"The expectation is to win every football game." Diaco

[Duncan Idaho]

Well if he turns things around, he's a mad genius. If not he's just mad.
I honestly don't think he totally got just how demanding the UConn fan base is. We are used to winning championships across the board. As pal says, we pile up conference titles like cordwood. And compete for national ones in multiple sports. In contrast, I think Cav got that and knew he couldn't go 2-22 in Hockey East like folks were predicting. Diaco didn't get it. Add the fact that unlike a Memphis, we had a winning program not decades ago but 3 years ago. And throw in the conference situation and there is huge pressure to turn things around.

Cav had a some one in goal. His offense was as bad as the football team's.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Cav had a some one in goal. His offense was as bad as the football team's.

Good coaches can get the most out slow fat kid, and can be competitive with other bad teams. Diaco had our program very poorly prepared to compete in games. We can argue all day about who, how, what, where and when they demonstrated they were so poorly prepared for game experience, but the why is always the same. Preparation wasn't good enough. That's why.

Come 9/3, it will be one full 12 game season, two spring camps, two fall camps, and approx 18 months of real calendar time to supervise the program when it comes to assembling a roster and both physically and mentally preparing them.

Is that enough time? To prevent poor performance? Can Diaco even do it as a head coach? TBD.

 

[31GuardTrap]

I didn't feel uncomfortable at all...that was a great answer.

I agree. He answered as best as he could without strangling Des...which would have been the best answer of all time IMHO.

 

[Husky25]

Good coaches can get the most out slow fat kid, and can be competitive with other bad teams. Diaco had our program very poorly prepared to compete in games. We can argue all day about who, how, what, where and when they demonstrated they were so poorly prepared for game experience, but the why is always the same. Preparation wasn't good enough. That's why.

Come 9/3, it will be one full 12 game season, two spring camps, two fall camps, and approx 18 months of real calendar time to supervise the program when it comes to assembling a roster and both physically and mentally preparing them.

Is that enough time? To prevent poor performance? Can Diaco even do it as a head coach? TBD.

Exactly right, Carl.. TBD. But all due respect, quit harping on it until he proves he can't.

Edsall took a team who won a 1-AA playoff game the year before and fell flat on his face. It took him 4 seasons and a future 10+ year NFL veteran QB to even reach bowl eligibility. Reference the 68 schlorship limit all you want, Diaco had less scholarship players than that by the time last season ended.

 

[Palatine]

Nick Saban would have looked awful with that team.

That's just giving a complete pass to Diaco. Really think that Saban needs a punt return to beat Stony Brook. Really think Saban doesn't game plan for the first three games of the season. Let's let a little reality climb in here. Diaco threw his first season away. Don't blame that on the players.

 

[RedSoloCup]

Exactly right, Carl.. TBD. But all due respect, quit harping on it until he proves he can't.

Edsall took a team who won a 1-AA playoff game the year before and fell flat on his face. It took him 4 seasons and a future 10+ year NFL veteran QB to even reach bowl eligibility. Reference the 68 schlorship limit all you want, Diaco had less scholarship players than that by the time last season ended.

It's not like Diaco hasn't stated that he needs to get better as well.

He's started to grow as the CEO, delegating, getting his guys on his management team and into the key organization roles. He has shaken it up to sort out who will run the three organizations that are on the field. He has not stagnated, he has changed.

It's what you get from a new head coach; at least ours is crazy and willing to improve.

 

[sdhusky]

You are free to believe that Diaco did a good job last year. But this Saban statement is just ridiculous.

When Miami had a team that young, they were under .500

The same group as upperclassmen went undefeated and put the more players into the first 2 rounds of the NFL draft than just about any team in history.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Good coaches can get the most out slow fat kid, and can be competitive with other bad teams. Diaco had our program very poorly prepared to compete in games. We can argue all day about who, how, what, where and when they demonstrated they were so poorly prepared for game experience, but the why is always the same. Preparation wasn't good enough. That's why.

Come 9/3, it will be one full 12 game season, two spring camps, two fall camps, and approx 18 months of real calendar time to supervise the program when it comes to assembling a roster and both physically and mentally preparing them.

Is that enough time? To prevent poor performance? Can Diaco even do it as a head coach? TBD.

They were competitive against other bad teams.

 

[Carl Spackler]

They were competitive against other bad teams.

I disagree, the most competitive we looked to me was against BYU and East Carolina. Against teams like Tulane, etc. Not so much. Did you forget the opening sequence on D vs. Tulane? We scrapped most of the offensive playbook against USF.

Whatever. I'm excited about another football season, but my optimism is very, very cautious.

 

[EJHarrington]

That's just giving a complete pass to Diaco. Really think that Saban needs a punt return to beat Stony Brook. Really think Saban doesn't game plan for the first three games of the season. Let's let a little reality climb in here. Diaco threw his first season away. Don't blame that on the players.

Yes, I think Saban would not have much of an impact with that roster. If Diaco had to sacrifice a few games to see what he had (and it wasn't much thanks to his predecessor) then so be it. No matter what he did we were not beating Boise or BYU.

 

[Husky25]

You wouldn't have worry about players quiting on the coach if Saban were in Storrs last year. Saban would have quit on the team himself.

 

[freescooter]

If you think anyone..anyone.. Would have won first year with this group.. A terrible team who lost 9 starters, 6 lineman and 2 NFL draft picks..... Who was terrible the year before.....your intelligence may be below standards

If you don't think we had the horses to beat SMU Army and maybe one of Tulane and USF, well I don't know what to say.
not saying we should have beaten BYU for heavens sake, but it's hardly demanding the impossible to say we should beat Army. After all, Yale managed to find a way. Or did you think we didn't have the horses to compete with an Ivy League also ran?

 

[Dooley]

[QUOTE="whaler11, post: 1385138, member: 676"Y'all are on the same team - the solution is simple: We should follow Dooley's lead and just bash Dez. #teamsilver[/QUOTE]

#teamsilver #teamduffy #anybodybutdez #hashtag

 

[huskymedic]

Yale managed to find a way. Or did you think we didn't have the horses to compete with an Ivy League also ran?

Yale also had the number 1 offense in FCS last year, while we all know where UConn stood in FBS.

In hindsight - Yale would have probably beat UConn last year.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Yes, I think Saban would not have much of an impact with that roster. If Diaco had to sacrifice a few games to see what he had (and it wasn't much thanks to his predecessor) then so be it. No matter what he did we were not beating Boise or BYU.

I promise this is my last post on the topic, because it's clear that you, sportsart and a few others do not understand my position.

For the 7,541st time, my criticism of Diaco is not, and never has been, about the number of wins he put up last year. You can continue to mischaracterize my opinion (as sportsart has done) all you want, but I've repeatedly stated that I didn't think we had the horses last, that the program was in shambles, and that I still think Diaco can become a good coach here. I maintain that stance. But none of that absolves him of some of the mind boggling things he did last year. I'm not going to beat the dead horse and list all of my criticisms, but I'm hopeful that he's learned from last year. He had a rough first year, and you can make all the excuses you want for him (you played sports!) but I won't. As many times as you guys claim that players are willing to run through a wall for him based on tweets from the players, my eyes told me a different story the last 3 games of the season.

I'm moving on, because it's a new season. But I'd advise that if you don't want to hear my opinions of Diaco's performance last year, than don't troll me and throw out bait.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

If you think anyone..anyone.. Would have won first year with this group.. A terrible team who lost 9 starters, 6 lineman and 2 NFL draft picks..... Who was terrible the year before.....your intelligence may be below standards

Another guy who gets off on mischaracterizing other people's position only to argue against said false position and claim superior intelligence. On this board we call this "going full Nelson".

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I disagree, the most competitive we looked to me was against BYU and East Carolina. Against teams like Tulane, etc. Not so much. Did you forget the opening sequence on D vs. Tulane? We scrapped most of the offensive playbook against USF.

Whatever. I'm excited about another football season, but my optimism is very, very cautious.

Boise I thought was the best. Stonybrook the worst game especially with that much season left. I am hopeful that we have swallowed the bitter pill that will make us better and Diaco doesn't turn out to be another George McClellan. I hope you and everyone get something positive out of this season.
Edit: Cincy noncompetative

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

"The team that was voted to finish last we're going to go undefeated and go to the playoffs and win the national championship. Yeah. That's the answer." -- THIS is the kind of moxie that we've needed from our head football coach and this program for years. Just glad Diaco is here. It will take time, but this entire program will get better each year under HCBD. I think in his first year, considering the dumpster fire that FHCPP and GDL left for him in Storrs, and the under estimation of the work that needed to be done to re-build the program and bring it up to 2015 D1 FBS football standards, and the fact that there wasn't really enough time to recruit his own guys, AND that there may have been issues with assimulating/changing cultures inside that locker room... it was a miricle that we were able to post 2 victories last season!

That being siad, I think we need to go 6-6 this year and go bowling to try and make a strong reason why UConn deserves to be back in the national CR conversation again (not to make this all about CR, but). Winning takes care of so much, season ticket sales, recruiting, national TV coverage, national interest and media attention. ALL things that UConn desperatly needs right now, and what Diaco is trying to cultivate. #TrustInDiaco

 

[DoctorWho85]

I think blame goes all around both players and staff for last year. But I'm trying to being optimistic, so a lot of the young players got a lot of in game experience last year. Will this translate into contending for a championship in the AAC? It might, but I fully believe that we are going to look a heck of a lot better this year than last even if it doesn't turn into a lot of wins. Honestly, I think we'll look, at the bare minimum, competitive in every game.

 

[Dooley]

It was absolutely a stupid question and a stupid question to press Diaco into answering. I, for one, am happy that he gave Dez the business for asking it (repeatedly).

It's a new season with a new slate. Last year saw some very interesting (read: dumb) coaching decisions, but that was last year and I am willing to write it off as part of the "Practice Season" that we were all told is part of the rebuilding process. I expect better decision making this season because the rhetoric has seemingly shifted from "practice" to "winning". There are no more partners in our rebuilding process, only opponents who are standing in our way of complete program restoration. Are we going to win every game? Most certainly not. But my expectation for this year is that, if we go down, we go down swinging. That means no more maddening QB rotation in the middle of a productive drive. No more shelving all passing plays (and offensive balance) over fears of injury or rain. No more punting on 4th-and-1 on SMU's 39 yard line. I can accept losing this year if we try to win, not when we're trying not to lose.

 

[Excalibur]

Nobody has completely given up on him.

This is simply not a correct statement. Not for you personally, but there are plenty of people on this board who not only have given up on him but gave up on him after 4 games last year.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

This is simply not a correct statement. Not for you personally, but there are plenty of people on this board who not only have given up on him but gave up on him after 4 games last year.

Fair enough. Friggin lawyers.

 

[freescooter]

Yale also had the number 1 offense in FCS last year, while we all know where UConn stood in FBS.

In hindsight - Yale would have probably beat UConn last year.

This has reached the point of ridiculous now. And if our players were so bad that we'd have lost to an Ivy League also ran what the heck makes you think we suddenly have the horses to compete with any 1A program now? What did we do, engineer a trade with San Diego State or something? 75% of last year's debacle is on the coaches . That needs to change in a huge way this year just to be a bad team.

 

[huskymedic]

Yale also had the number 1 offense in FCS last year, while we all know where UConn stood in FBS.

In hindsight - Yale would have probably beat UConn last year.

This has reached the point of ridiculous now. And if our players were so bad that we'd have lost to an Ivy League also ran what the heck makes you think we suddenly have the horses to compete with any 1A program now? What did we do, engineer a trade with San Diego State or something? 75% of last year's debacle is on the coaches . That needs to change in a huge way this year just to be a bad team.

My point was the "Ivy League also ran" had a much more potent offense than UConn did LAST YEAR. Just having "better athletes" on the field does not always equate to wins.

A year's more experience on the field and on the sidelines as a staff makes a big difference.

 

[Bubba1957]

Boise I thought was the best. Stonybrook the worst game especially with that much season left. I am hopeful that we have swallowed the bitter pill that will make us better and Diaco doesn't turn out to be another George McClellan. I hope you and everyone get something positive out of this season.
Edit: Cincy noncompetative

Not to go off topic but I like the McCellan reference. He was a Jersey guy too. Much prefer US Grant who had roots in Windsor and was more of a win by any means guy.