UConn interim coach Lou Spanos, four others positive for COVID-19

Five members of the UConn Huskies football program have tested positive for COVID-19 and, per Dave Wilson of ESPN, will miss the Saturday afternoon showdown at the 0-5 UMass Minutemen. 

UConn confirmed Friday that interim head coach Lou Spanos, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Frank Giufre, tight ends coach Corey Edsall, left tackle Ryan Van Demark and offensive lineman Will Meyer have all tested positive for the coronavirus. 

All five are fully vaccinated against the virus, following isolation protocols and "doing well," according to the school's statement. 

Two unvaccinated team members were deemed to be high-risk close contacts and are in quarantine. All fully-vaccinated close contacts tested negative for COVID-19 and, thus, are clear to compete on Saturday. 

UConn defensive line coach Dennis Dottin-Carter is handling head-coaching duties in Spanos' absence. Spanos, meanwhile, replaced Randy Edsall, who was originally supposed to retire at the end of the season but instead surprised many by stepping down on Sept. 6. 

Like UMass, UConn is winless and sits at 0-6 after having lost its 10th straight contest last Saturday. Wilson notes that the Minutemen have dropped 16 consecutive games.