In his first act as the head football coach at UConn, Randy Edsall guided the Huskies from I-AA afterthought to Big East contender. Edsall led Connecticut to a pair of Big East titles and made them a consistent bet for eight or nine-win seasons and a guaranteed bowl appearance year after year. Then he departed for the Maryland job, hoping for a bigger opportunity as the Big East collapsed.
Connecticut didn’t survive as a power-conference member after the dust settled, and Edsall lasted only 4.5 seasons with the Terrapins as the school transitioned from the ACC to the Big Ten. After a year working in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, Edsall returned to Connecticut to take back over the Huskies in 2017 after seven years away from town.
So far it hasn’t been nearly the blessing that the first stint was for Edsall. With four wins combined over his first two seasons back, Edsall must get UConn back to winning ways quickly if he hopes to retain a job and keep from tarnishing his legacy at a school where he made his reputation.
As a result, this year is critical for Edsall on both a personal and historical level. If Edsall doesn’t at least compete for bowl eligibility and show marked improvement from last year’s 1-11 campaign, no amount of nostalgia will be enough to save his job.