Six years after leaving for Maryland, Randy Edsall returning as UConn football coach

Randy Edsall (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Randy Edsall has agreed to a five-year contract that will include $1 million annually in guaranteed compensation to return as the head football coach at the University of Connecticut. He replaces the recently fired Bob Diaco after the Huskies went 3-9 (1-7 AAC) this season.

Connecticut was 11-26 in three seasons under Diaco.

Edsall led UConn into Division I-AA in 1999 and then into the Big East. Edsall led the Huskies to four consecutive bowls, and went 8-4 in 2010 and participated in the Fiesta Bowl where they would lose to Oklahoma.

Following the lose to Oklahoma, Edsall left abruptly (he did not even fly back with the team) to take the head coaching job at Maryland. After going 22-34 with the Terrapins, Edsall was fired midway through his fifth season.

Prior to agreeing to return to Storrs, Edsall had been working as a Director of Football Research for the NFL’s Detroit Lions.

Edsall, a Glen Rock, PA native, has a career 74-70 record as head coach at UConn. He led the Huskies to five bowl games and two Big East Championships. Under Edsall’s tutelage, the Huskies were known to play a tough, disciplined style of football.

The contract with give Edsall an opportunity to earn bonuses based on performance and achievement. There will also be buyouts for UConn and Edsall that will mirror each other, beginning at $3 million and decreasing $1 million each year to zero after the third year.

The University is planning an official press conference to announce the hiring on Friday.