Randy Edsall announced his retirement Sunday, effective end of the season. Turns out, the end of his season is today.
UConn announced Monday its coach's retirement timeline is now effective immediately. Defensive coordinator Lou Spanos will take over as interim head coach.
"Upon further reflection by both Randy and I, and after having the opportunity to visit with Randy today, we are both in agreement that it is in the best interest of our student-athletes to have a new voice leading UConn football," UConn athletic director David Benedict said in a statement.
The Huskies were off to the worst start of any team in FBS. They were blanked 45-0 in their Week 0 opener at Fresno State, then lost at home to FCS Holy Cross on Saturday, 38-28. Their national TV deal pays a reported $500,000 for the year, and the program does not have a bowl partner lined up.
Spanos was the star of this viral clip from Saturday's Holy Cross defeat.
Times are not good in Storrs. Before hiring Edsall's successor, UConn must first provide an answer as to football's place within the national hierarchy and within its own university.
After leading the program to Big East titles in 2007 and 2010 in his first go-round, Edsall's second UConn tenure ends at 6-32.
His first tenure was a legitimate success, guiding UConn from the Atlantic-10, to FBS independence, to the Big East. The Huskies reached a bowl in their first year in the league, the 2004 Motor City, and won at least a share of two Big East crowns. They played in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma; sure, they got drilled, but they still made it to Glendale.
Edsall left for Maryland in 2011 and he, Maryland and UConn were all worse off. He went 22-34 in five seasons, and never posted a winning record in the ACC or the Big Ten. UConn, meanwhile, went 21-44 under Paul Pasqualoni and Bob Diaco, and now ends the Edsall 2.0 era at 6-32.