Chasing Ghosts: Calhoun looms large, but clouds parting at UConn

[mauconnfan]

I don't agree that nobody could have done a better job, he wasn't quite that good. But he did a perfectly fine job. I don't think it was just KO distancing himself from Calhoun either. He had George Blaney at the beginning, a very experienced, capable former head coach. Once Kevin committed fully to his own staff and his own way of running a program it went downhill quickly. I'm sure he got tired of JC and GB questioning his approach, which of course is what any good leader needs. Surrounding yourself with yes-men will get you fired every time. Kevin is not the sharpest knife in the box, not by a long-shot. He needed the help.

I don't think "sharpest knife in the box" was required we get where you were going. But KO is a very intelligent man when it comes to life and basketball mixed he's proven that. And because he uses some slang incorrectly doesn't mean the man wasn't intelligent there are few who understood how to work to become who he was and I'm sure many of us would like to have accomplished some of what he did.

Agree on the George/JC stuff, the staff and yes man but not on much of the rest.

 

[Storrs South]

Sad really. I think KO could have been our coach for as long as he wanted if he continued to work hard and be engaged... and if he continue to use JC as a resource. Most coaches would be grateful to have access to that level of wisdom and expertise. Hurley is. He just had Calhoun come in and address the team.

I've said this before by I truly believe that from 2012 - 2014 no one could have done a better job than Kevin. From 2014 on, pretty much anyone could have.

I think it's also that for as long as UConn remained great after Calhoun, whoever was the coach would also be continuing something JC built. KO could not handle living with that even in the best of times as that quote shows.

It took KO to burn the whole thing to the ground for now the next guy (Hurley) to create something new that he will by and large get credit for if he brings it back to prominence since he came in with a (relatively speaking) blank canvas. Even to this day, valid or not, folks here debate how much credit Ollie deserves for that National Championship and he helped recruit those players plus JC was 2 years removed from the thing and there he was still answering this question.

It was KO's ego, but also something he would have had to handle as a coach for as long as he was at UConn just by the nature of being the next guy after Calhoun.

 

[Chief00]

Guess the quote was from the Monday after the Elite Eight win over Michigan State:

Despite Jim Calhoun's presence, Kevin Ollie insists this is his UConn team
One of the more enduring images of the NCAA Tournament took place Sunday following UConn's win over Michigan State. In the chaos of another Garden win for UConn, Huskies coach Kevin Ollie waved Jim Calhoun down from the stands. Together they embraced at midcourt, a joyous image that conveyed endless harmony in the ongoing relationship between mentor and pupil.

But a day later, Ollie wanted to make it clear the team that will play in the Final Four Saturday in Texas is his team, and his team alone.

"I don't know if you've been around our program but I'm my own man," Ollie said in a conference call with the national media. "(Calhoun) has been a great resource for us. He's an ambassador. He built this program. So I'd be a fool not to use him. But at the end of the day I have to make my decision on what I think is best."

Yeah, pretty much my vibe timeline. Jim got lots of coverage at MSG in NYC. What KO didn’t have the maturity or too big of an ego to realize - is when you win there’s enough of credit to go around. Look what happened to his contract after that season!

 

[Chief00]

I don't agree that nobody could have done a better job, he wasn't quite that good. But he did a perfectly fine job. I don't think it was just KO distancing himself from Calhoun either. He had George Blaney at the beginning, a very experienced, capable former head coach. Once Kevin committed fully to his own staff and his own way of running a program it went downhill quickly. I'm sure he got tired of JC and GB questioning his approach, which of course is what any good leader needs. Surrounding yourself with yes-men will get you fired every time. Kevin is not the sharpest knife in the box, not by a long-shot. He needed the help.

Good point about George in year 1 and Hobbs the next year. As I recall, Hobbs got fired late and that unfortunate timing led to Glen Miller becoming Associative HC just before the Hobbs firing/hiring. The KO/GM combination was a disaster on all fronts once it set in for some recruiting and seasons.
While GM saved his own butt after things went down by ratting KO out, he was in lock step with KO when all the incompetence was occurring.

 

[CL82]

While GM saved his own butt after things went down by ratting KO out, he was in lock step with KO when all the incompetence was occurring.

Was it "lock step" or just subservient silence?

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don't think "sharpest knife in the box" was required we get where you were going. But KO is a very intelligent man when it comes to life and basketball mixed he's proven that. And because he uses some slang incorrectly doesn't mean the man wasn't intelligent there are few who understood how to work to become who he was and I'm sure many of us would like to have accomplished some of what he did.

Agree on the George/JC stuff, the staff and yes man but not on much of the rest.

I understand and accept disagreement on that point. I don't think he's that bright. I didn't when he was a player, an assistant or HC. And certainly not how he's handled being fired. I do agree that he once had a legendary work ethic, and he took coaching well at all stages as a player and assistant. In short I think he's good at executing other people's plans, which is indeed a valuable skill. A different skill set is needed to lead a program.

Edit: and in case anyone feels I'm being hyper critical, that skill of executing a coach's plan is something Brad Stevens really wishes Kyrie Irving had. It helped KO go from team to team to team in the NBA seamlessly.

 

[Chief00]

Was it "lock step" or just subservient silence?

Fair point, I don’t know his motivation just the behavior/actions.

 

[Chief00]

I understand and accept disagreement on that point. I don't think he's that bright. I didn't when he was a player, an assistant or HC. And certainly not how he's handled being fired. I do agree that he once had a legendary work ethic, and he took coaching well at all stages as a player and assistant. In short I think he's good at executing other people's plans, which is indeed a valuable skill. A different skill set is needed to lead a program.

He handled being fired poorly - in an epic manner. That’s a skill set every coach needs in any major sport.

 

[CL82]

He handled being fired poorly - in an epic manner. That’s a skill set every coach needs in any major sport.

That's a life skill. Always be gracious when you leave a job. You never know who's paying attention.

 

[UCDaveD]

That's a life skill. Always be gracious when you leave a job. You never know who's paying attention.

At least he didn’t write a 4 page letter.

 

[Dean Wormer]

Here's the quote that sticks in my craw:
"You want to nitpick about how [Kevin Ollie] ran his program, whether he ran afoul of violations or not, they're tertiary violations. So, to continue to talk about it like he was this bad guy and slandering him, we're only slandering ourselves." -- Former UConn star Ray Allen, on Ollie's firing and subsequent lawsuit (New Haven Register, July 2019)
Not. A. Good. Look.

 

[JMick]

Here's the quote that sticks in my craw:
"You want to nitpick about how [Kevin Ollie] ran his program, whether he ran afoul of violations or not, they're tertiary violations. So, to continue to talk about it like he was this bad guy and slandering him, we're only slandering ourselves." -- Former UConn star Ray Allen, on Ollie's firing and subsequent lawsuit (New Haven Register, July 2019)
Not. A. Good. Look.

Nobody cares.

 

[UofCT]

Here's the quote that sticks in my craw:
"You want to nitpick about how [Kevin Ollie] ran his program, whether he ran afoul of violations or not, they're tertiary violations. So, to continue to talk about it like he was this bad guy and slandering him, we're only slandering ourselves." -- Former UConn star Ray Allen, on Ollie's firing and subsequent lawsuit (New Haven Register, July 2019)
Not. A. Good. Look.

Ollie wouldn’t have had to cheat if he put the work in on the recruiting trail

 

[Peacefrog]

Here's the quote that sticks in my craw:
"You want to nitpick about how [Kevin Ollie] ran his program, whether he ran afoul of violations or not, they're tertiary violations. So, to continue to talk about it like he was this bad guy and slandering him, we're only slandering ourselves." -- Former UConn star Ray Allen, on Ollie's firing and subsequent lawsuit (New Haven Register, July 2019)
Not. A. Good. Look.

Ray is wrong, they are not "tertiary" violations. At least not to the NCAA.

 

[McLovin]

Ollie wouldn’t have had to cheat if he put the work in on the recruiting trail

Ollie's problem was not recruiting players. It was developing players and retaining players. He had many top 100 recruits even until the end.

 

[BFieldHusky]

He got a 3 year show cause penalty. Nothing "tertiary" there.

 

[bendm]

Nobody cares.

as long as Ray keeps smiling for the camera with top 50 recruits like cam thomas i'm good

 

[UofCT]

Ollie's problem was not recruiting players. It was developing players and retaining players. He had many top 100 recruits even until the end.

Good point

 

[ucp990411]

Good point about George in year 1 and Hobbs the next year. As I recall, Hobbs got fired late and that unfortunate timing led to Glen Miller becoming Associative HC just before the Hobbs firing/hiring. The KO/GM combination was a disaster on all fronts once it set in for some recruiting and seasons.
While GM saved his own butt after things went down by ratting KO out, he was in lock step with KO when all the incompetence was occurring.

Hobbs did not get fired. Always thought him leaving the school he played at and had coached at earlier in his career was odd but he must have seen what was coming. I give him credit for not talking crap about the man he was coaching under. Of course if he been fired for unknown reasons he may have talked.

 

[Chief00]

Hobbs did not get fired. Always thought him leaving the school he played at and had coached at earlier in his career was odd but he must have seen what was coming. I give him credit for not talking crap about the man he was coaching under. Of course if he been fired for unknown reasons he may have talked.

Sorry if I wasn’t clear - my understanding is Hobbs got fired at GW - was then hired at UConn when Jim still had influence - but it was after Miller became Associative Head Coach. My thought is if Hobbs had been fired before that by GW, he would have gotten that position. George wasn’t returning, hence the position opened up.

KO and GM leading the squad was a disaster waiting to happen. Quite frankly, KO basically replaced JC and George’s leadership council with GM and got the expected result.

 

[ucp990411]

Sorry if I wasn’t clear - my understanding is Hobbs got fired at GW - was then hired at UConn when Jim still had influence - but it was after Miller became Associative Head Coach. My thought is if Hobbs had been fired before that by GW, he would have gotten that position. George wasn’t returning, hence the position opened up.

KO and GM leading the squad was a disaster waiting to happen. Quite frankly, KO basically replaced JC and George’s leadership council with GM and got the expected result.

So why did Hobbs leave?

 

[AdamaNation]

To be honest, this is pretty well done. I think the consensus is that we are about to turn the corner heading into Hurley Year 3/Entering the Big East Year 1. Hopefully this truly is the start of our rise again

With all our seniors having seen a lot of court time every year they’ve been here, in their respective roles. Josh Tyler Isaiah Sven a junior adams will give us a lot of upper class experience. Now for that to be winning experience.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

So why did Hobbs leave?

1 part join fellow UConn alum and ex-GW colleague as Assoc HC of a B1G-categorized program, and 1 part evacuating a ship going down? No?

 

[Chief00]

1 part join fellow UConn alum and ex-GW colleague as Assoc HC of a B1G-categorized program, and 1 part evacuating a ship going down? No?

And more money

 

[ucp990411]

And more money

I get it about Hobbs. Chief, how is Ricky Moore doing, what is in his future? We owe him - not just for 1999 but without him Ray does not get a chance to make the shot to win the 1996 BE championship. I really wish DH could have kept him. Thought Ricky got screwed in the KO fiasco. One of my all time favorites.