Former Huskies LB Swenson signs with Texans

After going undrafted and earning an invite to New York Jets rookie mini camp, former Uconn linebacker Ian Swenson signed with the Houston Texans, the team announced Tuesday morning.

Swenson, from Wilmette, Illinois, spent six years at Uconn, sitting much of the 2017 season as a redshirt freshman. He was an emotional leader for the Huskies in 2022 as the program returned to a bowl game for the first time since 2015.

A bit undersized at 6 feet 1, 218 pounds, Swenson made the most of his final season in Storrs with a career-high 87 total tackles, 42 solo, 45 assisted. He collected a halfsack, forced a fumble and made the first interception of his career this past fall.

Swenson’s signing makes four members of the 2023 Uconn football team who have signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. Center Jake Guidone signed with the Baltimore Ravens, fullback Robert Burns signed with the Chicago Bears and linebacker Brandon Bouyer-randle was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Women’s basketball: Former Husky joins CCSU staff:

Former Uconn women’s basketball forward Willnett Crockett has been hired as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut State, the school announced on Monday.

Crockett played at Uconn from 2002-06 and helped the Huskies win back-to-back national championships in 2003 and ’04. She was also part of the program’s thenrecord-breaking streak of 70 consecutive wins from 2001-03. Uconn would go on to break its own record and extend the streak to 111 games in 2017.

A native of Los Angeles, Crockett averaged 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 16 minutes per game in her Uconn career. She was taken with the 22nd overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft by the LA Sparks. She went on to play for the Phoenix Mercury as well as overseas in Africa, Latvia, and Lithuania prior to being hired by Temple in 2009.

The 38-year-old spent 13 years as an assistant at Temple alongside new Central head coach Way Veney, who was the Owls’ associate head coach for five seasons. Crockett spent last season as the Director of Basketball Operations at Cal State-northridge.

“I’m excited to have Will join my staff,” Veney said in a release. “She is a hard worker and very loyal. Her commitment to cultivating relationships with the student athletes is unmatched. … Her winning pedigree and ties to the state of Connecticut will be a tremendous asset for us in recruiting.”