What’s going on?
I can confirm, through UConn, that George DeLeone the offensive coordinator at UConn the past two seasons, will continue his duties as line coach but will add the title of Associate head coach under Paul Pasqualoni.
“I continue to be excited about the direction of our offense and I look forward to continue to work with the offensive line – a position group that I have been passionate about my entire coaching career,” DeLeone said in a statement. “The new role of Associate Head Coach is a new part of my job that I am eager to take on.”
Former Cincinnati wide receivers coach T.J. Weist is expected to take over the offensive coordinator and wide receiver duties. He’s been seen on campus a couple times. I was told he hasn’t signed a contract just yet but that whole thing could be wrapped up in within a week.
Look at Weist’s resume folks. He’s got some feathers in his cap.
The change in offensive coordinator is not surprising. DeLeone had come under fire the past two seasons for a struggling offense the past two seasons.
Athletic director Warde Manuel promised changes from last season. He said that coming out of the end of the season meeting with Pasqualoni. I suspect these are some of the things he meant, along with winning more games of course.
That’s all I know as of now about coaching moves.
Thanks
DC
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49 Responses to UConn Football: George DeLeone Takes On New Role, Weist Likely Candidate To Replace Him As Offensive Coordinator
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Cochran will def be the qb next year.
We hate to lose Coach Weist at UC!!! He really brought the passing game alive and developed outstanding receivers! He was previously at Western KY U as OC/WRec coach and brought them to a 23d ranked national offense We’ll be watching Huskie football (my wife’s school) with renewed vigor (from Cincy). Great guy! Super MENTOR! Teaches sound fundamentals! “Dominate from the first play ON!” He’s a Head Coach-in-the-making, fans! Take a look on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4re1rk0yb1g.
DC, Where does this leave coach Cercosimo?
Hearing defensive backs
I’m glad I decided to get my season tickets this now. I’m betting GDL will really have the O-line forcing it’s will and hopefully Weist (if he is hired as OC) can bring in a more exciting offense. Is it the end of summer yet?
The real question is… What kind of offense does Weist like to run? Is he spread oriented like Cinci. or does he have Pro style roots like HCPP likes to run?
That is the real question … Not why George DeLeone was still at UConn. I thought the chief concern around here was offensive play -calling? That guy is not going to be calling plays – but where are we going? Backwards, as usual, living in the past.
So Dez, are you on the question of the day? What KIND of offense? Got it covered? Personally, I hope the pendulum swings slowly in an evolutionary way. We just spent two years teaching the SA’s one style. Let’s not throw the baby completely out with the bath water and have to spend two more years teaching them something else. The whole coaching staff will be long gone by then if they attempt that. Another corollary question: does McCummings stock rise again if the offensive style evolves and he makes improvements in accuracy? Mobility presumably will become important again. Big if on accuracy, but …. Questions, questions, questions.
Yep but we need to get a hire first officially you know? Then I think we can go from there. Spread is what everybody is doing. It’s time for McCummings in my opinion – his dual threat ability
Yeah Des
The kid is a great athlete. I can’t believe his passing can’t be sharpened up to make him more of a threat. He doesn’t have to throw bombs, but if he was 50:50 on passes and runs he would be much harder to defend.
Hell, I’m an old man but I can make the 5-10 yard pass!
Eh I’ll bet you can make more than 5-10! Don’t be shy, lol
Does changing offensive systems again set the offense back a year again? I mean, in theory, it takes a program a year or two to adjust to a new coaching staff and scheme so does the clock start over for the o? If so, I hope it’s at least an exciting brand of football…
Yeah so I’m really psyched about Weist(pronounced “Weest”) coming on board.
I have to say ,in general, I am so happy about Kevin Ollie, his retention and his skills, and the academic efforts of Susan Herbst, that I think UConn is in good shape.
I would be happy to be an independent for a time if the football program would play a tough and independent schedule.
I will come to more games if UConn will take on a number of Big Boys every year. I don’t care if we have a few more losses, if we play better programs.
In the end it will pay off.
So Pasqualoni saves his buddy’s behind and gets him a promotion (and a raise?) This way DeLeone gets to stick around and retire with a nice State of Connecticut pension.
I like this Move but really don’t understand why GDL holds a title of Associate Head Coach?
Seems like Ego’s are getting in the way of production.
Anyways glad to see someone else getting a chance to call the plays and impliment a creative offense.
GDL should improve the OLine, but how much is the question. They have a long way to go to be respectable.
On another note recruiting seems to be going well, so that’s a plus.
Lot of chatter here and elsewhere that this is the same move Pasqualoni did at Syracuse in 2004…and with bad results. Can you verify this Dez?
Also why would DeLeone be asked to coach the OL when he clearly wasn’t as good as Foley in terms of results?
I keep seeing the same flaws repeating themselves in Pasqualoni…I am convinced this guy plays favorites (and not a “results based” leader), whether it’s on his coaching staff or the players….and it has/will be his undoing.
Put me down as “not impressed”.
Verified – but you know how that one turned out. You can predict but really don’t know how the future here will with the move. I thought recruiting was on its way down during that time at Syracuse, for one. I don’t think that’s the case here. The facilities, namely the dome wasnt the lure it was and that time going south was becoming a big deal for recruits. A lot went into not just moving GDL’s coaching position.
Thanks Dez…I get your points.
I give credit to Pasqualoni for improving recruiting at UConn, but it just seems that he has a tendency to play favorites on the field (e.g., Johnny Mac, Lyle McCombs) and on his staff (e.g., DeLeone) rather than being more “results driven”
Kevin Ollie is a good example of someone who doesn’t play favorites, is results focused, is a great recruiter and representative of UConn and inspires his team to overachieve. For what it’s worth, that’s what I’d like to see on the football side
I should also add that Coach Ollie appears to be very good at developing talent and making game day decisions… we are fortunate to have him as a coach
Mike with all due respect lets not compare what two head coaches are doing? It’s not a good example and I mean no disrespect by saying that. Look at it closer and you’ll see what I mean.
Now I think Johnny was the best optio the team had to move the ball down the field two years ago. Who else was there to throw the ball all over the field? Last year he subbed for Chandler. Again, was Johnny not the best answer since he had played in hotly contested conference games and won? Wanna bring Casey Cochran in over him? Lyle McCombs, freshman All-America. Why do we not play him again? Because he’s struggling. All RBs struggle and as you see he wound up breaking out a little toward the end. Is it playing favorites or playing what’who’s done it for you?
I can see it now…Cochran the starting QB next year. It will be a step backwards as he will struggle as a first year starter. Just my opinion.
Dez you are correct about Johnny Mac. When the other kid “smoked” his way out of UConn, who else was there to play QB? Mac gave his best. Other kid is there, it probably would have been a 7-5 season.
I do think Cochran as QB in a spread offense is exactly what we should see. If he’s the athlete we’ve been told he is, then it should work. McCummings could probably handle that type of offense too. Was surprised they didn’t at least try some w/ Whitmer. I have nothing to base this on, but have to believe Nebrich left because he wasn’t a pro offense QB.
Now lets go get a DC who brings it like we’ve had the past two seasons and we’ll going the right direction. A few unexpected wins next season and then we’ll see perceptions about UConn FB change.
any new OC is going to demand, at least in private, that its his show. the AHC thing is just a title to soften the blow. who wouldn’t do that for a friend? doesn’t mean a thing.
Well Casey’s been a Pro Style QB. It’s one of the reasons he decided to come here but there’s no reason to believe UConn can run that and the spread. Creativity key and of course a hard-working McCummings over the summer could be key.
I believe it’s more loyalty (blind or not) than it is “playing favorites”. There is something to be said for loyalty in sports and in life. Whether it produces results is up for debate. But, in my opinion, it speaks to Coach P as a person, just as loyalty does the same here in the corporate world.
Man V. Food!! Hey Pete!
Hi Mr. Conner. Thanks for keeping me upbeat about the little Huskies down here in B12/SEC country. Happy New Year to you, Sir.
Happy New Year my friend
Hi TXPete, maybe “blind loyalty” is a better way to phrase it…but the ability to adjust to changing situations is a critical skill. Sometimes sticking with someone not performing is OK for a short period of time in hopes that an acceptable level of performance returns, but a coach/leader needs to know when to make changes. Pasqualoni seems a bit behind the curve in this area.
I’m certainly not attempting to defend him as a coach, but instead putting out a possible explanation for his act of (blind?) loyalty. Not just in sports but in life, sometimes loyalty can bite you in the rear, but I still see it as a strong character trait. I would be Coach P’s buddy (more likely so if I were 30 years older).
The hiring will be a victory if we just don’t run on every first down. That in itself would make me very happy!
At other schools coaches who don’t perform get fired. At UConn they get promoted! This doesn’t make sense to me.
Let’s hope the offense opens up a little bit. The question that should be asked is; How good is he at recruiting?
This might be a coup for us if we can weaken a bearcat team whose coach is messing up with coaches in Ohio high schools and weakening their offense. Let him coach Deleone… No micro managing
TAKE THE HINT GEORGE.
Whats up with AHC is this not Hank’s position? Can we have two? Is Hank going to be the new DC?
Dig deep Dez a lot unanswered here…See you Feb 6 ???
GO DOGS !!!!!!!!!
Amazing! The God Father survives! Let’s see if the changes make a difference next year. I hope it isn’t a rerun of the cuse past days. Hope we can get a OC and DC under these conditions.
ya agree 100%, what did Mike Foley do to get in the doghouse at Uconn? whats he coming back as the TE’s coach again? Man he gets stepped on here I dont understand it.
Lets hope UCONN BLUE
Yes Chris … Hopefully he has the autonomy..rather than Delone’s play book and that’s it..
Couple things……unless Foley has one foot out the door, it’s baffling to me why he’s not the OL coach today. Just baffling.
Secondly, this eerily similar to what happened in Syracuse circa 2004. Lets hope that all parties learned some valuable lessons there and things are handled differently in 2013.
Lastly, will be interested to see how much autonomy Weist will be given. Will he truly get to implement his own offensive philosophy? Interesting note here is that the job posting seemed to be specifically designed for Weist. And it included a reference to a no huddle offensive approach.
Interesting times ahead.
Can u post the URL for that job posting Chris?
How does GDL get a promotion! This is horrible news. The biggest problem besides the play-calling was the o-line. Now assistant head coach, and o-line coach. You really want me to think the GDL won’t have input in the game plans and play calls. Bring back Foley for o-line and Hughes the AHC! Get GDL out of here….
I feel that with someone else calling the shots, DeLeone can focus on fixing the line. Both jobs were to much for one person. Glad to see the change and look forward to seeing what Weist can do to our offense.
GREAT DAY IN HUSKY LAND, MAYBE!!Lets hope this in fact an accurate reporting. My fingers are crossed.
Yep, lets hope so
Moving forward…lets go team!!!
LOL………..
T.J. Weist’s offense at Western Kentucky looked pretty impressive numbers wise. 30 pts a game and somewhere around 400 yards of offense per game. lets hope he brings that with him to Uconn
Similar numbers at Cincinnati although he was not the OC there.
Happy they found a graceful way to do this. Let’s move on now.
Can’t wait for the DC announcement.