Mark Whipple to be Named UConn Head Coach

By Kyle Munzenrieder Wed., Jan. 12 2011 at 12:21 PM

So, you're an offensive coordinator who (indirectly at least) gets fired from his job for making his fair share of screw ups that lead the team to never getting into a BCS bowl, yet somehow you end up as a head coach at a school that just got into a BCS bowl this season. Yes, former Miami offensive coordinator Mark Whipple will take over at UConn. Huskies fans better get used to a season full of interceptions.

The AP reports that the University of Connecticut is in final negotiations to hand the keys over to Whipple. The Huskies have only been a Division I FBS team since 2002, but have put up surprising results. They won the Big East this season and headed to the Fiesta Bowl, though their 8-4 record and dismal performance in the bowl illustrates why the BCS system is far from perfect (no that fans of ACC teams need to be complaining too loudly about it).

Former coach Randy Edsall left for his, uh, "dream job" at Maryland leaving the Huskies coach-less.

Whipple left Coral Gables after two years with few fans. Many blame him for wasting the potential of Jacory Harris. His offensive schemes at times were brilliant, but too often were rankled by interceptions and other sloppy screw ups. He was unsurprisingly let go by new 'Canes coach Al Golden. Perhaps his performance at UConn will prove whether he deserves full blame for the 'Canes offensive woes.

This is Whipple's first time head coaching an FBS team, but he has plenty of (quite successful) experience coaching in the FCS division.

As for the 'Canes, they were supposed to name a new offensive coordinator yesterday, but didn't. An announcement is expected soon.

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Tags:

Al Golden, Mark Whipple, Miami Hurricanes, UConn

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W1979

Inane article. Are you trying to be clever or informative? You didn't achieve either. New Times should stick to writing about their core competence - - pimps, prostitutes and Miami politicians.

True Blue

It's the offense coordinators fault that the QB throws INT's? And they actually pay you to write about football?

UConn

I do not understand how you can blame interceptions on an offensive coordinator. Yes, he was calling the plays, but was he throwing the ball? Jacory Harris has the IQ of someone who should not be playing quarterback in the ACC (putting it nicely). To argue that Whipple caused the quarterback to throw it to the other team is a joke. The fact is Whipple has strong roots in the northeast and has been successful with every team he has lead as the head coach. You can argue that he was only the head coach at UMass and University of New Haven, however he completely turned around each of those programs. Even though UConn has been competing for BCS bids the last few years, Randy Edsall has been unable to lure one 4 star recruit to the university. Under Edsall, the best players in CT have left and gone to schools like Penn State, Florida and Florida State.