Report: Randy Edsall emerging as candidate for UConn job

Former UConn Huskies and Maryland Terrapins head football coach Randy Edsall is emerging as a serious candidate for the UConn head coaching vacancy.

A week ago, didn’t the college football head coaching carousel run its course in 2016? Apparently not, as the UConn Huskies fired their head coach of the last three years in Bob Diaco. Diaco went a miserable 11-26 (6-18) in three years on the job in Storrs.

According to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy, former UConn and Maryland Terrapins head coach Randy Edsall is a “very serious candidate” to replace Diaco as the next head coach of UConn football.

Well, Edsall better be, as UConn fired its head coach way late in the coaching carousel despite finishing under .500 for the third straight time under Diaco. Edsall currently works in the Detroit Lions front office in the NFL, but is best known from his time coaching UConn (1999-2010) and at Maryland (2011-15).

Before leaving Storrs for College Park at the end of the 2010 season, Edsall actually had a winning record at UConn (74-70). Success did not follow Edsall to Maryland, as the Terrapins went 22-34 (10-24) in his five seasons in College Park.

To fire Diaco this late. in the coaching cycle has to mean that UConn knows exactly who the university wants to replace their former head coach. Edsall has won in Storrs and can do so again in the American Athletic Conference.

He was fired midway through the 2015 NCAA season, going 2-4 before being relieved. Twice at UConn did Edsall win the Big East Conference Championship (2007, 2010). The Huskies went to five bowl games as a part of the Big East when Edsall was the head coach.

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Reaching into one’s past usually isn’t a good thing, but UConn football has been terrible since Edsall left. He’s too good to not be coaching in a Division I school somewhere. Don’t be surprised if he gets a second go-around with this UConn football program.