You don't want to hear this...

[lavuuk153]

Bought tickets today with exactly this in mind. I'll let you know how the plan goes.

This reminds me of Back to School...in all fairness to Mr. Melon here, it was a really big check.

 

[ktuck911]

At least put a muzzle on Diaco. It does no one any good to listen to his alternate universe realities. Happy Horse Manure was a good description of his post game nonsense.

Lol

 

[Athlete94]

This story may or may not be true, but the quote is troubling. McHugh could have said platitudes or nothing. According to the source, "Diaco isn't going anywhere". That is stronger than "no comment ".

Don't really care what was or was not said. I do know if he's yapping HR job status, legal action could take place if BD wanted to. None the less, we can all agree BD is not our future. Agree?

 

[BlueDogs]

McHugh is part of the old CT mafia whispering in the ears of decision makers for way too long. He hasn't done anything in 20 years other than be part of a failing business environment. At UConn he was instrumental in his friend PP being hired. He also backed Hathaway when he was under fire. Whatever Larry says do the opposite.

 

[Colt house75]

McHugh is part of the old CT mafia whispering in the ears of decision makers for way too long. He hasn't done anything in 20 years other than be part of a failing business environment. At UConn he was instrumental in his friend PP being hired. He also backed Hathaway when he was under fire. Whatever Larry says do the opposite.

Blue dog, you may be right. He seems to be central to all the decisions that have brought a program to a deep abyss. Seems time for new blood. Someone with $3.4 million can be a persuasive influence in Suzie's ear......

But, where do you turn other than a powerball winner. (??).
We are a G5 program on a P5 budget and the monies are a hurdle as we move forward and the Big East settlement funds dry up.
If we were p5 (TV monies rich), he would be gone...............

 

[FDNY99]

McHugh is part of the old CT mafia whispering in the ears of decision makers for way too long. He hasn't done anything in 20 years other than be part of a failing business environment. At UConn he was instrumental in his friend PP being hired. He also backed Hathaway when he was under fire. Whatever Larry says do the opposite.

Not true about hathaway...when Hathaway was throwing a temper tantrum to get his raise while the NCAA was investigating the mens bb team McHugh made it known to Hathaway he was finished if any lack of institutional control charges were filed. Hathaway was protected from McHugh by Hogan and Austin. Besides trying to appease the CT HS coaches...the main person hathaway tried to appease by hiring P was McHugh...hoping it would get Larry off of his back. Once Herbst was hired it was only a matter of time before he was fired between Rachel Rubin and Larry McHugh quickly getting seats at her inner circle table.

 

[kris1]

If true, our season ticket base will literally drop below 5,000. Our average attendance will be below 10,000. And we will have lost most of the fans for good I am afraid. If true, it may be the final nail in the UConn football coffin. I don't think we can recover from this one folks.

Not to mention, the impact it will have on recruiting and I would have to believe there will be some attrition from some returning players. There are going to be some talented RSfrosh returning on offense. If they're hand-cuffed by Diaco's contract, they have to seriously force his hand to change the staff (at least most of it). They need an OL coach, a QB coach, and a legit OC who can utilize the players we have returning. This team is not built to run a spread offense, this year. But with a number of young skill kids red-shirting, the opportunity to open up the offense is there. But, it has to be done after Saturday, so a new OC (with complete autonomy) can install a new system and identify recruits who will fit it.

 

[RioDog]

C'mon! McHugh is gonna spill the beans at a local meeting to some guy he's never met before? He was simply stating truth while saying nothing of import. As I said before 5 mil = bad optics. Feb 1 and 3.5 mil or whatever it is saves face UConn/SH/DB. Yesterday was not Feb 1 2017.

 

[Exit 4]

C'mon! McHugh is gonna spill the beans at a local meeting to some guy he's never met before? He was simply stating truth while saying nothing of import. As I said before 5 mil = bad optics. Feb 1 and 3.5 mil or whatever it is saves face UConn/SH/DB. Yesterday was not Feb 1 2017.

While I am pessimistic that budget constraints will prevent the release of Diaco ahead of 1/1/18, the fact Benedict has been invisible and the weak effort (seems weak to me) on recruiting of late by the staff suggests that there is some reason to hope that this all ends on 1/1/17.

 

[RioDog]

While I am pessimistic that budget constraints will prevent the release of Diaco ahead of 1/1/18, the fact Benedict has been invisible and the weak effort (seems weak to me) on recruiting of late by the staff suggests that there is some reason to hope that this all ends on 1/1/17.

It wouldn't surprise me if the AD has been hunkered down over the last 3 games praying that UConn would get to 5 wins so he could justify Diaco's retention through 2017. The last 2 losses I believe have sealed his fate and a loss to Tulane would be the equivalent of Charlies Weiss's last stand against UConn in 2009.

 

[Pudge]

You all know I don't post rumors or conjecture on here. I try not to get into that crap. Well tonight I'm going to wade in the water.

I literally received a txt this afternoon from a fellow Husky supporter who was at the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce breakfast this morning. Larry McHugh was there too. My contact asked him about Diaco and the reply was short and simple. "He's not going anywhere. $5 Million buy out makes it impossible."

Is it possible that Larry isn't "in the know?" Could be be wrong? Could it be a "head fake?"

Man, I hope!

Of course this is the truth ...

I can expect a big surprise - PowerBall like - but this is the most likely event.

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Diaco coming back in 2017 just sends the signal to the fan base like us that Benedict doesn't understand how long and how far this program has fallen, and that we're sick of it. I get giving the guy a shot- but year 3 to be 3-8 going into the final week, including 2 shutouts in back-to-back weeks, that's horrible coaching. Period.

IF he returns, maybe they can find a way to blow up and rebuild the staff with some outside talent (maybe not affliated with or friends with Diaco!) to get this back on track. Religate Diaco to just being head coach and recruiting. IDK- this is a big maybe.

 

[Dooley]

If Diaco is brought back, we might as well drop football. Yes, it is that bad.

If $5M is too large of a buyout to get rid of the worst coach in FBS, then I'm sure $3.5M will be too large too. And $1.7M after that and so on and so on. Buckle up UConn fans, we're in for several more years of this dumpster fire of a program.

 

[CTMike]

The cost of keeping Diaco is going to exceed the buyout amounts. Find a way to pay for the buyout now so that we don't incur bigger losses down the road.

 

[Sky ball]

You'd have to make someone pretty miserable to get them to give up that kind of dough.

Give him a George Costanza office.

 

[Dooley]

The cost of keeping Diaco is going to exceed the buyout amounts. Find a way to pay for the buyout now so that we don't incur bigger losses down the road.

Yup. We all understand this. Unfortunately, the people who matter (Larry McHugh) do not. Bringing Diaco back means a substantial hit to season ticket sales for 2017 and beyond. 30K crowds will be the new purple unicorn of UConn attendance. Not to mention, the losses. Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh the losses!

 

[Alum86]

If he's back then f it. I'm going full soccer. College football is too painful to watch when UConn has no hope.

Maybe me too. LOL. It is that bad now.

 

[Alum86]

Did McHugh run it by the CT HS coaches first?

 

[freescooter]

Spoke to an old friend who was in the Miami AD for years in many capacities including acting AD. His view is that Diaco will be back but will have to make many staff changes. He says 4 years is the general standard unless there is a scandal or the guy is just awful. But getting to a bowl almost guaranteed that he isn't in the just awful category. The problem he will face is replacing the guys he needs to replace. Who wants to leave a job to join a guy on the hot seat? So your pool for assistants is limited. Almost a no win situation so we could see a Cummings back just because nobody wants the job. His view is to get a 1AA coordinator who has potential and who would take the gig to get into 1A. And he thinks Bob will be put on notice that a winning record is a must in 2017 and maybe he gets muzzled a bit too

 

[ZooCougar]

Maybe me too. LOL. It is that bad now.

It's fun. Sort of like what football was before they decided to take a commercial break every 3 minutes.

 

[RioDog]

Diaco coming back in 2017 just sends the signal to the fan base like us that Benedict doesn't understand how long and how far this program has fallen, and that we're sick of it. I get giving the guy a shot- but year 3 to be 3-8 going into the final week, including 2 shutouts in back-to-back weeks, that's horrible coaching. Period.

IF he returns, maybe they can find a way to blow up and rebuild the staff with some outside talent (maybe not affliated with or friends with Diaco!) to get this back on track. Religate Diaco to just being head coach and recruiting. IDK- this is a big maybe.

The only scenario I could stomach even a little would be:

DB hires a proven OC and a proven DC with the understanding that one of them will be named HC in 2018 and the other will be named Asst. Head coach with a nice raise after Diaco is let go at the end of the 2017. Diaco's responsibilities being relegated to Rah Rah and team-building exercises.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Spoke to an old friend who was in the Miami AD for years in many capacities including acting AD. His view is that Diaco will be back but will have to make many staff changes. He says 4 years is the general standard unless there is a scandal or the guy is just awful. But getting to a bowl almost guaranteed that he isn't in the just awful category. The problem he will face is replacing the guys he needs to replace. Who wants to leave a job to join a guy on the hot seat? So your pool for assistants is limited. Almost a no win situation so we could see a Cummings back just because nobody wants the job. His view is to get a 1AA coordinator who has potential and who would take the gig to get into 1A. And he thinks Bob will be put on notice that a winning record is a must in 2017 and maybe he gets muzzled a bit too

What in the hell standards could you use to determine Diaco isn't awful?

It's almost more of an indictment that he went back to 3 wins after winning 6 because it just further substantiated that last year was pure smoke and mirrors.

There is literally nothing you can say about Bob that isn't terrible. At least up until a few games ago you could say the guys played hard. Now he's lost the team.

We don't crack 10k paid season tickets next year if he is brought back. I'd argue maybe not even 5k if you exclude the students. A lot of those people are never coming back either.

 

[ZooCougar]

Spoke to an old friend who was in the Miami AD for years in many capacities including acting AD. His view is that Diaco will be back but will have to make many staff changes. He says 4 years is the general standard unless there is a scandal or the guy is just awful. But getting to a bowl almost guaranteed that he isn't in the just awful category. The problem he will face is replacing the guys he needs to replace. Who wants to leave a job to join a guy on the hot seat? So your pool for assistants is limited. Almost a no win situation so we could see a Cummings back just because nobody wants the job. His view is to get a 1AA coordinator who has potential and who would take the gig to get into 1A. And he thinks Bob will be put on notice that a winning record is a must in 2017 and maybe he gets muzzled a bit too

P somehow got Weist in year 3... Which makes it worse. Guys like Shane Day and Weist will probably take over when Bob gets canned mid-season and then we'll never see them again.

We know this sequence all too well now.

Diaco stays for another season, and then gets fired 4-6 games in. We putz around for the end of the season and then make a hire in December. The new guy scrambles to put together a recruiting class, which will be even worse than this one (if that's possible) and then we suck for another year as the new crew tries to get established.

I would just bite the bullet on 1 Jan. Make a new hire then (probably could be worked on the down low in December), that way really only eat one bad recruiting year and the new guy can get a head start getting established.

That puts the AD one year closer to regenerating season ticket holders and closer to making money again.

 

[Carl Spackler]

P somehow got Weist in year 3... Which makes it worse. Guys like Shane Day and Weist will probably take over when Bob gets canned mid-season and then we'll never see them again.

We know this sequence all too well now.

Diaco stays for another season, and then gets fired 4-6 games in. We putz around for the end of the season and then make a hire in December. The new guy scrambles to put together a recruiting class, which will be even worse than this one (if that's possible) and then we suck for another year as the new crew tries to get established.

I would just bite the bullet on 1 Jan. Make a new hire then (probably could be worked on the down low in December), that way really only eat one bad recruiting year and the new guy can get a head start getting established.

That puts the AD one year closer to regenerating season ticket holders and closer to making money again.

Stop making sense.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The reality is that unless someone steps up and writes a very large check, we will have to go another year with Diaco as HC. If someone from Ct. Hits powerball there is a chance, shy of that there is nobody with deep enough pockets to pull this off willing to do so.

 

[Pudge]

Spoke to an old friend who was in the Miami AD for years in many capacities including acting AD. His view is that Diaco will be back but will have to make many staff changes. He says 4 years is the general standard unless there is a scandal or the guy is just awful. But getting to a bowl almost guaranteed that he isn't in the just awful category. The problem he will face is replacing the guys he needs to replace. Who wants to leave a job to join a guy on the hot seat? So your pool for assistants is limited. Almost a no win situation so we could see a Cummings back just because nobody wants the job. His view is to get a 1AA coordinator who has potential and who would take the gig to get into 1A. And he thinks Bob will be put on notice that a winning record is a must in 2017 and maybe he gets muzzled a bit too

Exactly ...

There is a FCS coordinator somewhere with a total PASS oriented SPREAD and needs to prove it in 2017. That is the one chance that we actually can root that Benedict pushes.

As for the buyout ($3.5m to $5m), I see all of us in the roles of the hippy looking kids at the Grateful Dead concerts hoping for that "miracle". It could happen.

 

[Dooley]

P somehow got Weist in year 3... Which makes it worse. Guys like Shane Day and Weist will probably take over when Bob gets canned mid-season and then we'll never see them again.

We know this sequence all too well now.

Diaco stays for another season, and then gets fired 4-6 games in. We putz around for the end of the season and then make a hire in December. The new guy scrambles to put together a recruiting class, which will be even worse than this one (if that's possible) and then we suck for another year as the new crew tries to get established.

I would just bite the bullet on 1 Jan. Make a new hire then (probably could be worked on the down low in December), that way really only eat one bad recruiting year and the new guy can get a head start getting established.

That puts the AD one year closer to regenerating season ticket holders and closer to making money again.

Agree 100000%. That is *EXACTLY* what is going to happen. UConn football gets pushed back another 2-3 years and is not ready to compete in time for the next wave of CR...which will be the final wave of CR...when FOX/B1G deal expires and B12 GOR expires. After that, the P5 dreams shut completely.

 

[ZooCougar]

Exactly ...

There is a FCS coordinator somewhere with a total PASS oriented SPREAD and needs to prove it in 2017. That is the one chance that we actually can root that Benedict pushes.

As for the buyout ($3.5m to $5m), I see all of us in the roles of the hippy looking kids at the Grateful Dead concerts hoping for that "miracle". It could happen.

Correct me if I am wrong, but we don't have to pay it all at once right? I can see how that sum could be painful but not completely prohibitive.

 

[Dooley]

Correct me if I am wrong, but we don't have to pay it all at once right? I can see how that sum could be painful but not completely prohibitive.

That is correct. It's not a lump sum payment - it can be made in installments. That is how every buyout I've ever heard of has operated. But don't put it past our stupid administration to have written in a clause that says it must be made in one lump payment.

 

[Pudge]

Correct me if I am wrong, but we don't have to pay it all at once right? I can see how that sum could be painful but not completely prohibitive.

YES

I see it as negotiable.

What has happened in the past? Some schools have tried to stiff the coach on some grounds. Can you imagine - for instance Baylor for Dave Bliss or Art Briles or Iowa State with Larry Eustachy on the morals front then Lane Kiffin at Tennessee or something. Employment law - as I watch a friend who is in 3 lawsuits from his 8 year period of being CEO in various companies - is tricky. You still have to bang away through years sometimes.