Does Kevin Ollie even want an extension at this point?

[HuskyBballFan]

Yeah, nothing will get the fan base riled up more than bringing in proven winner Jay Wright.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Kevin is no less a fan than any of us. He will not shrink in the face of this challenge and adversity. I suspect he will be proud to help lead us through these trying times.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Of course Kevin stays, because the man has class, respect and loyalty. After publicly digging AO there is no way he abandons the university.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Jay Wright is rumored to have impregnated a Villanova cheerleader and his team got blown out by Columbia a few weeks ago. This is freescooter's guy. Can't make this up.

 

[Mots010]

As an assistant. He could likely land an assitant's job lots of places. Big Whoops. What part of "he won't get a head coaching job" did you not get? In case you don't know the difference, See the head coach is the boss of the program. Assistant coaches help, or assist, him. Most of the UConn assistants could land assistant jobs elswhere for what its worth. But if he wants to be a head coach now its UConn or nothing. By the way, if it were me, I'd let his contract run out and spend whatever it takes to bring in a BIG TIME GUY and try to get us back to the top of the NCAA pecking order in short order. We never could, but at this point we absolutely cannot afford to have Jim Calhoun's ego lead us to mediocrity. We need someone who will make recruits sit up and take notice when he calls, and someone who we know can coach a team at a very high level. Someone who has taken a team to a final four at the very least. And pay him whatever it takes. Calhoun's ego meets none of those criteria.

Good luck finding a big time coach who will come here for home and homes against SMU and Tulane. With the events of the last few weeks, its Ollie or nothing at this point. Until we get into a better conference, we're a stepping stone job. If Ollie works, he's here for life. There's not a chance he takes a gig somewhere else, and thats worth a lot.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Jay Wright is rumored to have impregnated a Villanova cheerleader and his team got blown out by Columbia a few weeks ago. This is freescooter's guy. Can't make this up.

And went 13-19 the year before that. And that was preceded by two consecutive years of having really talented teams that completely imploded down the stretch. The Villanova fans would gladly pay for his bus ticket to Storrs.

 

[aceboon]

Jay Wright is rumored to have impregnated a Villanova cheerleader and his team got blown out by Columbia a few weeks ago. This is freescooter's guy. Can't make this up.

...And of course he blasted KO for narrowly losing to an undefeated NM team that barely lost to Louisville in the tourney last year and will finish somewhere near the top of a league of that is better than the Pac 12, while coaching a team playing on dead legs no less. But he wants the guy who is getting blasted by Ivy League teams, he is pretty much a cariacture of himself at this point.

 

[ctchamps]

...And of course he blasted KO for narrowly losing to an undefeated NM team that barely lost to Louisville in the tourney last year and will finish somewhere near the top of a league of that is better than the Pac 12, while coaching a team playing on dead legs no less. But he wants the guy who is getting blasted by Ivy League teams, he is pretty much a cariacture of himself at this point.

What do you mean at this point. He has always been this way. No sense wasting lots of time arguing with him. Periodically of course because different people lurk these forums at different times and aren't privy to his character but at least any of us who are familiar with him can learn to realize he is who he is and accept that he has zero influence, just like all of us, regarding these matters. Anyways enjoy your posts.

 

[gtcam]

He had a job waiting for him with the Thunder organization you Replicant. Yes, the OKC Thunder, the NBA, paying much more than a MAAC job, or Wesleyan, or any other school that you are ready to pull out of your ass.

Being a head coach at a top 20 NCAA Mens program vs an asst job (wouldn't be the top asst or even number 3 or 4 on depth chart) is a better deal. Money? to a competotor the money is probably secondary to the thrill of calling the shots

 

[buckley503]

I don't see much to attract any big time recruits to the program after this last news. If I was Ollie and I "proved" myself enough to get an extension I'd probably turn it down and look for a job with a future.

Are you the type of person who would have said on December 8, 1941: "Well, I guess we better learn how to speak Japanese!?"

 

[freescooter]

It is sad, but you guys completely miss the point. Actually, I suspect most of you get it byt don't want to admit iyt. I threw out some names and you focus on one guy, who has had 2 losing season in his tenure I think,and taken a team to 6 straight NCAAs before ast year including the final four, but forget the specific individual.. Here's th point. UConn is not in a place right now where it can take a lon term risk on an unknown like Ollie. If he ends up being Matt Doherty at UNC, unlike North Carolina we are not in a position to recover quickly. Indeed we my never recover. We need to do what Memphis did, what Louisville did.Neither wazs in a major conference but both went out and spent what they needed to to bring big name coaches to their schools. UConn must open the vault if necessary and bring in a big name, big time basketball coach. A coach who when he calls a recruit the kid has to take the call, wants to take the call. Not someone who they're going to say, Who??? Sadly, because of tis conference shakeup, we don't have the Big East name and we don't have the UCon name and we don' have the Jim Calhoun name to sell to recruits. I'm not sold on Ollie to begin with, I make no bones about it. But given how this has all played out, we simply can't afford to go with a guy who might someday be a good coach. If he's not, and I haven't seen much to say he is, UConn might as well go back to the Yankee Conference. That is where or baksetball program will be. Before the conference break up, worst case was a mddle of the road team. Now it is far far worse.

 

[PacificStorm]

Jay Wright is rumored to have impregnated a Villanova cheerleader and his team got blown out by Columbia a few weeks ago. This is freescooter's guy. Can't make this up.

Are you serious about this info or I am just too slow to the joke? Pitino got away with it and even put the poor girl behind bars.

 

[ctchamps]

Are you serious about this info or I am just too slow to the joke? Pitino got away with it and even put the poor girl behind bars.

@PacificStorm: BigErnMcCracken isn't the type of person to throw gossip around. He gets ticked at Boneyarders for insinuating the Squid is dirty. Of course he does have an animosity towards freescooter and that could tilt the reasoning behind the post. But more than likely he has a credible source or sources.

FWIW I know nothing about Jay Wright. My impression is the Squid is tainted.

 

[PacificStorm]

Thank you freud. Apologies to Mccracken. Given that many of them are tainted, why the media's unusual fixation on Calhoun's alleged violations which don't even involve sex?

 

[Silk City]

I'm going to guess that the announcement will be just before or after the Washington game on the 29th.

Should be 10-2 & have completed the Fall Semester. Big announcement stating strong academic year, players competing & winning games. Setup for BE season & recruiting.

No reason to wait for BE season - may be tough if we are 4-6 at the end of January.

There is no way the KO will not get the extension unless something bizarre happens. Showing KO the door would be showing JC the door. Not gonna happen.

This guy...

 

[PacificStorm]

Warde was gonna go up against a huge tsunami of disapproval if he did not extend Ollie. I think everyone had the inkling that he would approve at some point KO while avoiding being perceived as a puppet of both Herbs and Calhoun. The timing was perfect right after his birthday and before a conference game. If Warde had waited longer, there was a viable possibility of the Huskies losing more games than wining them. That would have rained on Warde's parade. So he correctly did it at a time many people had logically thought he would. That's not entirely rocket science about the promotion. The timing per se was the real puzzlement from hindsight. Also, there was a leak out to J Jacobs who anticipated the contract extension days before it happened. Was this J Jacobs way of befriending KO?It looks like he has been super nice to Herbst lately. I'm beginning to like JJ.

 

[freescooter]

Of course Ollie's extension was highly predictable. Manuel needed to do something to get the fans on his side after the debacle he made of conference re-alignment. Given that Herbst doesn't care, he would have had to be incredibly gutsy to make a change and he isn't. Now he has saddled his successor with a head coach he may or may not want and who may or may not be any good. since I continue to be pretty convinced that Manuel is a goner within the next 12 months.

 

[mauconnfan]

Of course Ollie's extension was highly predictable. Manuel needed to do something to get the fans on his side after the debacle he made of conference re-alignment. Given that Herbst doesn't care, he would have had to be incredibly gutsy to make a change and he isn't. Now he has saddled his successor with a head coach he may or may not want and who may or may not be any good. since I continue to be pretty convinced that Manuel is a goner within the next 12 months.

Hopefully you and your predictable posts leave well ahead of Warde....feel "free" to do so!!!

 

[CL82]

It is sad, but you guys completely miss the point. Actually, I suspect most of you get it byt don't want to admit iyt. I threw out some names and you focus on one guy, who has had 2 losing season in his tenure I think,and taken a team to 6 straight NCAAs before ast year including the final four, but forget the specific individual.. Here's th point. UConn is not in a place right now where it can take a lon term risk on an unknown like Ollie. If he ends up being Matt Doherty at UNC, unlike North Carolina we are not in a position to recover quickly. Indeed we my never recover. We need to do what Memphis did, what Louisville did.Neither wazs in a major conference but both went out and spent what they needed to to bring big name coaches to their schools. UConn must open the vault if necessary and bring in a big name, big time basketball coach. A coach who when he calls a recruit the kid has to take the call, wants to take the call. Not someone who they're going to say, Who??? Sadly, because of tis conference shakeup, we don't have the Big East name and we don't have the UCon name and we don' have the Jim Calhoun name to sell to recruits. I'm not sold on Ollie to begin with, I make no bones about it. But given how this has all played out, we simply can't afford to go with a guy who might someday be a good coach. If he's not, and I haven't seen much to say he is, UConn might as well go back to the Yankee Conference. That is where or baksetball program will be. Before the conference break up, worst case was a mddle of the road team. Now it is far far worse.

"Jimmy, Coach Ollie from UConn, the 13 year NBA player, is on the phone."

"Who???"

Yeah, sorry 'scooter, I think that scenario is a bit of a reach, don't you?

 

[aceboon]

Are you serious about this info or I am just too slow to the joke? Pitino got away with it and even put the poor girl behind bars.

It was a rumor that was floated out there by Nova fans who wanted him fired. It came out during the night of our NC State game, I remember because I ran with it and told my friends who I came with during the game, lol.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Of course Ollie's extension was highly predictable. Manuel needed to do something to get the fans on his side after the debacle he made of conference re-alignment. Given that Herbst doesn't care, he would have had to be incredibly gutsy to make a change and he isn't. Now he has saddled his successor with a head coach he may or may not want and who may or may not be any good. since I continue to be pretty convinced that Manuel is a goner within the next 12 months.

I'm sure this prediction will be as accurate as the one about there being no chance that the Big East would get 11 teams into the tournament.

 

[freescooter]

"Jimmy, Coach Ollie from UConn, the 13 year NBA player, is on the phone."

"Who???"

Yeah, sorry 'scooter, I think that scenario is a bit of a reach, don't you?

Um, no. I don't think it is a bit of a reach at all. Again, think about the league we'll be in. So there is no buzz there. Think about who else will be calling with better opportunities...let's see "this is Caoch ollie and I want you to sign on for games against Tulane, SMU, Houston, Centrla Florida..Hello? Hello?" Or "This is Coach Pitino. You know, the guy who has taken 3 teams to the Final Four. Put numerous guys in the NBA...even coached there...won a national Championship...want you to get me another...play against UNC, Duke, Syracuse..." "Hey kid, John Calipari here...want to win a National Championship?" Ollie played 13 years in the NBA as mostly a backup. We know him because he is a UConn guy, but his career won't exactly get confused with Michael Jordan or Larry Bird. My guess is the majority of kids playing today don't even know he was in the NBA. Within 3 years, none will.

 

[freescooter]

I'm sure this prediction will be as accurate as the one about there being no chance that the Big East would get 11 teams into the tournament.

The only way the new conference gets 11 (if we even have that many to begin with) is if everyone else drops basketball...

 

[mauconnfan]

Um, no. I don't think it is a bit of a reach at all. Again, think about the league we'll be in. So there is no buzz there. Think about who else will be calling with better opportunities...let's see "this is Caoch ollie and I want you to sign on for games against Tulane, SMU, Houston, Centrla Florida..Hello? Hello?" Or "This is Coach Pitino. You know, the guy who has taken 3 teams to the Final Four. Put numerous guys in the NBA...even coached there...won a national Championship...want you to get me another...play against UNC, Duke, Syracuse..." "Hey kid, John Calipari here...want to win a National Championship?" Ollie played 13 years in the NBA as mostly a backup. We know him because he is a UConn guy, but his career won't exactly get confused with Michael Jordan or Larry Bird. My guess is the majority of kids playing today don't even know he was in the NBA. Within 3 years, none will.

Their parents do their homework, we'll be fine and the good news is after you're done choking on crow you'll be gone, embarrassed by your predictions and maybe hanging out with the ORANGE fans who have nothing better than to have a 3 page thread on Yukon/Marquette......really do us a favor and go chat with those morons all day you fit perfectly!!

 

[freescooter]

I think you guys don't have a clue about how bad this new league is going to be. It is going to be horrible. The Current Big East RPI is 4th. The new conference would be somewhere around 10th with the Missouri Valley and the West Coast Athletic conference. Say what you will, those are absolutely mid-major conferences.

By the way, all you guys trying to make New Mexico into the 2nd coming of Duke, happen to catch the South Dakota State score? Or St Louis-New Mexico? Of course those Bilikens are a power. And who could hold a loss to the mighty Jackrabitts against someone?