Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall announces he's retiring at season's end

A day after a 38-28 loss to Holy Cross, Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall has announced he will retire at the end of the 2021 season.

Edsall, who is in his second stint at UConn, has led the Huskies to a 6-22 record since returning to Storrs four years ago.

“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.”

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The loss to FCS Holy Cross comes after UConn dropped its opener to Fresno State 45-0. 

Edsall, 63, served as the school's first football coach when the program was established in 1999, and he presided over a transition to the FCS level, winning two Big East Conference titles and a berth in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl.

The following season, he was hired as the head coach at Maryland before being fired midway through his fifth season.

Edsall has a 102-136 record over 17 seasons as a head coach at UConn and Maryland.

"While the program has been unable to recapture that level of success on the field during Randy’s second stint as our head football coach, the decision to retire at the end of the season was made by Randy. As is the case with all our teams, I am constantly evaluating the football program and will continue to make decisions that I feel are in the best interest of our student-athletes,” UConn athletic director David Benedict said.

The school says a national search for Edsall's replacement will begin "immediately."