Jim Mora Expected to be Named HC

[Chin Diesel]

Notwithstanding the rarity of it not being discovered by a prying press corps, something tells me that the more Benedict and Mora discussed the opportunity, they more they got to know each other, liked what they saw and enjoyed hanging out. Said another way, it's hard for me to envision Benedict staying 4 days at the home of Edsall, Pasqualoni or Diaco.

I was just running some errands and the thought came across my mind that maybe Dave B was the house guest from hell and Mora was too nice a guy to kick him out so he eventually took the job just to get Dave B to leave.

I think there's actually a real low brow, easy $$$$ comedy to be made from that plot.

 

[Skiblets]

I was just running some errands and the thought came across my mind that maybe Dave B was the house guest from hell and Mora was too nice a guy to kick him out so he eventually took the job just to get Dave B to leave.

I think there's actually a real low brow, easy $$$$ comedy to be made from that plot.

It’s great that no one , I mean no one saw this coming. The so called insiders both in the media and elsewhere. The non casual fan. No one. AD Dave gets an A both for the hire and the the process

 

[B1GEast]

Does anyone know who else was being considered? Very curious about the short list.

This hire shows a commitment to football. Good message to the fans. I expect season tickets to sky rocket

 

[SubbaBub]

part of me wonders if Mazzone was as much a scout for Mora as an aid for Spanos. Is there really any talent there?

I may be in the minority, but I think Edsall did a decent job in getting more talent on the roster than what Diaco left.

Are we slow/small in a few spots, sure but I haven't been seeing a talent gap like we saw in 18 and 19. I think RE's big problem, ironically, was he couldn't teach these guys how to play correctly, consistently. That and the play calling was horrendous.

We are 1-8 this year more because of coaching than talent, IMO.

 

[businesslawyer]

Yeah with a winning record.

I admit that I completely forgot that he existed. But I always liked the guy. He has very little filter. Like the time he said that Washington was his dream job as the Falcons head coach.

His offenses were always modern and with Michael Vick he was ahead of the curve.

Unlike Randy I do think he will find it easier to attract good coordinators and assistants.

I also think he impresses with recruits and parents.

Was hot knocking him. I was, however, laughing at someone praising the hire because unlike P and Edsall he wasn’t fired from his last job

It ought to be permissible to dislike stupidity without taking a position on the hire itself.

 

[Petero]

Noticed the $1.5m first year pay after we were ready to pay $2.0m. Maybe they wanted a bigger pool to hire high quality assistants. If so that's a great move. Also his deal with UCLA ends in January 2022?????? I think the pieces are starting to come together.

 

[superjohn]

Unlike our last hire which was basically an unprofessional surrender this was handled professionally. I don't know how it will turn out but it's Benedict's hire and he kept it close to the vest while doing his due diligence for a long time. Mora is a professional who has been there and done that, has a ton of connects and he wants to be here. Recruiting at a high level is so much of the battle as is having a professional staff around you and I'm confident Mora will accomplish those two things. It doesn't hurt he is the biggest name we could possibly get.

I'm choosing to be optimistic.

 

[ktuck911]

Noticed the $1.5m first year pay after we were ready to pay $2.0m. Maybe they wanted a bigger pool to hire high quality assistants. If so that's a great move. Also his deal with UCLA ends in January 2022?????? I think the pieces are starting to come together.

Nice way to spend time away from the game.. still collecting a check from UCLA ( A nice one no doubt ).. He certainly take the Disco approach (kept trying to latch on to other schools year in and year out while collecting $$$ from us)

 

[huskymedic]

 

[gopher2]

I'm as excited about this hire as I'm able to be these days. Based on nothing I'll predict 4-8 next year, 5-7 in 2023 and a "breakout year" of 7-5 in 2024. That would be steady progress as Mora said we would see and it will come about largely through the use of the portal.

 

[ZooCougar]

Was hot knocking him. I was, however, laughing at someone praising the hire because unlike P and Edsall he wasn’t fired from his last job

It ought to be permissible to dislike stupidity without taking a position on the hire itself.

I know you weren’t. Unless you are like one of five FBS head coaches getting fired is a thing that can happen almost at the drop of a hat.

UCLA has been garbage since he left. And If we are judging guys by whether or not they got fired then the candidate pool with HC experience will be non existent.

Sure Al Golden was fired, but so was Moorhead. Apparently neither of those guys were all that interested.

The reasoning in this place has become absurd.

 

[ZooCougar]

Does anyone know who else was being considered? Very curious about the short list.

This hire shows a commitment to football. Good message to the fans. I expect season tickets to sky rocket

There is talk that Golden was the other target.

 

[ZooCougar]

It’s great that no one , I mean no one saw this coming. The so called insiders both in the media and elsewhere. The non casual fan. No one. AD Dave gets an A both for the hire and the the process

At least it wasn’t Eric Mangini.

 

[BigFanCT]

Not true. Not true at all. We’re hemorrhaging money in the Athetic Department. You don’t think the University isn’t judging him on getting paying fannies back in their seats at the Rent?

If the basketball team performs well, Benedict performs well. We gave up on football and butts in seats when we moved back to the BE.

Anything the football team can provide would be an added bonus and sure, I’m sure DB has his eyes on other jobs- if football works out, that is what he will get hired somewhere else for.

But we dug our heels all in on basketball. If we cared about hemorrhaging money, we would have stayed in the AAC until the next conference realightment - which just so happened to be shortly after we left.

All my opinion of course. I just think it’s all now tied to basketball success and getting back UConn’s basketball image to what it once was.

 

[Blades]

and HE did it the week we walk into Clemson with National attention.

Yep .....Uconn FB on the front page ???

 

[ZooCougar]

If the basketball team performs well, Benedict performs well. We gave up on football and butts in seats when we moved back to the BE.

Anything the football team can provide would be an added bonus and sure, I’m sure DB has his eyes on other jobs- if football works out, that is what he will get hired somewhere else for.

But we dug our heels all in on basketball. If we cared about hemorrhaging money, we would have stayed in the AAC until the next conference realightment - which just so happened to be shortly after we left.

All my opinion of course. I just think it’s all now tied to basketball success and getting back UConn’s basketball image to what it once was.

At this point the only good reason to be in the AAC is to collect exit fees. We are so much better off.

If the team becomes respectable again we will have better attendance because we play more attractive opponents.

 

[freescooter]

I like lots of things about this hire. He was a winner at UCLA which isn’t exactly simple to do. He seems serious. Student of the game. I think we will see some significant progress next year. I think he will be a solid recruiter, too. He knows what the NFL looks for so if you are a kid with that dream he is a guy who can really help.

 

[huskyinfl]

I was just running some errands and the thought came across my mind that maybe Dave B was the house guest from hell and Mora was too nice a guy to kick him out so he eventually took the job just to get Dave B to leave.

I think there's actually a real low brow, easy $$$$ comedy to be made from that plot.

Curb your enthusiasm type plot

 

[Scoe]

Definitely wasn’t expecting this, best hire we could’ve made given the current state our program is in, good to get him in now.

 

[kemba]

Love it. I mean most of the debate on here in the past has been do we go for a guy who was a good p5 coordinator with no head coaching experience or do we go down to fcs or lower for head coaching experience. We got a guy instead who had p5 head coaching success and has coached in the nfl.

Also not the highest priority, but good to get someone now while the season is still going on to get a head start and potentially have some continuity with the staff if he decides spanos and/or Mazzone are the right fits.

 

[businesslawyer]

If the basketball team performs well, Benedict performs well. We gave up on football and butts in seats when we moved back to the BE.

Anything the football team can provide would be an added bonus and sure, I’m sure DB has his eyes on other jobs- if football works out, that is what he will get hired somewhere else for.

But we dug our heels all in on basketball. If we cared about hemorrhaging money, we would have stayed in the AAC until the next conference realightment - which just so happened to be shortly after we left.

All my opinion of course. I just think it’s all now tied to basketball success and getting back UConn’s basketball image to what it once was.

Did we PRIORITIZE basketball over football? Absolutely. But having said that, (i) there is not an organization on the planet that doesn’t care about the amount of money it is losing, even in areas that are not its top priority, and (I) we were hemorrhaging money before we left the AAC.

 

[Buffett10]

I don't care who I am talking to. It was well documented at the time.

1st off learn to read... and Secondly well documented huh

 

[Skiblets]

He’s got a little Marky Mark Wahlberg look to him. Just hoping for some ‘good vibrations’

 

[Yup!]

There is talk that Golden was the other target.

Moorhead, Chesney and Campanile as well

 

[ASweet3781]

I may be in the minority, but I think Edsall did a decent job in getting more talent on the roster than what Diaco left.

Are we slow/small in a few spots, sure but I haven't been seeing a talent gap like we saw in 18 and 19. I think RE's big problem, ironically, was he couldn't teach these guys how to play correctly, consistently. That and the play calling was horrendous.

We are 1-8 this year more because of coaching than talent, IMO.

They have lost to holy cross and umass. Nearly lost to Yale. Yes coaching sucked. But not a talent problem? Insanity.