A Dime Back: Firing Kevin Ollie Will Not Fix UConn’s Biggest Problem

[Lefty2one]

You have no idea what you are talking about. Kevin Ollie is getting paid $3 million per year! That is in the top 10 of NCAA basketball coaches. So, nobody is going to leave their $1 million a year job for a $3 million per year job at UConn? And, the school has great facilities, tradition, a fertile local recruiting area, and a fan base that is ready to start winning again.

Precisely. An up and comer isn't going to turn down a job that (at minimum) doubles their salary, plus everything else you mentioned.

 

[UConnNick]

Football is under assault because of concussions. Making multi hundred million dollar long term bets on a sport that could collapse completely in a few years is beyond stupid.

Even if football remains a major sport, what is the fantasy path to a P5 bid? The P5 is more likely to become the P4 in 6 years than it is to invite UConn, and what are our realignment odds when the Big 12 loses Oklahoma and Texas and becomes a free for all of the other 8 teams looking for life boats? Which teams are UConn in front of in that pecking order?

The money is going to be cut off soon. Maybe not for a few years, but the school can not continue funding $30 million a year to the athletic department. At that point UConn drops to America East, and we can thank every fan who said "stay in the American" when that happens.

In short, you are wrong on everything.

You disagree with the school administration chasing after a P5 bid. That's fine, I acknowledged that could be a right or wrong decision on their part. I'm not wrong for pointing it out, because it is presently a fact.

If you want to argue that football may someday go the way of the dodo bird, that's your opinion, but for now, TV networks value college football as a product way more than BB. That's also a fact, and predicting football will someday become extinct is a guess.

The UCONN AD bet it's financial future on football. Despite the results, it was the right decision at that time because it was the only possible way to align with other major college athletic programs. The fact that it hasn't yet worked doesn't mean it absolutely can't or won't at some future date. The UCONN AD may be wrong to think that way, but for now that's apparently the plan they are sticking with.

 

[J187Money]

I think it is the best round-up on the subject I've read.

 

[upstater]

Actually being in the American doesn't hurt the program at all. UConn hurts UConn.

It's a 3-5 bid league with UConn not helping at all.

If UConn or Memphis contributed an extra bid to that group, the perception of the conference would be near or par with the Catholic league.

Bottom line: We have the league schedule we need to go as far as UConn has been in the past. It's become a silly debate.

There are definitely problems in this league. The second-tier schools without a fanbase, the conference tournament, the bottom feeders who are very bad. There are problems. We can't pretend there aren't.

 

[AntG168]

My response: it isn’t 1986 any more. So much nonsense in this piece. Our problem is not the AAC and not that
AAC is mid-major. Let’s win it you know, like 1 time before we complain about the quality of play. And just for fun, how about we model ourselves after I don’t know, Wichita. Gonzaga, pre-big East Butler...we have zero basis for complaining about the AAC. The AAC Though ought to do what the old Big East did to Temple: give us an ultimatum to improve or go away.

The travel argument is bogus too. It is a decidedly Northeastern, dare I say Connecticut, attitude. People who think they need to get a hotel because they are traveling from Glastonbury to Avon can’t understand how things are in other parts of the world. When I lived in Louisiana we used to argue about whether to drive 4 hours to New Orleans or 5 to Houston FOR DINNER.

I call bull. No way you’re driving 5 hrs for dinner lmfaoooo. That’s like from CT to Maryland

 

[upstater]

I do not think the Big East will be an option in 5 years. We are also about to find out that it is hard to recruit a high caliber coach in this league.

Why? Does the BE hate money?

 

[upstater]

I didn't like the article. Way too long for my attention span. And to me it was filled with nonsense. How does Gonzaga succeed in that conference every year? St Mary's? Wichita State prior to joining the AAC.

By playing very weak programs?

Look, Gonzaga is special.

But, um, St. Mary's?

Wichita St had a great season last season. And they got a 10th or 11 seed.

I'm not sure that these are good examples. A more seasoned Wichita State team this year has had a little more difficulty with the putrid AAC than it did last year in its conference.

 

[upstater]

We are lucky that the P5 upheaval is slated to coincide with contracts expiring around 2022-2024, because if the upheaval happened now, we'd be selling a has been bball program, and a totally inept football program, with fan apathy--and women's bball. We have 4 years to turn this around. Better hope that Edsall is the answer on the football side, because it is practically too late for it to be solved by anyone else.

Edsall or bust.

 

[djct1999]

You have no idea what you are talking about. Kevin Ollie is getting paid $3 million per year! That is in the top 10 of NCAA basketball coaches. So, nobody is going to leave their $1 million a year job for a $3 million per year job at UConn? And, the school has great facilities, tradition, a fertile local recruiting area, and a fan base that is ready to start winning again.

Sure, UConn will be able to get a better coach at 3mil a year but I highly doubt AD DB will pay anywhere close to that, especially with the pending buyout. More realistically, even at 1.3- 1.6 per, you will be underwhelmed with UConn's options. Anyone who still believes UConn is a destination job simply refuses to accept today's reality.

 

[Kenny11]

It's a very well written article, even if I don't agree with much of what you said. I think it's a bit of an apologia for KO, but it's a good article.

1. recruiting - KO brought in a top ten class a year ago that didn't seem hampered by the conference we're in. Even if we do lose some recruits due to the conference, which I'm sure happens, on paper we've had as much if not more talent the last few years than anyone else in the conference.

2. the perception of the conference is definitely going up, as evidenced by the committee handing Cinci a nice projected seed the other day. I don't think the AAC will ever come close to the old big east, but it will get 2-4 or 5 bids consistently going forward. Wouldn't be a problem if UConn could actually win the league, or at least challenge for the regular season title

3. the travel thing is an interesting point but really, do we think it makes that much of a difference?

Joining the new big east in basketball only is a no brainer, but that's unlikely to happen. Again, like the article and I think it's very well researched. Good job

It makes a difference in betting lines in every sport, even in the NFL where they can arrive several days ahead of time.

 

[djct1999]

We are lucky that the P5 upheaval is slated to coincide with contracts expiring around 2022-2024, because if the upheaval happened now, we'd be selling a has been bball program, and a totally inept football program, with fan apathy--and women's bball. We have 4 years to turn this around. Better hope that Edsall is the answer on the football side, because it is practically too late for it to be solved by anyone else.

Edsall or bust.

This is where KO has done irreparable harm to the UConn brand. I am afraid that simply being competitive in basketball and mediocre in football will not be enough. We needed to maintain the basketball relevance Calhoun built. That is long gone and won't soon reappear.

 

[DAC17]

Another issue re: Ollie is that he's never been the same since his divorce. Maybe connected, maybe not, but demonstrable.

 

[upstater]

This is where KO has done irreparable harm to the UConn brand. I am afraid that simply being competitive in basketball and mediocre in football will not be enough. We needed to maintain the basketball relevance Calhoun built. That is long gone and won't soon reappear.

Disagree a little bit here. If football has a winning record, wins bowl games, and is competing for the top of a division, people will cut UConn bball slack for even making the tourney. UConn bball has a good history, and if the fans come back with a competitive team, it is not hard for a conference to see the big value there.

As bad as the last 2 seasons have been for bball, we should all be a lot more concerned with what is going on with football. Edsall matters more than Ollie or Ollie's successor.

 

[Waquoit]

Regarding the OP, I'm reminded of the sewer theory and public health. Just because you have sewers doesn't mean you'll have a healthy populace. But if you don't, you won't. If we sack Ollie, that doesn't mean we will have a good program again. But if they don't, we won't.

 

[djct1999]

Precisely. An up and comer isn't going to turn down a job that (at minimum) doubles their salary, plus everything else you mentioned.

An up and comer? Name one "up and comer" that we will pay 1.5million a year for that this fan base will feel great about from day 1. Danny Hurley isn't an "up and comer" nor is he coming here for a few 100k more a year so please keep him off that list.

 

[auggie22]

Put me in the fire Ollie / move to big east camp.

Having said that, this article does not address the obvious problem which is this: uconn looks and performs as one of the worst 100 teams in division 1a. This is almost impossible with the recruiting advantages that we still have, unless we have one of the worst coaching staffs in D1.

So while the themes rehashed in this article are interesting, the level of our suckage is not nearly explained in this article. With our advantages we should be running a train on the AAC let alone The Ivy conference. And yet we are ( and look the part of ) one of the worst D1 teams for two years in a row.

I hate that it is true. But there is no avoiding the fact that right now ( and frankly, for several years ) Ollie has shown himself to be a horrendous college coach, fireable by even the most lowly teams, let alone a top ten program of all time.

You can argue we are no longer a top 10 program, but there is no doubt we are currently paying him as one. And there is no doubt that we are not a Wagner or so ranked program - even with our current conference affiliation - such that it is baffling that we are still even discussing this. Ollie is a terrible head coach. Terrible. If let go by us, I am not sure he would get a P7 job offer, at any price, let alone the 3m he is making. He is that bad. Only WE would be arguing otherwise.

Apologies that my top has blown here. Just walked out of a bar to type this response.

 

[UConnJim]

Sure, UConn will be able to get a better coach at 3mil a year but I highly doubt AD DB will pay anywhere close to that, especially with the pending buyout. More realistically, even at 1.3- 1.6 per, you will be underwhelmed with UConn's options. Anyone who still believes UConn is a destination job simply refuses to accept today's reality.

Personally, I don't think Ollie gets fired after this season. Why? First the buyout and second, if Adams stays and Gilbert is healthy, I think UConn will be a lot better next year.

That said, you would only pay $3 million if you were getting a top 10 coach, not a mediocre coach. And, I think UConn knows we have to pay to get the right coach.

I can't believe the negativity people have towards UConn basketball ("accept today's reality"). I remember when UConn had decent teams when they were in a conference with Maine, UNH, and Vermont. In college basketball, you can win at almost any school with the right coach. If Ollie's not the right coach, let's get a new one.

 

[djct1999]

Disagree a little bit here. If football has a winning record, wins bowl games, and is competing for the top of a division, people will cut UConn bball slack for even making the tourney. UConn bball has a good history, and if the fans come back with a competitive team, it is not hard for a conference to see the big value there.

As bad as the last 2 seasons have been for bball, we should all be a lot more concerned with what is going on with football. Edsall matters more than Ollie or Ollie's successor.

A top 10 basketball program, especially to the ACC, would have made a mediocre football team a lot more tolerable. With UConn hoops where it is, even an improved football team may be a harder sell than it should be. People have now witnessed the downside of UConn athletics, and if you couple that with the struggles of Pitt, Syracuse, and BC, I am not sure presidents from the south will be as receptive. Hopefully, I am wrong but the past few years in my opinion has definitely opened the door for other schools.

 

[djct1999]

Personally, I don't think Ollie gets fired after this season. Why? First the buyout and second, if Adams stays and Gilbert is healthy, I think UConn will be a lot better next year.

That said, you would only pay $3 million if you were getting a top 10 coach, not a mediocre coach. And, I think UConn knows we have to pay to get the right coach.

I can't believe the negativity people have towards UConn basketball ("accept today's reality"). I remember when UConn had decent teams when they were in a conference with Maine, UNH, and Vermont. In college basketball, you can win at almost any school with the right coach. If Ollie's not the right coach, let's get a new one.

Ahhh, if it was just that simple. Hopefully you are right, but count me as someone who has a ton of reservations.

 

[upstater]

A top 10 basketball program, especially to the ACC, would have made a mediocre football team a lot more tolerable. With UConn hoops where it is, even an improved football team may be a harder sell than it should be. People have now witnessed the downside of UConn athletics, and if you couple that with the struggles of Pitt, Syracuse, and BC, I am not sure presidents from the south will be as receptive. Hopefully, I am wrong but the past few years in my opinion has definitely opened the door for other schools.

It's the market that is attractive. Connecticut residents will pack the house for ACC bball and watch it on TV. But I'm not even really looking at the ACC. My question is, will the remainders of the B12 decide that the market $$ is worth inviting a geographic outlier?

In other words, what do the presidents of Kansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma St., Iowa State, Texas Tech, Baylor think about all this?

 

[djct1999]

It's the market that is attractive. Connecticut residents will pack the house for ACC bball and watch it on TV. But I'm not even really looking at the ACC. My question is, will the remainders of the B12 decide that the market $$ is worth inviting a geographic outlier?

In other words, what do the presidents of Kansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma St., Iowa State, Texas Tech, Baylor think about all this?

Good point.

 

[upstater]

Let me say, I'm surprised people thought we'd be better this year.

We lost Brimah and Facey and Purvis (I'm not going to mention the transfers, who didn't really add much last year).

The loss of those 3 was going to be a problem this year, and I said as much at the start of the year.

Similarly, we have even less talent coming back ext year (though I hope the 2 point guards will help the team improve).

In other words, buckle up.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Before reading this whole thread, I will just say that Gonzaga is in even worse of an anonymous league and has no trouble with perception and winning. The same was true of WSU in the MVC. The same is true of Cincy in the AAC.

The problem is coaching, including (and perhaps especially) the General-Manager aspects of being a major college head coach.

 

[SubbaBub]

There is a team located less than 60 miles away that would probably beat us by 20 points and doesn't play a conference tournament at MSG.

There are about 100 teams that would beat us by 20 right now. This is not an AAC problem. Not being a top 10 program may or may not be an AAC problem. Being embarrassed on a regular basis by lousy programs is a UConn problem.

 

[SubbaBub]

Let me say, I'm surprised people thought we'd be better this year.

We lost Brimah and Facey and Purvis (I'm not going to mention the transfers, who didn't really add much last year).

The loss of those 3 was going to be a problem this year, and I said as much at the start of the year.

Similarly, we have even less talent coming back ext year (though I hope the 2 point guards will help the team improve).

In other words, buckle up.

This isn't football. A team can have drastic turnaround even by subtraction if the rising classes can be counted on. Plenty of young teams do a darn sight better than we are doing right now. Can we all finally face the fact that we suck and a change in roster and/or leadership is the only way back?