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All signs seem to point to wishful thinking on the Moorhead front... but with Skip? Even though re-visiting the past with a HC doesn't seem ideal (for us in particular) we really are in need of a guy that 1st and foremost wants to be here, and 2nd, a guy that has shown a competency to put a product on the field at a specific level ( FBS in our case ) to have some sort of success and is steady with it.. which means you have more up years (where you go bowling) than down... We gotta look at everything thoroughly... and (hopefully this time) get it right...
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exactly. Whether it be someone who has a former tie to the school or someone who has never been part of UCONN, just pick the best candidate. Nobody is saying only former UCONN staff or alum should be considered but to exclude someone because they have a former tie to the school would also be dumb. Skip and Randy have never worked for each other and have nothing in common other than being former head coaches at UCONN. Skip has a proven track record and an offensive background, he checks a lot of boxes and might be available (CUSA Implosion) to exclude him just because "we tried that with Randy" would be dumb. Judge him based on his qualifications nothing else.
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and he did have success here, albeit at the FCS... Success is success... especially when you've truly shown you can do it at either level.. proven.... I think what's so different now than Edsall 1.0 was that when we started becoming a legitimate blue collar football team in our early FBS days, we as fans weren't too enamored by our offense, or lack off.. We were a heavy run team... predictable.. Boy oh boy, I'd give anything to still be that team.. which could've eventually evolved into a more pass oriented one... We played HARD on both sides of the ball despite our deficiencies... We played with passion... as a team...
It'll be refreshing once we get back to playing the game (during the game, not in practice) with that intensity we used to have on the football field.. It makes a difference...
I agree, but I can almost guarantee that Skip will not be the next HC. I get it Edsall and Skip never worked together, but the problem will be that we brought edsall back and it didn’t work out. Just imagine if Dave was to hire Skip and it didn’t work out how the fan base would go nuts to get rid of him. Not sure Dave is willing to take that chance. Dave will bring in his guy. I’m not saying he’s not going to hire someone with UConn ties but it won’t be a 57 year old former UConn HC named Skip.
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My hunch is AD David has a list of coaches he has been evaluating for some time. Most will not be former UConn coaches.
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Fixed it for you. It doesn't matter who he hires, if he gets it right he will be golden and if he gets it wrong (yikes).
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