how do we feel about KO comments on Mike and Mike

[neezy]

Cheers to all,

Long time fan, first time poster

Listening to KO's interview this morning and just wanted to get the general viewpoints about his reaction to being asked about leaving for the NBA.

"Not now...."

I am a realist, I understand that at some point he may want to test those waters. But he strikes me as an extremely loyal person who wants to make Calhoun and Uconn nation proud. I don't suspect him leaving anytime soon but I was sort of hoping for a definitive "Hell no, this is where i belong"

Amazing season, have enjoyed 23 years of UConn basketball, blessed to be a fan.

 

[7774]

http://www.the-boneyard.com/threads/ko-and-geno-coming-up-on-mike-and-mike.58369/#post-928144

 

[noeynox]

If He Did And Then Left, Some Would Say He Is A Liar. Thought He Answered It Perfectly.

 

[neezy]

great point, i suppose its my nervousness/anxiety getting the best of me

 

[SWHuskyFan]

I think most coaches have latched onto the never say never sort of statement regarding other jobs. It makes them look worse later when they leave if they've made any kind of definitive statement.

 

[BlueMAB]

"When I said [UConn] was my 'dream job' I wasn't saying it just to say it."

He's not going anywhere for a long time.

 

[WestHartHusk]

I think his agent had a chat with him before the interview. I hope we open up the vault for him.

 

[amory]

I didn't hear it, so I can't really comment. I just hope he never bothers with NBA coaching. He's been there, done that as a player and coaches can only really show off their ability in the college game.

I can name like 10 pro coaches, maybe. They're just professional scapegoats in the majority of cases.

 

[amory]

Listening to it now. KO literally gets asked the same freaking questions every damn interview.

 

[djct1999]

in the end, this is a business. fortunately for ko, the threat of the nba will always give him leverage when it comes to talking finances with uconn. it does him no good to deny that is an option.


for example, why did rex chapman tweet that about calipari? i heard that it was calipari himself that wanted it out there. this is a business.

 

[superjohn]

He's going to be here for a very long time.

 

[jleves]

You're about to renegotiate your contract. There's no way you say never. Put a little doubt out there even if you don't intend to go anywhere. Smart move.

I really don't think he is going anywhere. My take is he likes having roots and seeing his family 90% of the year. And it's not like there is a lot of want left at his current and soon to be salary.

 

[Zionn]

he will be asked in 3 mins on WFAN.

 

[upstater]

After the way he started his UConn career, as a temp, he gets to put the screws to Warde as much as humanly possible. Yes, this may be a crazy statement, but if he were anointed immediately with the full confidence of the university, he might feel 100% 10-toes-in today instead of 99%. Did he deserve the full support? Perhaps not. And yet, here we are today with the hottest basketball coach in America. So... in hindsight...

 

[nomar]

After the way he started his UConn career, as a temp, he gets to put the screws to Warde as much as humanly possible. Yes, this may be a crazy statement, but if he were anointed immediately with the full confidence of the university, he might feel 100% 10-toes-in today instead of 99%. Did he deserve the full support? Perhaps not. And yet, here we are today with the hottest basketball coach in America. So... in hindsight...

Oh stop. The Chicken Little shtick about how we'd never land any recruits didn't work then and this isn't working now. KO should put the screws to Warde because he's worth more than he's getting paid. But if you think KO is a vindictive guy and doesn't mean it when he says he appreciates Manuel giving him the opportunity, then I don't think you know our coach.

 

[champs99and04]

Warde was in a tough spot with the KO contract. If you sign him to a long-term deal and he falls on his face, people are going to be openly wondering why a more tenured coach like Shaka Smart wasn't hired. If you don't sign him, you potentially alienate the man who built the program, turn some fans off, and have to conduct a coaching search in September. IMO, the one year contract was the perfect solution, and clearly, the program did not suffer because of it. As easily as you can wonder if KO felt he "didn't have full support", you could just as easily make the case that KO should be loyal to Warde for giving an untested coach a shot.

 

[Penfield]

Warde was in a tough spot with the KO contract. If you sign him to a long-term deal and he falls on his face, people are going to be openly wondering why a more tenured coach like Shaka Smart wasn't hired. If you don't sign him, you potentially alienate the man who built the program, turn some fans off, and have to conduct a coaching search in September. IMO, the one year contract was the perfect solution, and clearly, the program did not suffer because of it. As easily as you can wonder if KO felt he "didn't have full support", you could just as easily make the case that KO should be loyal to Warde for giving an untested coach a shot.

This, and Ollie continually said he needed to prove himself. His contract was extended in what, December? I don't think he holds a grudge.

That being said we need to pay this guy big time.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

As much as Durant and other nba stars try to convince him to leave, I'd hope the fact that he was kicked around to so many NBA organizations for his entire career resonates with him. He can't call any NBA franchise home but he sure as hell can say we're home.

 

[caw]

I'll forgive him if he leaves in five years after his fifth NC. Lol. Seriously he may leave one day but it's a long ways off IMO. He's what 41, so maybe after 15-20 years he wants a shot-so be it.

 

[James]

I'll forgive him if he leaves in five years after his fifth NC. Lol. Seriously he may leave one day but it's a long ways off IMO. He's what 41, so maybe after 15-20 years he wants a shot-so be it.

he wants as many college rings as he can get. he is a competitor and i do expect him to try coaching in the association at some point. none of that would matter because we would be hands down the best college hoops program in the country.

 

[Adios]

He's made clear religion is what matters most to him in his life. Given that, one would be wise to assume he'd rather influence young men than chase after the money of the NBA.

 

[upstater]

Oh stop. The Chicken Little shtick about how we'd never land any recruits didn't work then and this isn't working now. KO should put the screws to Warde because he's worth more than he's getting paid. But if you think KO is a vindictive guy and doesn't mean it when he says he appreciates Manuel giving him the opportunity, then I don't think you know our coach.

I was saying exactly the opposite of we're never going to land any recruits. I was saying from the start that this guys entire resume showed he was going to be killer on the recruiting trail. In fact, when it comes to recruiting, what happened with Warde saved UConn, because a certain New Yorker's people told the New York Post that he wasn't coming to UConn because of the interim tag. Thank god for that, because otherwise UConn would have recruited a kid who got in trouble for alleged sexual assault. So that's good. But the fact is many of us took a lot of guff for NEVER doubting Ollie on this board, so I'm a gonna crow now that I knew he was the right choice, for a variety of reasons which we don't really need to go into, and that if he wants to max out now, he deserves it, and he can't be blamed. He's a rising star. And the fact is, even if Ollie isn't vindictive (I don't know why you phrased it like that, since this isn't a matter of revenge at all; it's a matter of playing hardball instead of taking a hometown discount), we do know that a whole slew of people in Ollie's camp were none too thrilled by the interim tag. They knew this guy was held in high esteem in many quarters, and they thought it was total bush league. And before people defend Warde on this one (Manuel actually gets a pass now for everything from me if only for the dumb luck of not landing Austin) realize that many of us took a lot of guff here for defending Ollie 100% from the start.

 

[upstater]

Warde was in a tough spot with the KO contract. If you sign him to a long-term deal and he falls on his face, people are going to be openly wondering why a more tenured coach like Shaka Smart wasn't hired. If you don't sign him, you potentially alienate the man who built the program, turn some fans off, and have to conduct a coaching search in September. IMO, the one year contract was the perfect solution, and clearly, the program did not suffer because of it. As easily as you can wonder if KO felt he "didn't have full support", you could just as easily make the case that KO should be loyal to Warde for giving an untested coach a shot.

It all depends. Why did people think so highly of the untested coach? Why did all these NBA people? Why did all these NBA players? Why did Calhoun? Seems to me you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

 

[boog204]

He's going to be here for a while... If he decides to leave and get a ginormous payday in the NBA, then so be it. I think every school in the country yearns to have a coach take them to a title. KO did that in year two. If he wanted to leave, he's already earned it in my mind.

 

[champs99and04]

It all depends. Why did people think so highly of the untested coach? Why did all these NBA people? Why did all these NBA players? Why did Calhoun? Seems to me you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

I agree, there were a lot of signs that pointed towards him being a good coach, which is why he got the job. There have been a lot of coaches over the years with similar credentials, though, that just didn't pan out. I'm glad Ollie wasn't one of them.