Randy Edsall officially Maryland's football coach
by Andrew Porter on Jan 2, 2011 7:06 PM EST
in UConn Huskies Football
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PrintWe've all known this for the last six hours or so, but now it's official: Randy Edsall has accepted an offer to be Maryland's next football coach. You can find Maryland's press release announcing the decision after the jump.
This, to be frank, comes as a huge surprise and I still don't really understand the move. It's not just a surprise to me though, as it looks like most of UConn was caught off guard.
A few weeks ago I wrote that if Edsall wanted to go, now was the time. A lot of people interpreted that as me saying I wanted him to leave, which wasn't really what I was trying to get at. What I was trying to say was that if the right job was out there and Edsall didn't want to coach UConn for the next 20 years, he should leave now. I understand why he'd want to leave and I wish him no ill will (for the most part, we'll get to that in a second). His stock could only go down from here, and if UConn is looking to get anything close to a name coach, now's probably the best chance they'll ever get (well, almost, bear with me) So he's gone, and I'm fine with that.
I'm not fine with everything though.
I'm pretty upset about both the timing and the manner of Edsall's departure. If, as it is being reported, Edsall gave almost no indication to anyone at UConn, ditched the team after the bowl to fly to Maryland and let his players learn about this from twitter and ESPN, that's a terrible move that feels completely out of character. I have a great deal of respect for everything Edsall did for UConn, and I want to wish him well going forward, but the ending leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Now, the timing: When I wrote three weeks ago that UConn would never have a better time to replace a coach, that was true. And while the athletic department is still in a relatively strong position, it's certainly weaker than it was in early December. All the press about the financial bath the school took on the bowl game will damage our ability to open the checkbook for a coach, and the 28-point loss on National TV makes the BCS big look (just slightly) less impressive. We've also lost a month of recruiting time and perhaps worst of all, if athletic director Jeff Hathaway didn't know this coming it means that he probably isn't as prepared as he needs to be to find a replacement ASAP. I was already worried enough about Hathaway's ability to perform the biggest task of his career, having him be surprised only hurts.
There's obviously a ton to unpack here, and we'll cover it more in the coming days, but one thing is for sure: for better or for worse, UConn football is never going to be the same.
Full press release from Maryland below:
EDSALL NAMED HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
Former UConn head coach led Huskies to five bowl appearances, including 2011 Fiesta Bowl
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Randy Edsall, who spent the last 12 years taking the University of Connecticut from Division I-AA status (now FCS) to five bowl games, including a BCS contest, has been named Marylandâ€TMs head football coach, director of athletics Kevin Anderson announced Sunday evening.
Edsall, who will be introduced Monday during a news conference, guided the Huskies to a pair of BIG EAST Conference titles (2007, 2010) and postseason appearances in each of the last four seasons, including the 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
The 2010 BIG EAST Coach of the Year has led the Huskies to eight or more wins in each of the last four seasons as the Huskies successfully made the ascent from Division I-AA.
Prior to his stint in Storrs, Conn., Edsall, a native of Glen Rock, Pa., spent one season (1998) as the defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech and four years (1994-97) as a defensive backs coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars who went from expansion team to the AFC Championship game during his tenure.
Maryland Athletics will comment on the hiring during Monday's news conference.
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One final thing that upsets me
Is that he left for Maryland. Which, I mean, c’mon, really? Maryland?
I have no problem with him leaving for something that’s a clear step up. If you’re going to a blue-blood, fine. Hell, if you’re headed to any non-Minnesota Big Ten school or non-Vanderbilt SEC school I can get on board too. If I’m going to lose my coach I want to be able to say, “yeah, he’s gone, but would you have said no to Michigan?”
What on Earth does Maryland bring to the table that UConn doesn’t? Especially since he could have stayed here as long as he wanted. For UConn it’s probably better that he leaves now than after 2012 (if you want a real nightmare, imagine having to replace Edsall and Calhoun within a few months of each other … shudder), but it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense for Edsall.
agree with your comment
Going to College Park is a head scratcher, but if I know one thing it’s about modern sports it’s that it’s always about the money. Always.
And that’s ok. People look back and say that players and coaches used to be loyal to their teams and that’s true to a point. But coaches and players of the past also weren’t getting paid millions of dollars a year, so staying in one place or moving actually came down to pretty tough decision.
I can’t really be mad at him, past wishing that he had broke it to the team first. He built the program, he’ll be missed, but hopefully we beat him in a BCS Bowl within a few years.
orange bowl 2014
leeeeetttssss goooo
"...Don't talk black to me. How do you even talk black? End words with izzle..." Modern Family
by kemba walker is my hero... on Jan 2, 2011 8:13 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Glen Rock, PA
MD is a bit closer to Edsall’s stomping grounds. He will likely concentrate on recruiting PA and the mid-atlantic. Don’t know if that was a deciding factor or not, but maybe it was part of the equation.
One other side note:
The Edsall story is dominating our front page, so I won’t make a post about this until at least tomorrow, but Jordan Todman did announcing that he’s declaring for the draft last night.
I can understand why he would leave
But why Maryland? Could he really not find a better coaching position than that???
by Anonymous Coward on Jan 2, 2011 7:31 PM EST reply actions
I'm not terribly upset by this
Sad to see Edsall go, because he seemed like a good man, and everything I knew about him (up until this afternoon) indicates that he’s a classy fellow.
But he’s also very stubborn, a very average game coach, a poor evaluator of skill position players, and an incredibly poor recruiter. Although at least now we’ll know if that last one was Edsall’s fault, or if we’re kinda screwed for good. But while I would have been happy to see Edsall perenially win 6-8 games here, this is a chance to do better. I know it’s possible that we can.
We need to start new and find someone on the rise. Well, no. We need Mike Leach or Rich Rodriguez, but we don’t have the money. So we need to start new and find an energetic young coach with some kind of attractive football philosophy.
Unfortunately, Jeff Hathaway is our AD. I am terrified about our future.
UConn: Where we proudlyish carry on the dual traditions of great women's basketball teams and awful school commercials.
I should also say
I don’t begrudge Edsall leaving one bit. As much as we like to think it’s not true, UConn is not a destination job. If he feels like he can get more money and a higher profile elsewhere, he should leave. And Maryland, which has a pretty decent tradition and a devoted fanbase that does care somewhat about football, isn’t nearly a step back.
UConn: Where we proudlyish carry on the dual traditions of great women's basketball teams and awful school commercials.
by Kevin Meacham on Jan 2, 2011 8:29 PM EST up reply actions
Money Talks And UConn Isn't a Primo Destination
Not sure about the contract though, but I’m sure it may have been better. Maryland = better weather, slightly higher profile.
What REALLY REALLY hurts is the timing. Feels almost “LeBron James-ish” to a degree.
What Kevin says has me terrified too: Jeff Hathaway doesn’t instill confidence. Man, I’d hate to be on campus right now…good thing I graduated Fall 2006 otherwise I’d be storming the AD’s office.
"Common sense is quite rare." - Voltaire
The Artist Formerly Known as PacoL250
Resident Psychologist and Tech Support at Over the Monster: SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Web Site
Also Another Thing to Keep in Mind
Player de-commitments will certainly happen and coaches may leave with Randy as well.
One thing I certainly want to hear is Jason Paige’s reaction on ESPN Radio 1410/1300 tomorrow.
"Common sense is quite rare." - Voltaire
The Artist Formerly Known as PacoL250
Resident Psychologist and Tech Support at Over the Monster: SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Web Site
And Another Thing
Time to tear down those Farmington Bank ads with him on them on I-84 and the like.
"Common sense is quite rare." - Voltaire
The Artist Formerly Known as PacoL250
Resident Psychologist and Tech Support at Over the Monster: SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Web Site
Winning Costs $$$$
Hey guys, I got news, you want to win? Then it’s time to pay. Mike Leech and Rich Rodriguez would be fantastic candidates. If you want to win, at a very high level, and get to the point where you can compete with the top BCS schools in the nation, then you need a great coach who can recruit…. and….. that costs money (you get what you pay for). UConn is at an all time high and moving forward, and this next hire and critical. This hire will either cause you to take a big step backwards, or, continue to propel the program forward. But its going to cost money, so the message should be to stop being cheap looking for some no name schmuck coach and go out and get the big name that can help you win. This hire will be the difference between getting our butt kicked in the Fiesta Bowl vs being a consistent winner in BCS games. Go get the right coach….the big name…forget the money. CT is full of money….it just comes down to whether or not they want to pay….(Edsall was great to get us on the map….but now its time to the big name that will take you to the top….)
by test123456 on Jan 2, 2011 10:25 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
+1
"Common sense is quite rare." - Voltaire
The Artist Formerly Known as PacoL250
Resident Psychologist and Tech Support at Over the Monster: SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Web Site
Thanks for the heads up
I’m having champagne brunch with Hathaway on three kings day (The 12th day of Christmas!). I’ll let him know.
you're right that ct has money
but most of that is in fairfield county or west hartford. not a lot UConn alum there. Just because the state is considered rich doesn’t mean the school is.
I don’t think UConn is ever going to be a destination school. I don’t think it’s worth saying “forget the money” when whatever coach we get is going to have trouble recruiting big name recruits to Storrs/Hartford.
Good Luck in the search
With TCU joining your conference, this will ratchet things up a bit. They are a strong tough fast team that would have beaten OU and many other teams this year.
As far as your next HC:
One name out of Iowa City is Ken O’Keefe the OC for Iowa….
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/516440/joeschadKOK.JPG
Good luck with that one. I don’t see him leaving the friendly confines of IC and Kirk F who backs him 100% and has since their arrival 2 years ago. Many in IC want him out on a rail now. Some others feel so so about him. No one confuses him with offensive genius however. Best of luck
a quick bio:
O’Keefe was the head coach at Fordham University in 1998 and was the head coach at Allegheny College for eight seasons (1990-97). His career record of 83-17-1 includes a 79-10-1 mark at Allegheny, where his team won five North Coast Athletic Conference titles and the 1990 NCAA Division III national title. O’Keefe led Allegheny to four undefeated regular seasons (1990, 1991, 1994 and 1996) and six NCAA playoffs.
For his outstanding first year at Allegheny, O’Keefe was named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1990. He was also named conference Coach of the Year four times (1990, 1991, 1993 and 1996) while at Allegheny. All eight of his teams ranked among the nation’s top 12 at the end of the season and he coached 38 All-Americans.
Prior to becoming head coach at Allegheny, O’Keefe served as offensive line coach (1986-87) and offensive coordinator (1988-89) there. Ken was an assistant coach at the University of New Haven in 1976 and 1977.
In 1985, he coached Fort Worth (TX) Country Day School, and from 1978-84 he led Worcester (MA) Academy to a 37-11 record and three New England Class A prep championships.
In 1992, O’Keefe led a North Coast Athletic Conference all-star team to Moscow, Russia for a game with the semi-pro Moscow Bears. That experience led to a partnership called Friendship Through Football that resulted in the first youth football games ever between the United States and Russia.
O’Keefe earned his B.A. degree in history from John Carroll University in 1975, where he played football and baseball. He was a three-year starter at wide receiver while at John Carroll.
O’Keefe was born Aug. 18, 1953 in Milford, CT. He and his wife, Joanne, have two children, Meghan and Brendan.
As a Tennessee fan
Who experienced our head coach leave in the middle of the night without telling the team three weeks before signing day last year, I feel for y’all. Best of luck finding a replacement. Y’all have a wish list yet? I’m sure Leach’s name will come up.
by Incipient_Senescence on Jan 3, 2011 1:18 PM EST reply actions
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