UConn Football

Just over two weeks before he was set to sign his letter of intent to play football at UConn, linebacker Ryan Dickens had his scholarship offer pulled by the school Sunday. 

According to Matthew Stanmyre of NJ.com, Dickens verbally agreed to play for the Huskies seven months ago when Bob Diaco was head coach, but Diaco has since been fired, and new head coach Randy Edsall reneged on the offer.

Due to the last-minute nature of UConn's decision, Dickens has been left scrambling to find another school willing to offer him a scholarship.

Raritan High School coach Anthony Petruzzi has been working the phones in an effort to secure a landing spot for his player, but he admitted the situation has taken a toll on Dickens, per Stanmyre:

The kid's world went into disarray. We're just trying to pick up the ashes right now and find the best way to move forward. ...

Ryan stuck by [UConn] through their turmoil and their regime change, and now in a crucial moment they've decided to let him go. He's having a hard time right now realizing that the last seven months of preparation is not going to see itself out. He's devastated. But he's a tough kid. He got knocked down today but he's going to get up tomorrow and realize his dream.

According to 247Sports, Dickens is a 2-star recruit who ranks as the No. 2,601 overall player, No. 173 outside linebacker and No. 53 player from the state of New Jersey in his class.

Prior to the call from Edsall, Pettruzzi revealed Dickens turned down an inquiry from Monmouth, staying firm in his commitment to the Huskies. After having his scholarship offer withdrawn, Dickens went back to Monmouth, only to find out the spot was offered to another player.

However, Stanmyre revealed Rhode Island offered Dickens a scholarship early Tuesday morning and that the player will "weigh his options" ahead of signing day on Feb. 1

    

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The University of Connecticut football program announced Saturday morning Billy Crocker was hired to become the Huskies' new defensive coordinator. He filled the same role at Villanova for the past five seasons. 

UConn Football confirmed the staff addition on its official Twitter feed. Aman Kidwai of Storrs Central passed along the contract information and a statement from head coach Randy Edsall:

New #UConn DC Billy Crocker has agreed to a 3-year contract at $300k per year. Statement from Randy Edsall below pic.twitter.com/9oOzrjJu10

— Aman (@AmanfromCT) January 14, 2017

Crocker is coming off a banner year guiding the Villanova defense. The Wildcats led the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in both total defense (259.8 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (15.0 points allowed per game) en route to a 9-4 record and a playoff appearance.

The former United States Coast Guard Academy defensive back and baseball player spent a total of 12 years at Villanova in various defensive capacities. He also spent two seasons on the Albany staff, where he worked with the running backs.

In a 2015 interview with Mike DiMauro of The Day, Crocker credited Coast Guard coaches Chuck Mills and Bob Estock for putting him on the path to success:

They're the ones who showed me this could be a career. It always struck me how serious they were. They opened my eyes to the profession. This isn't some side job. I mean, I had no intention of going to Coast Guard. But the people around me saw the bigger picture of a great opportunity at a great academic place.

His experience recruiting in the Northeast will be another key benefit for UConn. His official Villanova bio noted he specialized in the areas of Central and Southern New Jersey for the Wildcats. That's also prime real estate for the Huskies.

All told, Crocker represents a high-upside hire for Connecticut. While being the team's defensive coordinator is the most marquee coaching role he's held to date, his success at Villanova proved he was ready to make the jump to an FBS program.

He'll be tasked with helping bolster a Huskies group that ranked 65th in both total defense and scoring defense during the 2016 campaign. UConn also finished 110th out of 128 FBS teams in sacks per game.

                                             

Randy Edsall has been busy filling out his coaching staff ever since he took over as the head coach of the Connecticut Huskies, and he made a big addition Wednesday, when the school named former Auburn Tigers offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee to the same post, according to the program's official Twitter account.

ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy reported UConn signed Lashlee to a three-year deal worth $350,000 annually.

Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn released a statement wishing Lashlee the best once the news was official, per SEC Country's Justin Ferguson:

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn's statement on protege Rhett Lashlee leaving for the same job at UConn: pic.twitter.com/Uq7L7WOJQA

— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) January 12, 2017

Lashlee's move from an SEC power to an American Athletic Conference also-ran is fascinating on the surface, but CBS Sports' Jon Solomon noted several high-profile coordinators have bolted for less glamorous schools in recent weeks:

Not something you see often: The offensive coordinators at Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee left for jobs at FAU, UConn and Indiana.

— Jon Solomon (@JonSolomon35) January 12, 2017

For the Huskies, hiring Lashlee should be a huge boost for a program that hasn't secured a winning season since 2010, as Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman noted:

Getting #Auburn's Rhett Lashlee is a terrific hire for #UConn & Edsall.. should provide a much-needed spark up there.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 12, 2017

In 2016, UConn scored 178 points total and finished the 3-9 campaign ranked dead last out of 128 FBS schools with 14.8 points per game.

By comparison, Auburn generated a 49th-ranked 31.2 points per contest thanks, in large part, to a ground game that compiled an average of 271.3 rushing yards.

Lashlee will have his hands full, considering the Huskies aren't working with the same kind of foundational talent as Auburn, but his SEC pedigree should serve the program well as it begins to write a new chapter following years of futility.

Randy Edsall, who coached the UConn football team from 1999 to 2010, has agreed to return to the school as head coach, according to Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com and Mike Anthony of the Hartford Courant. 

Edsall left UConn to coach the Maryland Terrapins, where he went 22-34 before being fired midway through his fifth season. The Huskies, meanwhile, fired former head coach Bob Diaco Monday after he went 11-26 in three seasons.

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports understood the hire:

Interesting move by #UConn hiring back Randy Edsall .. he did lead them to a Fiesta Bowl & will bring some stability after the Diaco Era.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 28, 2016

Dana O'Neil of ESPN.com saw a deeper issue that Edsall's hire represented, however:

Randy Edsall left UConn without telling his players. Now he's hired back at UConn. And we want to castigate players for loyalty issues?

— Dana O'Neil (@DanaONeilWriter) December 28, 2016

Indeed, Edsall's tenure at UConn wasn't without controversy. While he led the program to the FBS level, winning the Big East twice and leading the Huskies to five bowl games—including the Fiesta Bowl—he was criticized for his failure to address his players personally after taking the Maryland job.

Overall, he went 74-70 during his UConn tenure. And now he'll have a second chance with the Huskies and the opportunity to return the program to prominence after six straight seasons without a winning record. 

     

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A little more than one month after he made a name for himself at the NFL Scouting Combine with a record-breaking 12’3” broad jump, Connecticut cornerback Byron Jones continued his leap up draft boards Tuesday at UConn’s pro day, where he worked out in front of 29 NFL teams.

Jones did not participate in the jumps or shuttle drills on Tuesday; he had no reason to, as his marks in the broad jump, vertical jump, 20-yard shuttle, 60-yard shuttle and three-cone drill each ranked him within the top three cornerbacks in each test at the combine, according to NFL.com’s combine tracker.

He did, however, complete his athletic profile by participating in the 40-yard dash and bench press at the pro day. His results continued to impress: His 40 time of 4.44 seconds (unofficial hand time) would have tied him for third among cornerbacks at the combine, while his 18 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press would have tied him for sixth.

40-Yd Dash	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	20-Yd Shuttle	60-Yd Shuttle
4.44 sec*	18 reps*	44.5"	12'3"	6.78 sec	3.94 sec	10.98 sec

Jones, who measured in at 6’1” and 199 pounds at the combine, might very well have the best combination of size and athleticism of any cornerback in this year’s draft.

In addition to sprinting and lifting, Jones also went through a 15-minute positional workout, a drill that was led by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive backs coach DeWayne Walker and Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.

Jones caught the ball cleanly in his hands and looked smooth in his transitions, putting a strong exclamation point on a workout session that furthered his draft stock’s positive momentum.

“Overall, good day,” Jones said while meeting with the media after the workout. “I felt like I ran fast, I felt confident.”

In spite of that, Jones acknowledged that he had some issues picking up the new coverage techniques that Zimmer was teaching him on the spot.

“He was trying to change my backpedal and be more relaxed in the upper body; instead of getting down too low, stay up a little more,” Jones said of the coaching from Zimmer. “It’s stuff that I need to work on if I’m going to be on his team, and I have no problem working on those techniques.”

Rapidly Rising Draft Stock

Since the combine, there might not be any player whose stock for the 2015 NFL draft has risen more—at least in the eyes of the media and general public—than Jones.

Rewind back to the middle of February, and one would be hard-pressed to find any examples of draft analysts hyping up Jones as an early-round draft pick. Since his eye-opening showcase in Indianapolis, Jones’ hype train has quickly filled up with passengers, as a steadily increasing number of prognosticators have begun projecting Jones to be a first-round pick.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller is among those who has acknowledged that Jones’ workout numbers have led to a shift in his perception of the player.

Byron Jones an example of a guy who was hurt, which created late start on eval and then dominated workouts @zazillin

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 31, 2015

As Miller noted, Jones suffered a shoulder injury midway through his senior season, which forced him to miss UConn’s final five games and also kept him out of the Senior Bowl. Had Jones stayed healthy, he likely would have garnered more attention prior to the combine.

Quite frankly, though, none of that matters now. Being overlooked by the media in the fall and early winter won’t change the fact that Jones is well on his way to being one of the first defensive backs off the board this April.

ESPN’s Louis Riddick and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah are among those who have noted repeatedly that Jones’ athleticism, and the skill set of a player who deserves to be an early-round pick, has been on tape all along.

B. Jones not just an athlete. Watch him "play" the CB position. Snap to finish. All disciplines & techniques. He is a good football player.

— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) March 31, 2015

Here's my report on UConn CB Byron Jones: pic.twitter.com/kcbeAJyjOb

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 23, 2015

Jones’ health might have been billed as a concern a couple months ago, but his performance in the bench press Tuesday proved that his shoulder injury is no longer an issue.

“I have full mobility, full strength,” Jones said of his shoulder Tuesday. “I wanted to come here and bench and show people that I am healthy…I was surprised with 18 [repetitions on the bench press], I was expecting about 14, maybe 15.”

Whether Jones’ draft stock is truly rising because of his measurables, or the majority of media draft analysts are simply late to come around to him, is unknown. Either way, it is clear that he now has the NFL’s attention.

On a date that was headlined by Jameis Winston and Florida State’s pro day, Zimmer was not the only NFL decision-maker to spend the morning in Storrs, Conn., instead. Also in attendance was the Philadelphia Eagles’ contingent of head coach Chip Kelly, vice president of player personnel Ed Marynowitz, defensive coordinator Bill Davis and senior advisor Tom Donahoe.

Chip Kelly talking with Byron Jones. pic.twitter.com/3uNBEvqf8F

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) March 31, 2015

Jones, who said he has a number of private workouts and official visits scheduled but did not specify with which teams, acknowledged that he has gotten more attention from teams and media alike since the combine but is trying to filter out the talk of his rising draft stock.

“I’m just trying to focus on what I can control at this point, and that’s just preparing hard and doing well at pro day and killing these meetings,” Jones said.

 

Beyond the Numbers: Why Jones Will Be an Early-Round Pick

Given that traits and potential tend to trump production in draft evaluations, it’s probably true that Jones would be an early-round pick even if his play on the field had not been particularly impressive. That said, he had more than enough impressive play on the field to support the notion that he can be a great football player, and not just a workout warrior.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jones allowed the second-lowest passer rating among all cornerbacks in the Football Bowl Subdivision this past season. That number should be taken with a grain of salt, because he played only seven games and did not face much premier receiving talent in those contests, but it nonetheless supports the fact that Jones is a consistent cover corner who does not typically allow big plays.

Geremy Davis, who played wide receiver at Connecticut and is also a prospect for the 2015 draft, said Tuesday that going up against Jones—who was also his roommate—was a consistently tough matchup in practice.

“We always went against each other,” Davis said of practicing against Jones. “He’s going to give you his best every time. We would always keep score when we did one-on-ones, so that just shows his competitive nature. He hates losing, and so do I, so we always went back and forth.”

Over the course of his four-year career, Jones put his ball skills on display by recording eight interceptions and 18 additional pass breakups. As noted in the aforementioned tweet by Jeremiah, one of his most impressive plays on the ball came on a deep, high-pointing interception against Michigan in 2013.

Another reason teams could be intrigued by Jones, in comparison to many of the other defensive backs in this year’s draft class, is his versatility to play both cornerback and safety, as noted Tuesday by NEPatriotsDraft.com’s Mike Loyko.

https://twitter.com/NEPD_Loyko/status/582937762195746816

While Jones said NFL teams are mainly evaluating him as a cornerback, he is willing to change positions if asked to do so.

“I don’t mind if they move me to safety, I’d actually enjoy that,” Jones said. “At the end of the day, you’re a defensive back, whether you’re a corner or a safety.”

It is evident in Jones’ game film that he is more comfortable in press coverage than off-man coverage at this point. Jones acknowledged Tuesday that he needs to improve in off-man coverage but also expressed that he expects to get better in that area with experience.

“Off-man coverage, for me, is something I need to work on, reading the three-step drop and the five-step drop,” Jones said. “As I work on the off-man, I’m going to be comfortable in that as well.”

Realistically, Jones is going to be known best for his leaping ability until he proves he can play football at the professional level. But Jones made it clear Tuesday that he wants to be known for what he can do on the gridiron.

“I’m a football player, not a track guy,” Jones said. “My main goal is not to be a world-record breaker or the fastest 40-yard sprinter, my main goal is to be a great NFL player.”

 

Natural Athleticism + Hard Work = Great Results

It’s evident, from what he has done this predraft season, that Jones is a special physical specimen. The vast majority of people, no matter how hard they might train, will never come close to jumping more than 12 feet from a standstill or running a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash.

“I always say there’s human beings, and then there’s Byron Jones,” defensive lineman and fellow 2015 draft prospect B.J. McBryde said. “He’s in a separate category. The dude is just unreal.”

Davis also testified that the athleticism Jones has shown in predraft workouts was always evident during their time together at UConn.

“He’s always been that explosive,” Davis said of Jones. “He just has freak flexibility, and we always joke and say he has three pairs of lungs—he never gets tired.”

Even so, achieving those marks might not have been possible for Jones if he didn’t properly train himself to maximize his physical capabilities.

Matt Balis, the strength-and-conditioning coordinator for UConn, said Jones’ combination of natural gifts and work ethic is what has enabled him to perform well in predraft testing.

“He’s one of those guys that just does it above and beyond, whatever it takes,” Balis said. “There’s guys out that are just as explosive that may never reach these levels that he has, because of his work ethic, his heart and who he is inside, that’s what taken him to the highest level.”

Those qualities, and Jones’ clean off-field record, are reasons beyond his demonstrated football skills and athleticism that he could appeal to NFL teams as a potential draft pick.

All quotes and measurables were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Pro day 40-yard-dash times are unofficial; the times listed here were as hand timed by the writer on site.

Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

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The Huskies appear to be taking pages from the Rob Gronkowski playbook. 

The UConn football program recently announced its plans to host a football clinic for women this June, featuring on-field drills and cocktails.

Nick Schwartz of For The Win spotted details of the one-day event, which will run attendees $40 for an evening of football fundamentals taught by members of the Huskies staff at the team’s training facility in Storrs. Participants must be 21 years or older, a rule made necessary by the "social hour" segment of the clinic where participants can hang out by a cash bar. 

The team is making it clear that this event isn’t meant to imply women lack a knowledge of the sport. Huskies spokesman Mike Enright told The Associated Press the event is something fans of all levels of knowledge can learn from. He said:

It’s just meant to be a fun-filled thing. We understand that many of these women may know more about the game than a lot of men. This is something that fans from those with virtually no knowledge of the game to a very intricate knowledge of the game can get something from.

If this event sounds familiar, it’s probably because UConn’s clinic mirrors one that was put on by Rob Gronkowski in 2013. 

The New England tight end hosted around 120 women for unlimited drinks and a football-tinged seminar in November in what appeared to be a ridiculously good time for all involved. 

The bar is set high, UConn. Huskies head coach Bob Diaco will have to break out some slam dancing if he hopes to put on a better event.

After all, it’s not football without martinis and break dancing. That’s first-day stuff. 

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Just two days after receiving a verbal commitment from 3-star linebacker and ex-Ball State commit Vontae Diggs, it appears that UConn head coach Bob Diaco and company have reeled in another one.

According to 247Sports.com college football recruiting analyst Ryan Bartow, the Huskies received a commitment on Sunday from St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) 3-star offensive lineman Ryan Crozier, the fourth 3-star player to join UConn's 2014 recruiting class ahead of National Signing Day.

Crozier, a 6-foot-4, 293-pound guard who is rated the No. 87 overall player at his position in the country by 247Sports.com, made his official visit to UConn on Jan. 31. He had offers from four other schools, with the most notable of the four coming from UConn's American Athletic Conference rival Houston.

With his commitment, Crozier becomes the second St. Thomas Aquinas offensive lineman to join UConn in as many years, with fellow guard and former teammate Kyle Schafenacker signing with the Huskies last year. Per the Sun-Sentinel, Schafenacker hosted Crozier on his official visit to Storrs, Conn. last weekend.

Apart from landing another 3-star player, it is a good sign for UConn fans that the team is trying to make a name for itself in Florida, a key battleground state in the world of recruiting.

It is also encouraging that Diaco is continuing to develop the program's relationship with St. Thomas Aquinas, a perennial powerhouse that has produced a huge amount of both college and NFL talent, with alumni including Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin.

According to ESPN, UConn's 2014 recruiting class now stands at 15 players.

UConn football head coach Bob Diaco landed another three-star recruit today, receiving a verbal commitment from Downers Grove North (Ill.) linebacker/defensive end Vontae Diggs, who went public with his decision yesterday via Twitter.

Diggs, who according to Rivals.com also had offers from Ball State, Toledo and Western Michigan, joins Ansonia (Conn.) running back, fellow three-star recruit and newly-minted Parade All-American Arkeel Newsome and New Jersey wide receiver/defensive back Jamar Summers atop the Huskies' 2014 recruiting class, the first of the Diaco era.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound linebacker made his official visit to Storrs on Jan. 24, 2014 after de-committing from two schools, Ball State and Toledo, over the course of his recruitment.

Diggs is currently rated the No. 36 overall recruit in Illinois and No. 80 outside linebacker overall by 247Sports.com.

Despite being glaringly undersized at just 200 pounds, Diggs looks to be a player with intriguing versatility, capable of lining up at multiple front-seven positions. He could be slated to play either outside or inside linebacker if Diaco elects to implement a Notre Dame-style defensive scheme at UConn, given his frame and skill set.

One possible factor that could have played a role in Diggs' decision is UConn's recent history of developing linebackers and sending them to the NFL, with former Husky Sio Moore being drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft and redshirt junior Yawin Smallwood likely headed for a second-day selection in the 2014 draft.

Diggs' history of de-committing is something to keep an eye on, but with National Signing Day rapidly approaching, Diaco and the UConn staff should more than likely be able to add him to the class, which now stands at 15 players.

As a majority of top-tier FBS programs go barreling toward the meat of their schedule, it's increasingly rare for a Top 25 team to get a layup victory. But as No. 20 Louisville prepares for its Friday night clash against Connecticut, it's hard to see this contest being anything less than a gimme.

The Huskies, formerly a burgeoning program under Randy Edsall, have fallen into possibly the greatest abyss in their program's history. They have lost each of their first seven games, scoring no greater than 21 points in any contest and losing all but two by double digits. Paul Pasqualoni, who took over for Edsall, was dispatched after the fourth loss, and things haven't been much better since.

Connecticut has lost a combined 103-33 in its past two games, and things don't seem likely to get better against the Cardinals.

Though prone to frustrating inconsistencies, Louisville is still competing to be the class of the American Athletic Conference. Teddy Bridgewater's Heisman hopes have been thrashed, but the Cardinals still have a shot at making a BCS bowl if they win out and get help from the other teams within the AAC. Bridgewater and Co. recovered from their loss to UCF two weeks ago with a 34-3 win at South Florida and seemed back to running on all cylinders.

But remember: Most thought the same thing a season ago. It was then that Louisville's inconsistencies reared their ugly heads, with UConn pulling off a triple-overtime upset to end what little chance the Cardinals had of making the national title game.

With that in mind, let's check in just prior to the game with a preview of Friday night's action. 

Game Information

When: Friday, Nov. 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: Rentschler Field in Hartford, Conn.

Watch: ESPN2

Spread: Louisville -27.5 (Vegas Insider) 

Game Preview

All things considered, no first-unit player should see action after the third quarter for Louisville. The talent chasm between these two teams is massive, Connecticut is undergoing incredible upheaval in its locker room and the Cardinals still have long-term goals for this season.

Plus, Bridgewater is kinda-sorta good. Pegged seemingly for the past two years as the guaranteed No. 1 overall pick in next May's NFL draft, Bridgewater's season-long excellence has strangely gotten swept under the rug of late. He's no longer mentioned with the Marcus Mariotas, the Jameis Winstons or the Johnny Manziels.

Hell, he can't even touch Connor Shaw. According to ESPN's Heisman tracker, Bridgewater wouldn't even receive a vote if the ballots were due prior to this week's games. Now, keep in mind, Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald received a fifth-place vote.

OK then. 

Bridgewater has been pushed to the back of the national lexicon despite having thrown just two interceptions against 26 touchdowns heading into Friday. He's completing nearly 74 percent of his passes, sits third behind Bryce Petty and Winston in quarterback rating and has essentially propped up an otherwise shrug-worthy team.

Bridgewater may be able to return to the background of the Heisman fray come Week 12. The Huskies are a quietly solid pass defense, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete just 56.2 percent of their passes and throw for just over 200 yards per game. When shuffling through the $5 bin of winless teams, you're not going to find a better pass defense than that. Should Bridgewater torch Connecticut like he has most other teams this season? Those who have been paying attention should give him a bump.

If not, the Cardinals' running game will take care of business. For as solid as UConn has been against the pass, it's been equally dreadful stopping the run. Opposing teams are averaging 172.1 yards per game and have found consistent success grinding out attempts on the inside. Dominique Brown and Senorise Perry are quietly one of the more effective running back tandems in the league, and Louisville has three regular fixtures who average nearly five yards per carry when Michael Dyer is added to the mix.

On the other side of the ball, the contest again looks like a perfect storm in Louisville's favor. The Huskies are averaging under 300 yards per game, ranking second-worst in both yardage and scoring offense. They will have a difficult time changing that streak against the Cardinals, who rank second in the nation in scoring offense.

Louisville has allowed 13 points or fewer in seven of its eight games this season, with the only exception being its 38-35 loss to UCF. The Cardinals returned to their stellar ways by allowing only three points to South Florida the following week and should be motivated to keep that streak going.

Prediction

In case you all haven't figured it out by now, Louisville will and should win this game handily. Bridgewater may well end up with his best game of the season here. The Cardinals receive the check mark in every category. They're superior on offense, defense, special teams and certainly in the coaches' box.

Right now, Connecticut quarterbacks have thrown six touchdowns against 12 interceptions. The Huskies are averaging 2.4 yards per carry. Continue on down the depth chart and it becomes readily apparent that finishing this season without a win is a possibility for this squad.

Louisville, meanwhile, needs all the help it can get. The Cardinals' strength of schedule won't get them into an at-large BCS conversation, so they merely need to win out and hope for the best. If you are a fan of either team, I'd look to have plans around 10 p.m. ET.

Score: Louisville 49, Connecticut 3

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College football programs are wasting no time firing coaches who don't produce in a timely manner. The latest coach to be shown the door is Connecticut's Paul Pasqualoni, who has been fired immediately, sources confirmed to the The Hartford Courant Monday.

Desmond Conner of The Hartford Courant broke the news via Twitter:

Another source said that associate head coach and an offensive line coach George DeLeone has also been fired, according to the report.

UConn President Susan Herbst commented on the decision, per John F. Silver of Snyuconn.com:

A decision has been made and it’s now time to move on to a stronger future that starts today. What cannot be lost here is how incredibly proud we are of our student-athletes. They are outstanding young men in the midst of a very tough season. Being a Division I athlete and a student is an enormous challenge, and we know how hard they are working and how deeply they care about succeeding for their university.

What this team needs now as much as anything is the support of Husky fans everywhere. As we saw at our last home game, the amazing energy and highly-charged spirit of our fans breathes life into this team and that must continue and be repeated again and again. There is no substitute. Support from fans lifts players up and keeps a team going. It is essential to competing and achieving the levels of excellence we demand at UConn.

The Huskies have promoted an interim coach, according to the official UConn Twitter page:

Weist in his first season as offensive coordinator for Connecticut. Before taking over the position, he spent 16 years coaching in the NFL and was the wide receivers coach at Cincinnati in 2012.

Pasqualoni was in his third season with the program, and this year is by far his worst. After winning five games in back-to-back seasons, the Huskies are sitting with an ugly 0-4 record that includes a recent 41-12 beatdown to Buffalo and a 32-21 loss to Maryland. The school also lost to FCS Towson 33-18 in the season opener.

The highlight of the season was a moral victory when the Huskies nearly upset Michigan in a close 24-21 loss.

Boy, former Connecticut coach Randy Edsall sure did set the bar high before he left, huh? A school more known for its basketball success now expects to compete in the AAC in football. Can't blame them after qualifying for the Fiesta Bowl in 2010 and seeing more and more players selected in the NFL draft.

Last season, there were four Connecticut players drafted, including linebacker Sio Moore, who was selected in the third round by the Oakland Raiders.

With the talent in place and a mediocre schedule, there's no reason the Huskies should be losing to a Division I-AA school.

Pasqualoni has been around the block in his coaching career. He won four Big East titles with Syracuse, was an assistant coach for many years in the NFL and has gone 6-3 in bowl games.

Now, the 64-year-old coach will be taking his talents elsewhere.

As for the Connecticut community, it appears to be quite happy with the firing. Former linebacker Jory Johnson and The Daily Campus' Tim Fontenault provided interesting tweets (h/t College Spun):

This obviously isn't your everyday coaching change.