Hi, I'm Randy, I'm Here For My Audition

Randy Edsall is the #1 candidate for the Syracuse head coaching job.  Let's just all admit this now so we can move forward. For all the Lane Kiffin dreaming and talking ourselves into Turner Gill, it's clear that we want him and he probably want us.

Randy's adament public denial of interest in the position is irrelevant.  How else is he supposed to react when asked if he's considering jumping ship to his team's rival who they happen to be playing this weekend?

If the for-better-or-worse top criteria for Next Syracuse Head Coach are...

• Head coaching experience
• Northeastern ties
• Strong recruiting skills
• Syracuse ties

...then Edsall is the only candidate out there who possesses all of them.

He attended Syracuse, played for the football team, worked for the University as a coach, met his wife here, lived here for fifteen years...don't tell me that he's not at least interested in the head coaching job if it's available.  Bullfeathers!

Bud Poliquin breaks the situation down a little further today, getting into the gritty details of Edsall's contract situation and what's really going on behind-the-scenes:

Edsall did sign a contract extension after last year's 9-4 campaign that will take him through the 2012 season . . . he is sitting atop majestic facilities (the aforementioned Rentschler Field, the Burton Family Football Complex and the Mark R. Shenkman Training Center) that comprise one of the grandest football compounds in the nation . . . and he's part of the state's athletic holy trinity along with Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma.

My guess is that while he's highly-regarded for what he's done with the football program, he's still not even close to being on the same level as the aforementioned basketball coaches, both of whom own multiple National Titles.

But there have been whispers that Edsall (or his representatives) have advised Gross that he'd very much like to resurrect his alma mater and that SU might be willing to offer a contract for as many as eight years and for as much as $16 million to get him to try. Mix big money with deep loyalty to school and the intoxicating shot at glory and throw in some personal recruiting pitches apparently made by Brown and Floyd Little, their own selves and you've got . . .

Well, you've got intrigue, if nothing else.

That's more like it.

Then again, stranger things have happened.  Edsall does have a pretty good thing going over in Hartford.  He may not want to trade his sure thing for a rebuilding project. 

Brent Axe raised a very good point when I spoke with him earlier this week.  What if UConn loses?  Does that tarnish Edsall's rep as the next head coach?  Hmmm...probably not...unless he gets totally out-coached by Greg Robinson, which is extremely unlikely.  More likey is that Robinson and Edsall will prove together that the coach Syracuse fans deserve is working the wrong sideline.