New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
‘We need some enthusiasm ... some charisma’
The next UConn football coach could fit any number of profiles.
An offensive mind or a defensive mind. Someone with NFL experience or college experience. An established head coach or an intriguing assistant. Ties to the program and the Northeast, both or neither.
Regardless of style, experience or philosophy, the person who emerges in the coming months must recognize and embrace that turning around the program is about more than Saturdays and X’s and O’s.
“We’re at a point in time where we need some energy, we need some enthusiasm, we need some charisma as it relates to being able to connect with recruits as well as fans,” athletic director David Benedict said Tuesday. “Ultimately, you’re trying to hire someone who is going to have the ability, knowledge and know-how to build a successful program. Where does that piece fall? I think it’s pretty high.”
UConn arrived at this point with a disastrous start to the season — a 45-0 loss at Fresno State, followed by a 38-28 home loss to Holy Cross of the lowerlevel Football Championship Subdivision on Sept. 4. That loss left the Huskies’ record at 6-32 since Randy Edsall’s 2017 return.
“There’s certainly a disappointment,” Benedict said. “There’s no finger pointing here. It’s very unfortunate that things didn’t work out with bringing Randy back. Obviously there was a lot of hope. Typically, previous success is a great indicator of future success. And that certainly weighed heavy on my decision in bringing Coach Edsall back. But as we know, things change and college athletics have changed a lot, so there are no guarantees.”
The day after the Holy Cross loss, a Sunday, Benedict reached out to Edsall to set up a Monday meeting. Edsall called Benedict back and said he was going to retire at the end of the season
and that announcement was made. On Monday, UConn announced that Edsall would instead depart his role immediately.
“I was caught a little off guard,” Benedict said. “He wanted to announce it quickly. … Given some time to think about it and have some conversations, we just got to a place where [his immediate departure] was the best decision for the team. It’s that simple.
“I don’t know that it’s appropriate to get into a conversation about why I think it didn’t work out. I’ll do a lot of soul searching on that as we move forward, because that’s something we have to take into consideration as we look at the type of person we want to come in.”
Lou Spanos, defensive coordinator since 2019, was named interim coach in conjunction with Edsall’s departure.
The Huskies are 9-41 since the start of 2016, Bob Diaco’s final season, and haven’t had a winning record since 2010. Attendance has dropped along with statewide interest.
“We’re going to need someone who doesn’t look at [engagement] as being a burden or something they don’t want to do,” Benedict said. “We’re going to need someone who has the wantto, to get out in the state and this community and really sell our program and get people engaged. That’s a big part of what we need right now. It’s a critical component.”
Benedict said UConn is considering several search firms to assist with the hire. The athletic department is putting together what Benedict called a “package of recruitment materials,” which would support explanations to interested coaches for how
the program is supported, and what resources will be at its disposal.
In short, Benedict must explain why the UConn job is a good job beyond being one of 130 that exist at the FBS level.
“We have to do a great job of bringing UConn to the people we are interested in because you might not have the opportunity to bring them to campus,” Benedict said. “There’s a chance, if you’re not familiar with us, or have never been on our campus, that your assumption or opinion might not necessarily be accurate.”
Benedict will soon meet with UConn’s interim president, Andrew Agwunobi, and the framework for the search will continue to take shape from there. Most serious candidates will be active coaches so interviews are expected to be conducted into the offseason.
Last Saturday, before a 45-0 loss to Purdue at Rentschler Field, a group of athletic department representatives walked the tailgate lots to ask fans what they would prefer in the qualities of the next coach. Benedict said the opinion of former players will be valued. Calls from the football community have already started coming in — from people either interested in the job, or claiming to know the perfect fit.
This is the second search for a football coach that Benedict will lead. He fired Diaco on Dec. 26, 2016. Edsall, who had a 74-70 record at UConn in 19992010, was announced as coach two days later.
“It’s just a totally different situation,” Benedict said. “The luxury, if there is one, is that we have an amount of time that is not typical in college searches. … I may have some
thoughts and opinions as to the kind of profile I think is right for us. I’m not ready to eliminate anyone at this point. We don’t want to start the search and create and artificial barrier for someone to get involved in the process who might wind up being a fantastic candidate.”
Benedict said he feels for UConn players and that he’s confident the right leader can be hired.
“They want success in the worst way,” he said. “I feel terrible about the position they’re currently in.
It’s certainly not because of a lack of their effort or trying. We’ve got to do better for them. We’ve got to help them be successful moving forward. … This is a great job and the right person will come here and be very successful.”