Randy Edsall Is Done, Retires Effective Immediately, UConn Will Now Be Led By The Coach In Viral Clip From Over The Weekend
Sunday, Randy Edsall announced he was retiring from football at the end of the season. 24 hours later, Edsall decided that he was going to step aside immediately and no longer be the coach of UConn. Why this changed so quickly? I don't know. Honestly, don't really care. This whole season has been a nightmare and it's only September 6th. UConn has 10 more games to go and their new head coach is this guy:
I'm sure the players will play hard for him. Looks like there is a lot of respect.
UConn football has become an embarrassment over the last 10 years. They've made just 1 bowl game and have lost 81 games since 2011. Randy Edsall returned home after the Bob Diaco fiasco, but it just hasn't worked. Losing 38-28 to Holy Cross at home was a low moment for a program that once went to 4 straight bowl games from 2007-2010 and had a serious amount of momentum.
I have a soft spot for Edsall as he created a very good G5 football program in the state of Connecticut, which allowed me to fall in love with the sport of college football. Without that, I wouldn't have this dream world job.
He hasn't been great since his return. I truly think he wanted to build UConn football back, but he failed. Him retiring was the best option for UConn all things considered. They don't have to buy him out and they can focus on the future of rebuilding a once-proud program, again.
UConn will remain in the FBS, I am sure of it. There's only been one team that has ever dropped from the FBS to the FCS and it was a mistake (Idaho). The next coach will be a massive hire in terms of significance for the program. They can't really miss out on this hire. The future of UConn football relies on it.
Some options:
Joe Moorhead (OC - Oregon): Former OC at UConn before going to Fordham and then Mississippi State. Moorhead wanted the job when Edsall left, but they decided to hire Pasqualoni instead. That turned out to be the worst hire ever. I don't know if Moorhead would take the job, but if he wants it, it should be his.
Rhett Lashlee (OC - Miami): Former OC at UConn. He actually did a really good job at UConn, took a putrid offense and turned them into a unit that was decent by year's end. High on my wish list.
Todd Orlando (DC - USC): Former DC at UConn. He is a northeast guy and could revive the program with the right offensive mind.
Dan Orlovsky - The guy that turned UConn into a good G5 program is someone I'd love to see become the coach. This job needs to go to someone that cares. Orlovsky loves UConn football and I wouldn't hate him as the new HC.
Don Brown (DC - Arizona) - He's old and may be past his prime, but the northeast DC could be a hire that could reignite UConn as a program that pulls in players from all over the northeast (something they haven't done for a long time).
Bob Chesney (HC - Holy Cross) - He just beat UConn on Saturday with Holy Cross and is a young coach that has dominated at all levels he's gone to.
Deion Sanders - Please, Coach Sanders?
Some other names: Al Golden, Nunzio Campanile, Rob Ambrose, Bob Surace.
Here is the good news: UConn has paid off Diaco's payout. They do not have to pay Edsall anything but his salary this year (may even have that off the books). They were paying Edsall $1.2 million, so if they really want to commit to this program, they have to be able to pay the next coach $1.5-2 million-plus the coaches preferred staff (massive key).
UConn football is a joke right now, but with proper investment and the right hire, the program will rebound. I am sure of it. There were 20,000 people at the game this weekend. That's more than UMass has ever had at a game. The Rent used to be packed for 7-5 and 8-4 teams. That will happen again if the investment and coaching decision is right. Even through all these years, UConn has produced great NFL talent and coaches.
This next hire is huge. They've missed on the past 3. A miss here could mean losing the entire program.