UConn Coaching changes

[SAMCRO]

Fearing the negative consequence that could result from change, is the exact same thing as fearing change dude.

Disagreeing with a decision does not automatically = fearing change. I don't have a huge issue with this move personally, but I also don't believe someone disagreeing with it (thinking it will make things worse, not better) means they fear change. They may just think it's a stupid decision.

 

[Nostical]

Hey Irish Loop that's pretty funny stuff. But not for nothing, if you aren't aware of the team's reaction it may be that your handle should read "Irish--not in the--Loop".

 

[uconnric]

I think we all have alot of respect for the job Foley has done here, but the pass blocking last year was not good. I know that Mc wasn't the most elusive qb, but he was under siege alot last year.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Listent, this is simple. You people are all afraid that moving Coach Foley to TE and OT responsibility and putting Deleone in on the interior OL is going to make the offense in 2012 worse than it was in 2011, and/or moving coach foley is going to somehow motivate him to search elsewhere for job opportunities.

I'm afraid of neither situation.

I think our offense is going to be better in 2012, than it was in 2012, and this coachign move only strenghtens my view that will. I think that if Coach Foley, hasn't been actively involved in monitoring the job circuit, since at least January 2, 2011, he'd be a fool. I know he's not a fool, so to think he's going to be any more or less in tune with job opportunities other than UConn, because of this, is foolish.

I also know that by diversifying a resume, you strengthen it, so if he does have desires to be an OC or HC again, especially at this level of football, rather than going back to Ivy, he's only going to make that possibility come closer by doing a good job with the TE's. I also know that it's not unusual to divide up coaching responsibilities such that you've got one coach on the interior OL, and another coach on OT's and TE's.

I also know that Coach Foley has had run dominated offensive systems to work with for his entire career at UConn, and the way that you get people out of rut and growing, is to challenge them to do new and better things.

As for sack numbers, yup, we gave up way more in 2011 than we did in 2010. Yup, we did, with an offense that was you know, actually designed to throw the ball....., and send out multiple route options, rather than max protect with 2 or 3 routes maximum.......

I think i'll pack up my canned speeches for a while.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Hey Irish Loop that's pretty funny stuff. But not for nothing, if you aren't aware of the team's reaction it may be that your handle should read "Irish--not in the--Loop".

You're correct. The OL is not, in fact, sending me memos.

But since you won't share your secrets, I'll just have to assume you're on their super secret mailing list.

 

[Excalibur]

1st in the big east and 20th nationally.

I do wonder if that was as much a product of our lack of pass attempts (and a QB that threw the ball away quickly if there was nothing there) as it was the protection. I'm not sure.

To my eyes, the protection was good (not outstanding) in 2010 and poor to average in 2011.

 

[Palatine]

The problem with pass protection last year was THE PASSER. Our QB couldn't read the blitz, he was immobile, and he often took sacks instead of throwing the ball away.

To say the high number of sacks was a attributable to Foley is just plan wrong. It is attributable to P's choice for QB

 

[businesslawyer]

The problem with pass protection last year was THE PASSER. Our QB couldn't read the blitz, he was immobile, and he often took sacks instead of throwing the ball away.

To say the high number of sacks was a attributable to Foley is just plan wrong. It is attributable to P's choice for QB

While I would be much less certain about what I think I saw, I do tend to agree with Palatine on this. Our pass protection was really good in '10. It was not good in '11, but I tend to think it was a combination of things, including different protection schemes that the players were being asked to implement and a QB who didn't move in the pocket, escape the pocket, make the DL rush fearing that if they weren't careful he's escape the pocket, or throw the ball quickly enough. The OL coaching would be way, way, way down my list of possibilities for what the problem really was.

 

[BlueMAB]

I do wonder if that was as much a product of our lack of pass attempts (and a QB that threw the ball away quickly if there was nothing there) as it was the protection. I'm not sure.

To my eyes, the protection was good (not outstanding) in 2010 and poor to average in 2011.

I agree with much of that. I wouldn't say the protection was poor, but average.

The move may turn out to be for the better for UConn and Foley, it may not. Foley helped coach up the guy responsbile for protecting Eli Manning's blindside until he got hurt. He can't be that bad at coaching pass protection.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Coach Foley is going to get the opportunity to show that he can develop TE's and OT' in a balanced offense. Look people, I don't expect anyone to believe anythign I say. This is an internet board, and I just love UConn football. But I love football too. It's basically a life.

None of the OL's we've had come out of UConn in recent years and go on to the NFL and either make rosters, or get cut in camps, have been ready for pass protection at the NFL level. In the big east, even on our own team, we are regularly facing players in defensive fronts that are capable of pass rush in the NFL.

They've all required work to be ready to pass protect, and it's going to be same again this year for Petrus, his ability to recognize defenses and get off the line of scrimmage and got out to a linebacker will help him make it. Coach Foley, has done a wonderful job in developing players for run blocking, but he's now got the job responsibility as far as I can tell of focusing on developing offensive tackles and tight ends in the passing game, and I've got no reason whatsoever to doubt that he'll do agreat job and will be a better coach because of it.

I think what you've all correctly identified is that when you look at certain football statistics, like sacks, there's a whole lot of variables that go into them.

I'm not worried at all, at Coach Foley's ability to be successful with this new challenge, and if he trully desires to coach elsewhere because of gettign challenged to do something new? I think he's probably excited to take it on. THat's all I'm going to say.

There are other concerns to have when it comes to this coaching staff, and the most important one, is still up in the air. got a problem with coach P and coaching moves? Yup, I do.......it's called the vacant QB coach spot.

Later dudes. I'm looking forward to a great spring of football.

 

[Palatine]

None of the OL's we've had come out of UConn in recent years and go on to the NFL and either make rosters, or get cut in camps, have been ready for pass protection at the NFL level. In the big east, even on our own team, we are regularly facing players in defensive fronts that are capable of pass rush in the NFL.

That is hardly an indictment of UConn. Almost no NFL rookie offensive lineman is ready to face an NFL pass rush. Even the first rounders have trouble. I also disagree about both Thomas and Beatty. They performed pretty well as rookies.

But this is off topic. The improvement in UConn's lines was noticeable the minute that Foley got on campus. Why move him? That's the question.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Why move him? Because we need offensive tackles that can be relied on to pass protect in 1-1 situations against NFL calibre pass rushers, and we need TE's that can play anywhere on the field in the offensive system, and he's a guy that has the ability to coach it, and it's something that is going to challenge him to rededicate himself to his profession.

Seriously - the question you should be asking yourself, is why don't I (you) believe that Foley isn't going to be good at this? Why do I (you) think that Deleone won't be able to do well with the interior offensive line?

The actual business of big time college football is so foreign to UConn fans in the Randy Edsall era, that it's shocking sometimes.

Bill Parcells put Paul Pasqualoni in charge of tight ends in the NFL, and then after the Cowboys had put together two seasons with the deepest and most productive TE groups ever, he moved PP to linebackers. Why on earth would he do something like that?

I'm just trying to help people open their eyes to the world of football. The moves made here make sense.

WHy it's taken so long for a QB coach to emerge? That's what concerns me about Pasqualoni and the staff right now, yet people are bellyaching about Foley maybe, maybe moving on to another job in 2013.

How about focusing on the present, huh?

 

[Carl Spackler]

Also, I'm not indicting UConn or Foley at all for not producing pass blocking talent.

There's been no need to work on that extensively at UConn for the past several years. That's what's changed, and that's why the coaching moves have been put in place.

Focus on not just run blocking, but pass blocking too.

 

[ithaca barrel]

As a long tome Syracuse fan, I will say that I was not a huge fan of Deleone as the OC at Syracuse by the end of his tenure but if there is a guy coaching O Line that can get more with less out there I would love to see him. Coach D is a fantastic O Line coach. In addition, when he was here, we sent quite a few OL guys to the NFL. He can coach O Line, we haven't had a guy that can really come close since he left.

However, he was definitely more in tune with run blocking versus pass blocking, we had some qb's that could scramble back then

 

[2Infinity]

I thought we led the conference in fewest sacks allowed in 2010. I know facts have no impact on Carl's canned speeches, but that doesn't mean we can't try.

We may have led the conference in fewest sacks allowed...but that was not last season, it was the one before that. To be fair, the year was mentioned, but it's like looking at yesterday's weather forecast. Last season we had some new faces on the OL as well as an inexperienced QB. But is that enough to expect that our sacks allowed should have gone from 15 to 41? (2010-2011) That's more than 2 1/2 times as many! With a brilliant offensive line coach, should this have happened? 41 sacks allowed was 2nd worst in the Big East and ranked UConn 115th best (adjusted for opposition) in the nation! Pointing this out is not meant to disparage Mike Foley, as he has been great over his tenure here. However, is it beyond belief that he is asked to coach the TEs, as well as the tackles, in favor of a guy like DeLeone, who has had such great success in coaching O lines at both the collegiate level as well as in the NFL?! I don't believe so. That some here have been acting like Foley's deserving of imminent induction into sainthood.... seems a bit premature.​

​

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/29123/uconn-coaching-position-switch​

http://sportsratings.typepad.com/college_football/sacks-allowed.html​

 

[Husky68]

1st in the big east and 20th nationally.

Out of 120 teams in 2010 Uconn had only 37 teams with less pass attempts, so to a certain extend would expect no worse than 37th place if were more or less equal to other teams in position on number of sacks vs. position for number of pass attempts. For 2011 out of 120 teams again Uconn had only 37 teams with less pass attempts so the 117th place in sacks allowed is quite bad.

Don't see the line as that much worse in pass protection (from good to so, so bad) although was weaker. See it as some of the subtle impact of having a QB in 2010 who was a pretty experienced senior who was coached to throw the ball away quickly if found reads not open to a green QB who at times froze and was quite immoble. Some on the O line, but some on the QB.

 

[gioff23]

I don't think anyone here would argue Coach Foley has been a tremendous asset in his tenure as OL coach. And I am sure all of us hope that the change is not the negative one might presume from reading a blog.

I think the OL has generally be a (perhaps thee) strength of this team over the past few years. But I also am mindful of the fact that the OL under RE is different than it will be under PP. But the U brought in PP to coach this team and that includes putting in asst coaches he thinks can best help this program grow. You may not like this move on the surface much like you don't like changes that come in the workplace whenever there is a change in maangement, but they are inevitable.

In fairness, while we led the league in fewest sacks allowed in 2010, we also threw less than almost every other team and generally employed max protections. The idea was not to win offensively - the O was not to lose the game. Stats are a dangerous game - the Bengals and Browns were among the leaders in sacks allowed in 2011. Anyone arguing they are the best O lines in the NFL?

Does anyone believe the OL was a strength in 11? I don't. What made that really disappointing IMO was that we returned a couple of all conference performers and draftable guys. The pass protection was mediocre at best and the run blocking was not up to prior year's levels. Yes, we had a 1000 yard rusher, but doesn't every team rush for more than 1000 yards? Was that on the players, the schemes, the staff? Unclear. Obviously, PP and GD believe they need to work on the core of the OL (the C and Gs) and align their talents and approach to that of the playbook.

I think the new staff is trying to change the approach - let's be able to win on O or D, or both. Whether they are successful only time will tell. I am open to the change and I do not fear the consequences.

 

[businesslawyer]

We may have led the conference in fewest sacks allowed...but that was not last season, it was the one before that. To be fair, the year was mentioned, but it's like looking at yesterday's weather forecast. Last season we had some new faces on the OL as well as an inexperienced QB. But is that enough to expect that our sacks allowed should have gone from 15 to 41? (2010-2011) That's more than 2 1/2 times as many! With a brilliant offensive line coach, should this have happened? 41 sacks allowed was 2nd worst in the Big East and ranked UConn 115th best (adjusted for opposition) in the nation! Pointing this out is not meant to disparage Mike Foley, as he has been great over his tenure here. However, is it beyond belief that he is asked to coach the TEs, as well as the tackles, in favor of a guy like DeLeone, who has had such great success in coaching O lines at both the collegiate level as well as in the NFL?! I don't believe so. That some here have been acting like Foley's deserving of imminent induction into sainthood.... seems a bit premature.​

​

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/29123/uconn-coaching-position-switch​

http://sportsratings.typepad.com/college_football/sacks-allowed.html​

1. I could not have been more clear that I was giving the 2010 number, not the 2011.

2. What do you think the most likely reason for the spike from 2010 to 2011 was. Putting a new offense in place? The loss of Hurd and Olivier without their replacements being as good? A QB who didn't throw the ball quickly enough. Or a worse job of coaching technique by a long time position coach? I can't tell you for a fact it's not the last one, but isn't it fairly obvious that the last one is the least likely explanation?

 

[uconnric]

I don't think the pass blocking was good enough to allow our receivers time to get open. Mc wasn't an elusive qb, but he was generally on the mark when he had time and an open receiver. There were many occasions on obvious passing downs that there was not sufficient pass protection and it wasn't his fault.

 

[2Infinity]

1. I could not have been more clear that I was giving the 2010 number, not the 2011.

2. What do you think the most likely reason for the spike from 2010 to 2011 was. Putting a new offense in place? The loss of Hurd and Olivier without their replacements being as good? A QB who didn't throw the ball quickly enough. Or a worse job of coaching technique by a long time position coach? I can't tell you for a fact it's not the last one, but isn't it fairly obvious that the last one is the least likely explanation?

Yes, you were clear about it being 2010, but made no mention of 2011. It seems a bit odd to omit the most recent year and selectively post the most favorable season's number...that's all.

As for point #2, I happen to agree with you that, on the surface, the last reason given was not the primary or only reason for the drop off in performance. He certainly has been a great teacher over the yeasr. However, is it possible that his techniques are better suited to the running game than the passing game? After all, that is what our primary focus had been over those years, until last season that is. I believe the spike was due to a combination of all of the factors you mentioned above. But going forward, it seems Coach P feels that GD's approach to coaching the OL is better, and proven, when employing a more active passing game. To his credit, he did give Foley a year to continue coaching the O line, even though there was going to be much more passing than before. However, he may have realized that with DeLeone's proven success at both the college and pro level, it's just smart coaching to get him more involved with the line. It was reported that Foley will continue coaching the tackles as well as the TEs. So CP obviously still has confidence in Foley!

 

[Nostical]

There's no question that certain line coaches excel at run blocking while others are pass blocking gurus. Want a good example? How about The Indy Colts. I don't think there's a question that Donald Brown would have shown better results behind a run blocking line. That O line was built by Howard Mudd to pass block for Peyton Manning.
The #1 run blocking O-Line this season belonged to The Houston Texans. Any wonder why an undrafted running back from U of Tennessee (Arian Foster) excelled?
#26 was the Indy Colts. Any wonder why the Big East rushing leader was stymied?

 

[sdhusky]

I thought we led the conference in fewest sacks allowed in 2010. I know facts have no impact on Carl's canned speeches, but that doesn't mean we can't try.

Hmmmm. I wonder where we ranked in pass attempts?

 

[sdhusky]

Is Foley a football guy or an offensive line guy?

I don't know why everyone thinks he will suck so bad at a new position. I think he did a pretty good job with the oline and I expect he will continue to be a good coach.

Why all the negativity about him?

 

[Excalibur]

Is Foley a football guy or an offensive line guy?

I don't know why everyone thinks he will suck so bad at a new position. I think he did a pretty good job with the oline and I expect he will continue to be a good coach.

Why all the negativity about him?

I think the issue is taking him away from a position that he's done quite well at. It's a valid point, tempered a bit by the fact that DeLeone is also an accomplished OL coach.

 

[Palatine]

Is Foley a football guy or an offensive line guy?

I don't know why everyone thinks he will suck so bad at a new position. I think he did a pretty good job with the oline and I expect he will continue to be a good coach.

Why all the negativity about him?

No one is saying he will suck at his new position.

We are saying he was great at his last position, so why move him?