Connecticut moves forward with an Edsall

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, January 18, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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Now that he's built the University of Connecticut football program up from nothing, Randy Edsall has decided he wants to stick around.

According to ESPN, Edsall has agreed to a five-year contract extension that will earn him an average of $1.5 million a season. He was making $900,000.

Edsall, a former defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, interviewed for the head job there in December, but then withdrew his name.

"There is still quite a bit of work to be done," he said at the time, "and I want to continue to do that."

Edsall directed the Huskies to a 5-5 record in their first Division I season in 2002. Two years later, his team topped the Big East in both offense and defense en route to an 8-4 record and a 39-10 rout of Toledo in the Motor City Bowl.

That team suffered heavy graduation losses, however, and Connecticut went 5-6 in 2005 and 4-8 in 2006 -- two reasons why the Huskies were picked seventh in the Big East prior to this past season. Instead, they went 9-4 (7-0 at home) and shared the conference title with West Virginia.

Edsall has a Big East pedigree, having played quarterback at Syracuse University and coached under Tom Coughlin (another ex-Orangeman) in several places, including the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Next season's UConn team will return QB Tyler Lorenzon, top rushers Andre Dixon and Donald Brown (both sophomores) and five of six offensive line starters, as well as three of the top four receivers. The top two tacklers, Lawrence Wilson and Scott Lutrus, were freshmen in 2007, and the defense returns eight starters.

Edsall was reportedly interested in the Syracuse job if Greg Robinson had been fired, but the Orange decided to give G-Rob one last chance.
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