Interim head coach Lou Spanos cracked up the UConn football team during a team meeting on Tuesday.

"He's a really wacky guy," said Jeremy Lucien, a junior cornerback, during a Zoom session on Tuesday. "Today was the first real time that he had a full meeting in front of the offense, too, and he just had everybody rolling in the meeting. He's just really funny.

"But he also knows when to make jokes and when to be serious, so he brings a really good balance to the table."

Some laughter certainly can't hurt right now considering the crazy last few days for the program.

First, the Huskies suffered a stunning loss to Holy Cross on Saturday. Then head coach Randy Edsall announced Sunday that he planned to retire at the end of the season. By Monday, Edsall had reached a mutual agreement with athletic director David Benedict to immediately step down.

So, just two games into the season, the Huskies (0-2) have lost to a Football Championship Subdivision program and lost their head coach.

Now they'll face Big Ten foe Purdue on Saturday (3 p.m., CBSSN) at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

"It's definitely been a little bit of a roller coaster, to say the least," Lucien said. "This was definitely not something that any of us were really expecting to have to deal with in our college careers. That being said, change doesn't necessarily need to be a bad thing. We're all open to it.

"We all trust Coach Spanos a lot. The mood of the team is still really high looking ahead to Purdue. Even though this is a pretty confusing time for the program, I think everybody is doing a good job staying mentally locked in and just not losing hope. We still have 10 games left."

Hired as the defensive coordinator prior to the 2019 season, Spanos has an impressive resume, covering 26 years of coaching experience mostly in the NFL where he was on three Super Bowl staffs in Pittsburgh. He also spent time with Tennessee and Washington. His college jobs include stops at UCLA as defensive coordinator (2012-13) and at Alabama as an analyst in 2018.

He'll take what he learned from coaches like Mike Shanahan, Jim Mora, Mike Mularkey, Bill Cowher, and Nick Saban and apply to his new position.

"All the coaches say, be yourself," Spanos said, "so I won't try to emulate anyone. I was fortunate enough to learn a lot from all the coaches and just have my own identity. I can't say enough great things about the coaches that I've worked with."

On his first full day in charge on Tuesday, Spanos tweeted: "Day 1. Let's Work and Have Fun. #Huskiesup."

"We're going to work," Spanos said. "While working hard we're going to enjoy this moment and have fun. With that being said, for the fan base, what you see is what you get."

Spanos, 50, plans to seek input from the players. He values their opinion.

He's been happy with the mature way the players have handled a difficult situation.

"We've talked about what they want for the season," Spanos said. "I have an open door policy. Players were very spirited in the meeting this morning and at practice. So, they're all excited and focused."

Only time will tell if a new head coach with a fresh voice will help the Huskies finally become more competitive on game day.

Judging from the small sample size on Tuesday, Spanos has the backing of the players.

Senior Ryan Van Demark says "everybody on the team loves coach Spanos."

Freshman wide receiver Keelan Marion, who caught the first two touchdown passes on Saturday, says he has a good relationship with Spanos, who recruited him.

"He's a real guy," Marion said. "He's a great coach. He also gives me great advice about life. He's not just a coach to me."

With Spanos in a new role, Jarren Horton was promoted to defensive coordinator/safeties while Jake Bahr was elevated from the defensive quality control position to linebackers coach.

Spanos also made a change at the starting quarterback.

Redshirt sophomore Steven Krajewski is replacing sophomore Jack Zergiotis, who started the first two games, completing 17 of 41 passes for 174 yards with three touchdown passes and three interceptions. Krajewski saw limited action in the season opener at Fresno State, going 2 for 6 for 11 yards. He played in four games in 2019, throwing for 292 yards and a touchdown.

The Huskies are eager to put a tumultuous few days behind them.

"It's a little crazy how fast everything is going," Van Demark said. "We're just on to Purdue. That's the main goal. We're still going to achieve everything we can. We're just looking forward to the next game."

When asked about the team's reaction to Edsall leaving, Van Demark said: "I've got no comment on that."

Spanos had this to say about Edsall's decision: "He addressed the team. ... We're ready to move on. Wish him nothing but the best."

g.keefe@theday.com