Randy Edsall to retire as UConn football coach after season

Randy Edsall has been unable to turn the UConn football program around in his second stint with the school, and this will be his last year of trying.

Edsall announced on Sunday that he will retire following the 2021 season.

“Back in 2017 I made a commitment to the University, but felt it was better to make this announcement now rather than the end of the year, to allow the University ample time to prepare for the future of the football program,” Edsall said in a statement. “All my focus and attention for the rest of the season will be to prepare our players and coaches to go out and win as many games as possible.”

This is Edsall’s 17th season in total with UConn. He coached the program from 1999-2010, during which the Huskies experienced a period of growth. They finished tied for first in the Big East twice in Edsall’s first stint with the team. UConn reached four straight bowl games, including an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl back in 2010.

Edsall parlayed his success at UConn into a head coaching job at Maryland in 2011, but that did not go particularly well. Maryland went 22-34 in Edsall’s four-plus seasons as head coach. He was fired in 2015 following some tense exchanges with the media over his job status.

In 2017, Edsall returned to UConn. There was hope that he would help turn things around for the Huskies after three unsuccessful seasons under Bob Diaco, but the situation has only gotten worse. UConn won a total of six games from 2017-2019. They did not play last year due to COVID. They have lost their first two games this season, and an embarrassing clip that reflected poorly on Edsall went viral on Saturday. It’s not a shock that the 63-year-old is planning to step down.