Michigan State, UCLA assistants reportedly candidates for UConn job

UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi and Ball State head coach Pete Lembo are all candidates for the vacant head coaching job at UConn, CBS’s Bruce Feldman is reporting.

Earlier in the season, the Huskies fired head coach Paul Pasqualoni after an 0-4 start, including a blowout loss to FCS Towson. Since then, UConn is 1-6, winning their first game of the year this past week against Temple.

Narduzzi and Lembo were both listed on our initial guess at possible candidates for the position. Narduzzi was born in New Haven and played at Rhode Island, and is looking at a third straight year in which his Spartan defense leads the conference in yards allowed. Lembo, who was born in New York, turned around a poor FCS Elon program before leading Ball State to back-to-back nine-win seasons (with a 10th win likely on the horizon against Miami of Ohio in the season finale).

Mazzone is the only surprise name on the list, as he has no apparent ties to the region outside of a three-year stint as the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets. His UCLA offense is averaging 36.6 points per game this season -- fourth in the Pac-12 -- but some Bruin fans have called for his job.

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