Former UConn coach takes over for Terps
At a press conference introducing Randy Edsall as Maryland’s new football coach, athletic director Kevin Anderson mistakenly rose from a table but quickly returned to his seat next to Edsall.
“Coach, it’s you and me already,” Anderson quipped.
| The Randy Edsall file |
| 1999-2010 » Connecticut head coach |
| 1998 » Georgia Tech defensive coordinator |
| 1994-97 » Jacksonville Jaguars defensive backs coach |
| 1991-93 » Boston College defensive backs coach |
| 1980-90 » Syracuse assistant coach |
| College » Syracuse backup quarterback |
Truer words were never spoken.
For better or worse, Anderson and Edsall waded into an uncertain future Monday, their fortunes linked as they try to catapult Maryland football into a new era.
“What we’re looking for is to elevate from being the third-place team to competing for the ACC championship,” Anderson said. “If we accomplish that, we can position ourselves to be in the hunt for a national championship.”
It’s an ambitious goal for Edsall, who had a 74-70 record in 12 seasons at UConn, leading the Huskies to a BCS bowl game this year, their ninth in the FBS.
Edsall, 52, described Maryland as his “dream job.” He was raised a Terps fan in Glen Rock, Pa., just over the Mason-Dixon line.
“I look pretty good in red, don’t I?” Edsall asked as he pulled on a Maryland cap.
“This is what I grew up on,” he said. “It’s not every day when you can go, do something you like, 70 miles away from home, at an institution that I think has everything you need to be successful.”
As a kid, Edsall spent four years at former Maryland coach Lefty Driesell’s basketball camps. The first time he attended a college football game was Maryland’s 1971 opener against Villanova.
“It was a rainy day,” Edsall said. “I remember Larry Marshall picking up a punt that was laying on the ground and running it back for a touchdown.”
Since supposed front-runner Mike Leach was passed over in favor of Edsall, the Maryland administration has received heavy criticism. On Monday, Anderson went to great lengths to explain the decision, offering that Chancellor William “Brit” Kirwan was “not involved.”
“I won’t share much of what went on the search process,” Anderson. said. “But there was no one who came forward and said ‘I want to be head football coach at Maryland, and that’s my dream job’ but Randy Edsall.”
Edsall made a strong first impression Monday as an inspirational, no-nonsense communicator. He said when he met Maryland players on Sunday night, he was impressed but was compelled to instruct some to remove their hats and “do-rags” indoors.
“It’s an exciting day for me,” Edsall said. “I look forward to meeting as many of you people here and all the Maryland fans as we embark on this journey to greatness.”
