Whether or not you approve of Maryland opting for Randy Edsall as their new head coach over a certain litigious pirate is a matter for another blog. Instead, we’ll consider the manner in which Edsall told his University Of Connecticut charges he was getting the fuck out of Dodge Storrs, shortly after the team returned from their Sunday morning from their Fiesta Bowl defeat to Oklahoma. Calling his decision to bolt “a spur of the moment thing” (despite reports he’d been negotiating with the Terrapins last week), Edsall chose to address the team via conference call, with one disgruntled freshman forwarding the following recap to the Hartford Courant’s Desmond Conner :
“We were on hold for a half-hour, with the operations manager telling us Edsall would be coming on in a few minutes. When Edsall came on he was like, “I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry I can’t do this in person, but due to circumstances … I just want to let you know that it’s not because of you guys. But it’s an opportunity for my family. … I can move on feeling like I’ve accomplished things here and I’m leaving the program in a good way.”
“A couple of coaches said that was BS. … They didn’t know about it. He hadn’t told any of us.
“It really pisses me off because he made Jordan (Todman) address the team last night to say he was leaving. And he isn’t man enough to do it face to face to us?”
“A lot of people were just really upset by the call. He made Todman get up and tell the whole team: ‘Jordan, I think you have something to say to these guys.’ He made him do it face-to-face. But he didn’t do it face-to-face.”
“I’m going to look [at other schools], not Big East or anything. … When you bring in a new coach, the first three or four years [it’s all developing the program)]. But these are Edsall’s players, not the new guy’s. … Well, I’m going to get the — out of here. But what happens with the incoming recruiting class? Are those guys still coming?”