Why UConn football coach Jim Mora says he's 'more impactful' since giving up defensive duties (Adamec)

[huskymedic]

Assisted access <<

-> "I think it's taken some stress off of him defensively," redshirt senior defensive back Stan Cross said after UConn's practice Tuesday. "It's allowed him to operate more as a head coach. He's been around to each position group. He comes into every meeting. He rotates throughout the building and talks to every one. He's getting to be a head coach instead of a defensive coordinator and he's been more impactful." <-

-> "I feel really good about it because we were able to hire Matt Brock, who I think is outstanding," Mora said. "I've learned a lot from him. It's been fun to step back and watch what he's doing, his intensity.

"You get to be a head coach, because typically you've done pretty good on offense of defense as a coordinator, but that was a long time ago for me. I always felt that I grew into my strength being as a head coach I could manage a team, coach effort, attitude, culture and things like that. Having a big-picture awareness and being really tuned into the pulse of the team and being good on game day. I didn't do a good job of those things. Quite frankly, I did a poor job. So having a chance to get back into a role where I feel at this point in my career I can have the most impact on our players and coaches feels really good." <-

 

[Exit 4]

Assisted access <<

-> "I think it's taken some stress off of him defensively," redshirt senior defensive back Stan Cross said after UConn's practice Tuesday. "It's allowed him to operate more as a head coach. He's been around to each position group. He comes into every meeting. He rotates throughout the building and talks to every one. He's getting to be a head coach instead of a defensive coordinator and he's been more impactful." <-

-> "I feel really good about it because we were able to hire Matt Brock, who I think is outstanding," Mora said. "I've learned a lot from him. It's been fun to step back and watch what he's doing, his intensity.
"You get to be a head coach, because typically you've done pretty good on offense of defense as a coordinator, but that was a long time ago for me. I always felt that I grew into my strength being as a head coach I could manage a team, coach effort, attitude, culture and things like that. Having a big-picture awareness and being really tuned into the pulse of the team and being good on game day. I didn't do a good job of those things. Quite frankly, I did a poor job. So having a chance to get back into a role where I feel at this point in my career I can have the most impact on our players and coaches feels really good." <-

Amazing candid self assessment. Unlike any football coach we have had here previously....ever.

Mora is adding to his UConn fanbase goodwill column.

 

[ZooCougar]

Amazing candid self assessment. Unlike any football coach we have had here previously....ever.

Mora is adding to his UConn fanbase goodwill column.

I agree. And he’s also being hard on himself.

So many times last season the defense kept us in games or got us back into striking distance and the offense failed to even be pedestrian.

 

[KryHavok]

I'm hoping this allows him to let the game open up a bit (assuming we can move the ball). He can spend his efforts on other aspects rather than needing to oversee everything. I don't he came across as a micromanager, but he has to put some trust/faith in his coordinators to do their roles so that he can oversee more pressing issues.

 

[Jetskies]

He can spend his efforts on other aspects rather than needing to oversee everything.

what exactly does a head coach do, if not "oversee" everything?

 

[KryHavok]

what exactly does a head coach do, if not "oversee" everything?

Look at the article and the quotes. Yes, the head coach needs to oversee everything, but as he was so focused on the defensive aspects, he might not have had the time/opportunity to make sure other facets of the team were functioning as well as they could've. His own words "It's been fun to step back and watch what he's [Matt Brock] doing, his intensity."

 

[Patman]

Look at the article and the quotes. Yes, the head coach needs to oversee everything, but as he was so focused on the defensive aspects, he might not have had the time/opportunity to make sure other facets of the team were functioning as well as they could've. His own words "It's been fun to step back and watch what he's [Matt Brock] doing, his intensity."

I mean we've had individual people doing these jobs for a long time now and the head coach's manager overhead has just gotten larger and more complex.

 

[gioff2323]

Fantastic. We’ve got folks who’ve never played and/or coached flummoxed by the word overseen. And we wonder why we’re not in a P conference.

 

[Stinger92860]

Fantastic. We’ve got folks who’ve never played and/or coached flummoxed by the word overseen. And we wonder why we’re not in a P conference.

One person is preventing us from getting into P5, got it.

 

[Husky68]

Fantastic. We’ve got folks who’ve never played and/or coached flummoxed by the word overseen. And we wonder why we’re not in a P conference.

Gee here I was thinking it was because the team actually sucked at football.

 

[Husky68]

Assisted access <<

-> "I think it's taken some stress off of him defensively," redshirt senior defensive back Stan Cross said after UConn's practice Tuesday. "It's allowed him to operate more as a head coach. He's been around to each position group. He comes into every meeting. He rotates throughout the building and talks to every one. He's getting to be a head coach instead of a defensive coordinator and he's been more impactful." <-

-> "I feel really good about it because we were able to hire Matt Brock, who I think is outstanding," Mora said. "I've learned a lot from him. It's been fun to step back and watch what he's doing, his intensity.

"You get to be a head coach, because typically you've done pretty good on offense of defense as a coordinator, but that was a long time ago for me. I always felt that I grew into my strength being as a head coach I could manage a team, coach effort, attitude, culture and things like that. Having a big-picture awareness and being really tuned into the pulse of the team and being good on game day. I didn't do a good job of those things. Quite frankly, I did a poor job. So having a chance to get back into a role where I feel at this point in my career I can have the most impact on our players and coaches feels really good." <-

It was dumb to try and do both for two years. If it was a budget reason, he shouldn't have picked Spanos and then sent him packing and got himself into that bind. You don't get credit for doing what all P-4 coaches do, hire a DC. If it was a money thing, Dave should have found a way to bail him out.

 

[gioff2323]

It was dumb to try and do both for two years. If it was a budget reason, he shouldn't have picked Spanos and then sent him packing and got himself into that bind. You don't get credit for doing what all P-4 coaches do, hire a DC. If it was a money thing, Dave should have found a way to bail him out.

Just stop. You’re the ultimate negative Nelly. Never do you have a positive thing to say. Must be great being you

 

[gioff2323]

One person is preventing us from getting into P5, got it.

No, don’t give yourself that much credit

 

[Jetskies]

Just stop. You’re the ultimate negative Nelly. Never do you have a positive thing to say. Must be great being you

Husky68 is not wrong, tho.

It is possible to desire success for the team while recognizing the reality that wearing 2 hats is uncommon in today's game, and probably for a reason. But - I am of the mindset that we would not have done much better than 6-7 and 3-9 over the last 2 years, had we had a DC in place; spanos or otherwise.

ultimately it's players who make plays, not coordinators. And we haven't had them (yet).

 

[Husky68]

Just stop. You’re the ultimate negative Nelly. Never do you have a positive thing to say. Must be great being you

Predicting 12-0 is pretty negative.

 

[ZooCougar]

It was dumb to try and do both for two years. If it was a budget reason, he shouldn't have picked Spanos and then sent him packing and got himself into that bind. You don't get credit for doing what all P-4 coaches do, hire a DC. If it was a money thing, Dave should have found a way to bail him out.

I think the real problem was attracting someone worth hiring.

 

[Buffett10]

It was dumb to try and do both for two years. If it was a budget reason, he shouldn't have picked Spanos and then sent him packing and got himself into that bind. You don't get credit for doing what all P-4 coaches do, hire a DC. If it was a money thing, Dave should have found a way to bail him out.

There are plenty of good HC's out there that call plays. It's not unheard of in the college game. As for Spanos the coward he's just that. A coward.

 

[Jetskies]

There are plenty of good HC's out there that call plays. It's not unheard of in the college game. As for Spanos the coward he's just that. A coward.

why is spanos a coward? genuinely asking, bc i never found out what happened during 2021-22 offseason when he suddenly left.
are you saying he was too afraid to be uconn DC?
regardless of the reason, i find that to be an odd characterization of Spanos and his reasons for leaving. But i could be totally wrong and he's a coward indeed. just seems like a weird word in this conversation.

I still super appreciate the mediocre job he did running our show for that awful 2021 season. I will never forget his failed huddle with the Defense during the Holy Cross debacle. lol

 

[Palatine]

what exactly does a head coach do, if not "oversee" everything?

A manager can NOT oversee "everything." He needs to delegate both responsibility and authority. Only meaningful problems and opportunities should make their way to him. A manager needs priorities, goals and a vision. It is simply too large of a task to run all the parts of a team or business.

I think that is what they are trying to say.

 

[giddyup]

It was dumb to try and do both for two years. If it was a budget reason, he shouldn't have picked Spanos and then sent him packing and got himself into that bind. You don't get credit for doing what all P-4 coaches do, hire a DC. If it was a money thing, Dave should have found a way to bail him out.

It has been a consistent observation by many that you can’t be the DC and HC without compromising the HC role. It’s too bad it takes to season 3 to recognize the obvious, or our AD was penny pinching. I’d bet on the later.

 

[Palatine]

It has been a consistent observation by many that you can’t be the DC and HC without compromising the HC role. It’s too bad it takes to season 3 to recognize the obvious, or our AD was penny pinching. I’d bet on the later.

There was something weird going on with Spanos. Now it is settled.

 

[NowInStorrs]

Between Edsall and Spanos, we've had way too many coaches just go on vacation while they're supposed to be coaching football. Hopefully this year we will have a full coaching staff of people who are actually coaching. That'd be nice.