year of being away from college football, Edsall returned to Connecticut where he had previously been the head coach for 12 years. During his first month back, Edsall created a media backlash by withdrawing a scholarship from linebacker Ryan Dickens, who had verbally committed to Connecticut under fired head coach Bob Diaco, two weeks before signing day. Dickens later ended up at Lafayette, a lower-level FCS school. 2018 In 2018, Edsall was involved in a controversy over nepotism in the football program and favoritism in the State General Assembly. The Hartford Courant reported that Public Act 18-175, a bill about state management of online data, included a one-paragraph amendment to the end of the 11-page bill that read, "A state employee who is employed at a constituent unit of the state system of higher education and a member of the immediate family of such state employee may be employed in the same department or division of such constituent unit." It was alleged that this legislation had been introduced on behalf of Edsall so that he could employ his own son, Corey Edsall, against the recommendations of the State Ethics Committee. The plan was reportedly hatched during the Carmen Cozza all-state high school football banquet at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Joe Aresimowicz introduced the legislation that created a loophole for Edsall's son after Edsall spoke to him about the matter. Aresimowicz didn't deny that this was the motivation behind the legislation commented that "As a head coach for over 20 years I've talked to other coaches who say Corey is a first class coach and knows what he is doing," he told the Hartford Courant. "I believe that UConn has the checks and balances in place to ensure that no one is taking advantage of this situation." In 2017, UConn and Edsall appealed the CT State Ethics Board ruling saying they violated the state's nepotism laws by hiring his son as an assistant coach. After the change in legislation, the appeal continued on its own merits. In November 2018, a Superior Court judge ruled that UConn did not violate state ethics codes when it hired Corey Edsall to be a coach on his father's football staff. In a 41-page ruling, Judge Joseph Shortall said the state ethics board "abused its discretion" and was "clearly erroneous" in its key ruling in the case. Personal life Edsall has two children, a