The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
UConn shifts focus to Purdue after Edsall’s departure
Randy Edsall’s departure was as sudden as it was unexpected.
Much remains unanswered about the sequence of events leading to Edsall stepping down Monday as UConn’s head football coach, not long after the school announced he planned to remain with the program through the remainder of the season.
Former defensive coordinator Lou Spanos, who is replacing Edsall on an interim basis, was relatively
mum on the subject Tuesday during a Zoom availability. When asked about his conversations with Edsall, Spanos said the team is ready to move on.
“We had our team meeting and talked about what we want to do for the upcoming opponent, Purdue,” Spanos said. “We addressed several issues, but the most important thing is we’re going to work hard, and while working hard we’re going to enjoy this moment and have fun.”
UConn, coming off an embarrassing loss to Holy Cross, hosts Purdue Saturday (3 p.m., CBS Sports Network). The Huskies (0-2), who are 33.5-point underdogs, will be making a change at quarterback, with redshirt sophomore Steven Krajewski replacing the struggling Jack Zergiotis.
As if that’s not enough heavy lifting for the Huskies, players are still trying to wrap their heads around Edsall’s hasty exit.
“It’s definitely been a little bit of a roller coaster, to say the least,” junior cornerback Jeremey Lucien said. “This was definitely not something that any of us really expected to have to deal with in any of our college careers. That being said, change doesn’t necessarily need to be a bad thing. We’re all open to it.
“We all trust Coach Spanos a lot. The mood of the team is still really high looking ahead to Purdue.”
Spanos backed up that account, calling Tuesday’s practice and meetings “spirited.” He also made light of a video that circulated on social media of him trying to fire up his players. The clip, which Spanos and Lucien claim was taken out of context, shows Spanos raising his fist to break a huddle during the fourth quarter against Holy Cross, and players not reciprocating.
“My wife and kids sent me it,” Spanos said. “They laughed, and I laughed, too. That was awesome.”
“We always break down (the huddle). Sometimes you see this, sometimes that,” he added. “They all got the message. You saw that rawness together. You’ve got to laugh, it’s fun. It’s football — entertainment.”
Spanos, 50, was in his second season — and third year — as UConn’s defensive coordinator, but is relinquishing those duties to Jarren Horton. Horton, who previously served as star/nickel/dime coach, was also promoted to safeties coach.
Prior to arriving in Storrs in 2019, Spanos spent one season at Alabama as an analyst under Nick Saban. Spanos won a pair of Super Bowl rings (XL, XLIII) as a defensive quality control/ assistant linebackers coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers and also had NFL stints with Washington and Tennessee.
He’s been described as something of a character.
“He’s just one of those kinds of people that you kind of need to be around to get the full experience,” Lucien said. “He’s a really wacky guy. Today was the first real time that he had a full meeting, and he just had everybody rolling. He’s just really funny, but he also knows when to make jokes and when to be serious. He brings a really good balance to the table. … We all think he’s going to do a solid job.”
Said Spanos: “What you see is what you get. … You’ll see me and just shake your head sometimes.”
His job — to save a season from spiraling further — isn’t easy. The Huskies are 0-2 in their first year as an independent, losing 45-0 to Fresno State before their aforementioned dud of a home opener. They were just 6-32 under Edsall since 2017, with half of those wins coming against FCS opponents.
Spanos is also turning to a new quarterback, Krajewski, and retooling the depth chart. Zergiotis, a sophomore, was woefully inaccurate and turnoverprone in his two starts, completing just 44.6% of his passes while throwing three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. He also lost two fumbles.
The coaching staff agreed that Krajewski, who played just four games in 2019 due to injury, gives them the best chance to be successful.
“Steve has done a good job reading defenses,” senior left tackle Ryan Van Demark said. “He knows what coverages they’re in and he knows what blitzes they’re going to bring. Also, Steve does a great job of letting us all be on the same page. He’s a great leader in that aspect.”