Details on Ollie's firing

[krinklecut]

Nothing really bad but definite violations. Ollie’s reputation shouldn’t take any hits on the bright side for him..but his money might.

His reputation will take a hit not because of the violations but because of his attitude towards them.

 

[Fishy]

Lesson - if you’re going to half-ass a gig that pays you $3.5M a year, make sure you don’t half-ass a few violations as well.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Lesson - if you’re going to half-ass a gig that pays you $3.5M a year, make sure you don’t half-ass a few violations as well.

The arbitrator's decision will determine whether this is a bankable lesson, unless the parties settle.

 

[Jaker]

Everyone loses, except the blood sucking lawyers.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Everyone loses, except the blood sucking lawyers.

Yeah, this'd all be better without lawyers.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

If I was a betting man, I would bet that Ollie wins this thing in a court with this argument.

Arbitration next, no? Settlement first? Court, based on that argument, fired coach Ollie's actual contractual language, publicly disclosed information at this point, etc?

 

[CL82]

We can debate all we want about how bad the violations are, but the crux of this matter is captured here in this paragraph of the story.

As the documents were released, Michael Bailey, director of the UConn chapter of the American Association of University Professors, issued a statement, accusing UConn of a “double standard,” because it did not terminate other coaches, including Jim Calhoun, for NCAA violations in the past.

If I was a betting man, I would bet that Ollie wins this thing in a court with this argument.

It's a good thing you aren't a betting man then.

 

[CL82]

Ollie himself shot baskets with a potential recruit while the unnamed recruit was on an official visit.

So help me out? Why is this an issue. Impermissible benefit because he doesn't shoot them with every student?

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

His reputation will take a hit not because of the violations but because of his attitude towards them.

Perhaps not quite as much for the NBA, a more likely landing spot.

 

[uconnbill]

Just not smart of Ollie at all.

 

[champs99and04]

I have that same question. I want to know the chronology/timeline. People are assuming the NCAA investigated and this stuff came out; I am wondering whether we self-reported this stuff after digging it up ourselves, for the precise reason of using it as just cause.

Or maybe some of it came out in an exit interview with Miller? Or Benedict at least knew it was there for the getting?

I would be shocked if that was not the case.

Now, "digging it up" might be a bit hollywood. I don't think Benedict was searching through Ollie's filing cabinets in the middle of the night and I'd be surprised if his conscience allowed him to willingly screw somebody he thought was doing everything the right way. But problematic conflict of interest? Oh yes.

 

[starpka]

It's a good thing you aren't a betting man then.

Well, we really don't have debate our betting abilities I guess. We will know for a "fact" the strength of this and other arguments both parties are making in court or in case UConn settles and pays KO.

 

[FDNY99]

Notice the amount of $30K in relocation $$

 

[Paesano]

Oops, looks like someone took the escalators!!!

 

[FDNY99]

 

[Paesano]

I am not a fan of Herbst but she is not an idiot. I am certain they tried to negotiate with Ollie. No way would they risk having to go down this road. KO killed our program or, at the very least, critically wounded it. I am not sure if it will recover.

 

[TJT]

Glenn Miller ratted out Ollie and KO is threatening to rat out Calhoun and Geno. Could get even nastier.

 

[huskymedic]

So help me out? Why is this an issue. Impermissible benefit because he doesn't shoot them with every student?

>>Hearst Connecticut Media acquired emails and other documentation regarding recent secondary violations committed by UConn. In one, Ollie shot a few baskets, while in street clothes on the way to lunch, with a recruit on an official visit Sept. 8-10, 2017, inside the Werth Family Champions Center. The recruit, whose name was redacted from the document, was Akinjo. His aunt posted video of Ollie shooting baskets with Akinjo, and it was ruled non-permissable by UConn’s compliance department since high school season had not concluded and the recruit hadn’t received proper medical clearance.<<

 

[freescooter]

Did Calhoun have a clause in his contract that specifically stated there was a zero-tolerance policy in place for any NCAA violations?

If not, throw that argument out of the window because there is no double-standard. There was a standard that Ollie had to meet, and he didn't.

Here is what the Ollieistas don’t get. If you sign a contract that says you will not do x or we can void the contract, then you do x, how we enforce is t up to you. We can void the contract. We can totally ignore the breach or we can come to you and negotiate a settlement somewhere less than voiding the agreement. And it really doesn’t matter what we did in other cases. Indeed 2 things changed since Calhoun left. First the NCAA changed the rule such that head coaches are responsible for their programs. Second UConn was severely penalized for violations. Thus it is reasonable that UConn would hold Ollie to a hire standard than it had held other coaches who committed violations in the past.

I get it. There are s few remaining holdouts who deep down hope that somehow Ollie magically reappears on the bench for the opener. They will never accept that he should have been fired. (Hi 99 and stairs). But there is no question he broke the rules.

 

[freescooter]

IMO there's no way UCONN didn't try to settle and make it an amicable split.

I don’t know 100% but I have been told UConn made a “reasonable” offer but Ollie insisted on getting the whole buyout. At that point they decided to fire for cause.

 

[Vancat]

One thing is for sure, KO doesn't seem very smart.

 

[Candyman]

Please just settle with Ollie and end this. This is a bad look for all parties. negative attention we don't need while we are rebuilding. The more violations that they show Ollie violated the worse the school looks. The more attention this gets hurts us with recruiting and and puts pressue on the NCAA to issue sanctions not against Ollie since he isn't coaching but the program.

End the public fued and settle.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

So help me out? Why is this an issue. Impermissible benefit because he doesn't shoot them with every student?

Is that how Roy Williams does
it?

 

[jimva]

I have that same question. I want to know the chronology/timeline. People are assuming the NCAA investigated and this stuff came out; I am wondering whether we self-reported this stuff after digging it up ourselves, for the precise reason of using it as just cause.

Or maybe some of it came out in an exit interview with Miller? Or Benedict at least knew it was there for the getting?

This is all nonsense. If this was a CEO or a wall street banker that messed up everyone would be screaming for them not to get their payout.

The reality is KO messed up/fell short in several different areas. The contract he reviewed with legal counsel and signed had provisions on how to address this. It's over now, except for the settlement. A year from now no one will remember/care.

 

[Ewekon]

This is all nonsense. If this was a CEO or a wall street banker that messed up everyone would be screaming for them not to get their payout.

The reality is KO messed up/fell short in several different areas. The contract he reviewed with legal counsel and signed had provisions on how to address this. It's over now, except for the settlement. A year from now no one will remember/care.

I'm afraid we will remember and care if it scares away all these recruits we are supposed to be close with and that does worry me because it adds to the AAC issue.

 

[Rico444]

Coach K sets up meetings for recruits with former players and the likes of LeBron, KD and others - every coach who has any former players of note have done so
Shooting hoops with a recruit - if the ball bounced KO's way during a visit where the recruit was shooting in Gampel and KO hoisted a shot - yeah that's a bad one
Ray has a phone conversation with recruit - that's bad but Dan Hurley arranges to have Coach Blaney talk to someone he wants to have at UConn and everyone applauds that.
I have no idea about the "Atlanta trips" and that needs to be explained much more
If he did do some "egregious" things - fine no pay at all but I have yet to see anything that is deserving of a complete shutout
I hate the "he did it so you have to treat me the same" crap but JC did do a real lot of shady things and the only people harmed were the players who played after he "retired"
Listen - the guy didn't do his job as a recruiter to get the right bunch of kids and he failed - I would agree to severing ties due to lack of accomplishments in producing an acceptable product- no argument on that claim at all
But this stuff - AD David Benedict is proving he is just that a DB IMHO. Personally, I would like to see him out of here. Christ he couldn't even keep his buddy Lashlee here more than one season
Just cause- HawkHusky couldn't wait to say that, love it that you got it out of your system!!!
KO is gone - let's get past this and talk about the present and future of the team not KO

LOL.

"Shooting baskets with a recruit...minor violation! Just cause is an outrage!
Ray Allen calling a recruit....minor violation! Just cause is an outrage!
All-expenses paid trip to Atlanta to workout with an outside trainer...we don't know all the details, let's slow down guys!"

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Please just settle with Ollie and end this. This is a bad look for all parties. negative attention we don't need while we are rebuilding. The more violations that they show Ollie violated the worse the school looks. The more attention this gets hurts us with recruiting and and puts pressue on the NCAA to issue sanctions not against Ollie since he isn't coaching but the program.

End the public fued and settle.

Your first sentence could be rewritten as, "Please just settle, Ollie, and end this." So far as I know, it would be equally plausible, except that neither party has agreed to unilaterally abandon its claims and adopt the others position. Settlement will require both parties to agree to the same thing. There's still time. It nearly always happen that way. I'm not privy to all of the information, and I don't know how an arbitrator will evaluate things in light of the facts and applicable law. I doubt you do either.

 

[jimva]

I'm afraid we will remember and care if it scares away all these recruits we are supposed to be close with and that does worry me because it adds to the AAC issue.

I hear you and agree. But this is getting a lot more play on BY than the real world

 

[CL82]

>>Hearst Connecticut Media acquired emails and other documentation regarding recent secondary violations committed by UConn. In one, Ollie shot a few baskets, while in street clothes on the way to lunch, with a recruit on an official visit Sept. 8-10, 2017, inside the Werth Family Champions Center. The recruit, whose name was redacted from the document, was Akinjo. His aunt posted video of Ollie shooting baskets with Akinjo, and it was ruled non-permissable by UConn’s compliance department since high school season had not concluded and the recruit hadn’t received proper medical clearance.<<

If this were the only thing even I would say c'mon... Though under the contract a university ruling of non-compliance is sufficient for a just cause dismissal.

 

[Ewekon]

I hear you and agree. But this is getting a lot more play on BY than the real world

Yes but ..... Other teams' coaches will negative recruit with "possible sanctions looming" true or not.