I would say that not all of the players on the 2011 team we're deserving of a D-I scholarship, but others just needed to hear a different voice. After a while they were clearly tuning Howard and the rest of the coaches out. It was apparent they weren't getting through to them anymore.

This is why coaches/managers get fired in the middle of the season in every sport. Sometimes the players just need to hear a different voice. Last year the LA Kings fired their head coach after 30 games because they got off to such a poor start. They brought in a new coach and he led them to their first ever Stanley Cup. They added a few new players but for the most part the core of the team was still the same.

Not every player on that 1 win team was terrible, some just didn't do well under the previous coaching regime, that's all

Jab979 said

I would say that not all of the players on the 2011 team we're deserving of a D-I scholarship, but others just needed to hear a different voice. After a while they were clearly tuning Howard and the rest of the coaches out. It was apparent they weren't getting through to them anymore.

This.

I think there is still a ton of talent on this squad. It's just a matter of getting it out of them.

Sometimes I wonder about what, say, an SEC DB coach tells his players versus what ours does. Do they just have a better way to connect with these guys? Because when SBC teams started filling their HC vacancies with SEC coaches, they not only rose to the top of the conference with seemingly the same guys but also upset notable teams.

For instance, Mark Hudspeth of ULL. Before taking the gig at Lafayette in 2011, he was a WR coach at Mississippi State. So this season ULL plays Florida and typically SBC teams lose by at least 30 in a game like that… instead he took it to the final few minutes and almost upset a Top 5, 11-1 Gator squad. In his second year as HC.

Burlingame ?

Seems we signed another juco from Dean. Lance Burlingame, a three star DT that had originally verbally committed to UConn. That's  two  we took from UConn. If this is true, we have really taken care of some needs in the juco recruiting. Nice job by the coaching staff.

Great find!

Rivals

@TheNotoriousLCB on twitter

6'4"

290 lbs

runs the 40 in 4.7 secs

Also had an offer from Purdue

Burlingame, the 2010 Standard-Times Defensive Player of the Year, spent the past season studying and playing football at Dean College in Franklin. In nine games last year, Burlingame recorded 35 tackles (10 for losses), four sacks and two fumble recoveries


Burlingame, the 2010-2011 Standard-Times Boys Athlete of the Year, also was impressive on the basketball court and track. As a senior, he helped the basketball team finish the regular season 16-3 and make it to the Div. 1 South Sectional semifinals, where the Whalers lost to Newton North, 67-44. On the track, Burlingame threw a career-best 53-9¾ to finish second in the shot put at the Div. 1 meet and placed fourth at the All-State meet with a throw of 53-5½, qualifying him for the New England championships.

Story

desmondconner Desmond Conner
#UConnFootball recruit Lance Burlingame could not get into #UConn based on his fall grades, sources tell me today
78 minutes agoReplyRetweetFavorite

Worried about grades on this one.

UConn beat writer Desmond Conner tweeted this…

"#UConnFootball recruit Lance Burlingame could not get into #UConn based on his fall grades, sources tell me today."

owlfamily said

desmondconner Desmond Conner
#UConnFootball recruit Lance Burlingame could not get into #UConn based on his fall grades, sources tell me today
78 minutes agoReplyRetweetFavorite

Worried about grades on this one.

Just saw that…

It could be an issue.