The search will soon be underway for the open coaching vacancy in Storrs, Conn. left by former UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni. The school can interview all the candidates that might be available, however, one coach that the Huskies must consider is Ball State Cardinals head coach Pete Lembo.
Lembo is coming off a very impressive season in which he directed the Cardinals to a 10-2 record. In three years at Ball State, Lembo has compiled a 17-7 overall record as his teams got better each season under his direction. Ball State played disciplined and inspired football under their head coach.
The Cardinals were one of the most potent offensive attacks in the nation. The Cardinals had the ninth best passing attack in the country averaging 333.3 yards per game and were ranked 13th overall in scoring offense (40.1 points per game) and Lembo was the main reason for the Cardinals’ success.
While Lembo is being considered as a possible candidate for the vacant Wake Forest job, due to the resignation of former head coach Jim Grobe, the Huskies would make a better fit. Lembo is from New York, and attended Monsignor Farrell high school in Staten Island, NY. Lembo would be able to recruit the tri-state area for the Huskies and bring in the talent that Pasqualoni failed to accomplish.
UConn made a poor decision in the hiring of Pasqualoni due to the fact that he did not have success recruiting the top talent within the tri-state area. UConn was 3-9 this season and was ranked 108th in the nation in scoring offense averaging 20.8 points per game. Offensively, the Huskies struggled to move the football and would benefit greatly from Lembo’s offensive mind.
The Huskies have not been the same team since the departure of former head coach Randy Eadsell (Maryland) and need to make a solid decision in order to turn around their program. In my opinion, Pete Lembo makes the most sense to get UConn back on track in 2014.
Joseph Lisi is a writer for www.Rantsports.com, follow him on Twitter @GoForthe2, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.