UConn Athletic Communications – January 10, 2012 – McCombs Freshman All-American

STORRS, Conn. (January 10, 2012) -- University of Connecticut freshman tailback Lyle McCombs (Staten Island, N.Y.) has been named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American team. McCombs rushed for 1,115 yards this season - the ninth-highest in school single-season history and the second among freshmen at UConn.

McCombs was the 29th-leading rusher in the country and second in the BIG EAST. He was a Second Team All-BIG EAST Conference selection.

McCombs was one of two tailbacks on the team and he was joined by Giovani Bernard of North Carolina. McCombs was the second-leading freshman rusher in the country – just 0.4 yards per game behind Bernard.

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University of Connecticut senior defensive tackle Kendall Reyes (Nashua, N.H.) and senior kicker Dave Teggart (Northborough, Mass.) have both been named to the 2011 ECAC Division I Football Bowl Subdivision All-Star team.

Reyes was a First Team All-BIG EAST Conference pick for the second time in a row this season. He started 41 games during his UConn career and was third on the UConn team with 13.5 tackles for loss while making 46 total tackles in 2011. For his career, he had 32.5 tackles for a loss - tenth in school history.

Teggart (Northborough, Mass.) was also a First Team All-BIG EAST pick. Teggart was a four-year standout and holds the UConn career records for field goals (74), extra points (128) and points (350). Teggart kicked a field goal in 22 of his final 25 collegiate games and had multiple field goals in eight games this year and had 11 career games with three or more field goals.

And, just like that, the Yale job remains open. Don Brown, offered the position, decided late Monday to remain at UConn.

Don Brown will be the new head coach at Yale, according to sources. The deal is not final, but expected to be finalized soon. It was a swift-moving search that drew plenty of interest, with some interesting names popping up along the way. Georgetown coach Kevin Kelly and Harvard assistant Tony Reno were among those to also interview.

And there were plenty of well-known names who wanted the job but weren't granted an interview. Former Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski contacted Yale AD Tom Beckett to pitch himself. Stanford assistant Brian Polian, son of recently fired Indianapolis Colts vice chairman Bill Polian, had TV exec Dick Ebersol make a phone call to Yale AD Tom Beckett on his behalf.

Ultimately, Brown gets a gig that still carries some major clout considering the heavy hitting alumni and the type of bright young minds coming through the program every year. The exact salary for Brown is unknown, and will likely stay under wraps. But it's believed the job pays in the neighborhood of $300,000 annually, a nice raise from what he made this year at UConn.

UConn will now be in search of a new defensive coordinator. Paul Pasqualoni is heavily connected, and certainly already has several names in mind to replace Brown.

There is mutual interest between Yale and UConn defensive coordinator Don Brown for the vacant head coaching position at Yale, according to multiple sources. Last week, Yale athletic director Tom Beckett contacted UConn interim athletic director Paul Pendergast regarding Brown, sources said.

It was unclear as to whether Brown interviewed earlier this week or if he is interviewing in New Haven today.

But Yale is moving quickly in the process, and is expected to name a candidate by next week.

The school forced the resignation of Tom Williams in December after inconsistencies on his resume. One source indicated that Yale, looking to make a safe and clean hire, is interviewing only candidates with previous head coaching experience. Brown was head coach at Northeastern (2000-03) and UMass (2004-08). He was one of Yale's top candidates in 2008 to replace retiring Jack Siedlecki as coach, but eventually pulled his name from the running and the job went to Williams.

EDIT TO ADD: Georgetown coach Kevin Kelly is among those who has already interviewed at Yale, according to a source.