Dream Job

[Excalibur]

Love it.

 

[specialisthusky]

Ollie has me fired up right now. I'm excited to see what he's got.

 

[cjd05002]

Y'all

 

[djct1999]

I laughed. I cried. Now I want to go the gym and work my ass off. Love Coach Ollie!

 

[huskiesnyc]

Where can I see a replay? ESPN cut out after Calhoun and I'm in new york

 

[superjohn]

Coach Ollie is a man who has his priorities in the right place, he is going to be a tireless worker for us and the future is very bright. Love how Calhoun has built such a community over the years, his former players would walk through walls for him.

 

[FDNY99]

Where can I see a replay? ESPN cut out after Calhoun and I'm in new york

SNY had entire press conference live..you should be able to find it on their web site.

 

[UConn77]

Well I'm all in. I was impressed with KO. He obviously loves this school. Lets hope he gets it done and makes the decision easy next year.

 

[Chelo]

All in with Coach Ollie! Last year, all I was hearing was that KO wanted to become an assistant in the NBA within the next couple years. I was suprised to hear that it was his Dream Job! So excited to see what Coach KO will bring to UCONN.

 

[ctchamps]

I love KO because he bleeds Husky Blue, but more importantly because of my impression of who he is as a person. He won't win accolades from certain people because of how he speaks, but that bothers me nada. My prediction is KO will go on to have an incredibly successful career as a college bb coach. Sadly, I'm just not sure it will be allowed to develop at UConn

What an incredibly difficult position he has been put in with the APR thing, the transfers and the one year contract. If he pulls it off it would be quite an accomplishment.

 

[Excalibur]

Well I'm all in. I was impressed with KO. He obviously loves this school. Lets hope he gets it done and makes the decision easy next year.

I'll put it this way -- there is no better scenario for us than to have Kevin Ollie thrive and succeed here. There's a lot of uncertainty as to whether he can.

 

[huskiesnyc]

SNY had entire press conference live..you should be able to find it on their web site.

damn i wish i knew that earlier. Thanks tho!

 

[Tenspro2002]

Well, the one-year contract situation comes with a lack of security, but let's be honest, this year it also comes with a lack of pressure. It's not like he's inheriting a team coming off a championship with two potential lottery picks, expecting to be in contention.

This year will be a test of how well he can develop and prepare a team, both on the time scale of months (team cohesion) and on the time scale of days (pre-game/in-game coaching strategy).

We know he can recruit (or at least that he could recruit for JC), depleted roster or not, but now we'll get to assess those other facets of his coaching skill.

 

[CTfan07]

I'm never taking the escalator again.

I love Kevin Ollie. I'm putting my trust in him and I think he'll build a program we can all be proud of.

 

[huskiesnyc]

Manuel just said about Ollie: "he's got a long term commitment, but short term evaluation." That sounds fair to me. Warde also said he will have an active role answering parents and recruits questions about future. Good move to name him the official head coach and not interim. I think Warde will be a great AD and will be a super star.

 

[aceboon]

All in with Coach Ollie! Last year, all I was hearing was that KO wanted to become an assistant in the NBA within the next couple years. I was suprised to hear that it was his Dream Job! So excited to see what Coach KO will bring to UCONN.

Doris f'in Burke. OKC wanted to keep KO in the organization after his playing days were over, if he wanted to become an NBA assistant he would've done so once he retired. He was gonna be placed on the same fast track to coaching that Monty Williams and Jacque Vaughn have been.

 

[Excalibur]

Manuel just said about Ollie: "he's got a long term commitment, but short term evaluation." That sounds fair to me. Warde also said he will have an active role answering parents and recruits questions about future. Good move to name him the official head coach and not interim. I think Warde will be a great AD and will be a super star.

I believe Manuel when he says that KO won't necessarily be judged on wins/losses this year. If the players buy in, play their @sses off, and respect him then he'll get a longer term deal.

 

[ScottBonz]

Watching the dvr of sny feed. Kevin is taken them to church right now! I got shivers. Guy is unbelievable.

 

[UConn Hoops1]

The first time I met Kevin Ollie(and Walter Ray,Kirk King,Donnie Marshall) he/they were playing in a summer league at Connecticut College. The first impression has to start with "quiet strength". He was always imo understated but it was easy to see that reliability and great character also fit very well when you had a chance to talk to him, however briefly. I have not had a chance yet to read any of the threads posted here since JC officially announced his retirement. But my first reaction is that,in equal measure, I am thrilled Kevin has gotten this opportunity and I am very disappointed(given the circumstances surrounding the program familiar to all of us) that the University could not demonstrate greater faith in him with even option years if not at least a 3-5 year deal. And, if the Courant poll is believable, 50% feel that they are willing to give him a year. I would suggest that those 50% really don't know this guy. He may be the polar opposite of JC in terms of demeanor BUT they are joined at the hip in areas like accepting challenges and succeeding and truly understanding what is important in the lives of the young men who enter the program(and it's not just and has never been only the hoops).

So in the end, given Kevin's track record, this one year deal is right up his alley; and he WILL make it work. He's a keeper for more reasons than I can count. I am not going to say I will miss JC because he is going to be part of the UConn family for a long,long time. And everywhere you look around that campus, you will be reminded of what he has brought to Connecticut. I will congratulate Kevin; and say, they've left the door ajar...now blow the damn thing off its hinges!!!!

GO HUSKIES!!!