I love Coach Ollie

[mlz01]

Have we forgotten how he held together UCONN basketball the year of our postseason ban? Have we forgotten how in year two he pulled UCONN basketball together and coached us to a National Championship? Have we forgotten his coaching impact on the likes of Shabazz and Boat (ask Shabazz Napier if he thinks Ollie is a bum). Have we forgotten his impact on our APR situation? Have we forgotten his recent recruiting success, even with all the conference factors against us? Have we forgotten what our players and recruits say about him? Have we forgotten what Coach Calhoun says about him and that he mentored him? Have we forgotten his loyalty to UCONN when he could have jumped for the NBA and a lot more cash?

The amount of garbage posted about our coach the last couple days has been disgusting. The only "bums" are people badmouthing Ollie. He made an uncharacteristic mistake. His record, his resume, his loyalty, his success, his character should be enough for us to support our coach and show him some love. He'll turn this around. Go Huskies!

 

[UConnSwag11]

He set the bar so high after his first 20 win season and then the NC. Idk what's going on with the lineups. But I do think Gibbs and miller aren't comfortable yet and don't know their teammates on the court. That being said the defense is atrocious. Especially our guards. They put so much pressure on brimah and whoever is playing the 4 to make up for their lack of defense. Idk if it's bc of the new rules or what but that needs to change. As well as someone stepping up and making this team his, Gibbs or Hamilton it has to be. Next year we will have Gilbert coming in who's a natural point and Adams who's a natural point

 

[mauconnfan]

I get the criticism of some of the players with lofty expectations, but KO is our guy - proven guy. He can be questioned for some of his moves, substitutions and even the paper flying incident. But whether he's the guy? NO if you're questioning that just not sure about you as a fan.

 

[Hankster]

Ollie is more frustrated than the deepest UConn fan. However, has anybody thought that there are teams better than our pups? I watched Maryland and North Carolina play a week or so ago. Great game. Two very good teams. Maryland is a very good team. My opinion. Sure you can bash players. Our guys looked lost out there the first half. Confused. Maryland was fast and played together. A far cry from the cupcakes. I watched in Atlantis. Competition was much better. Although we missed a bunch of chippies. Coaches have scouted our boys and set up very good defenses. Now adjustments can be another topic.

Hard to shoot a three when a defender is constantly in your face. Difficult to drive in when the defense collapses on you. I am sure they will figure it out. Bash our players if they lose to Hartford or Sacred Heart, Stony Brook, Boys Club. We are starting to play against top teams. Give them a break for now. Including Ollie. Although tossing paper around may be a bit much.

 

[djct1999]

Anyone who thinks KO is not the best man for this job, please name someone better.

 

[Kitaman]

Anyone who thinks KO is not the best man for this job, please name someone better.

God

 

[djct1999]

God

Exactly. So KO had a bad night. Still the best man for this job.

 

[Palatine]

Exactly. So KO had a bad night. Still the best man for this job.

I like Ollie. I think he is a good coach. I'm glad he is at UConn.

But he didn't have a bad night. Coaching is about adjustments. Right now, whatever he is doing has been figured out. It worked for Gonzaga and Sacred Heart and Maryland. He needs a new wrinkle. An adjustment needs to be made.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

It's a message board, people are allowed to be critical of the head coach. Quit the sanctimonious bs.

Clearly Ollie is a great head coach and there's no one better for the job. Doesn't mean he's perfect every game.

 

[willie99]

I saw (and posted) complaints about rebounding (for me 75% our problem is rebounding), defensive lapses and poorly run offensive sets. I've seen others complain about rotations and playing time. An occasional complaint about effort, more complaints about working the refs and the poorly times "T", but I haven't seen one person call him a bum.

Over the course of 26 years, I saw a lot of complaints about JC, it goes with the territory. In the 90's people were actually saying he couldn't win the big one, people who became UConn fans because of the success he brought to UConn. The game has passed him by was common in later seasons. One of my favorites was "he destroys kids' confidence", despite the fact that he actually developed more NBA talent than anyone else is the country. He was the "maker of men", with Ollie being one of his projects.

I do think the 2014 title may have set our expectations a little too high. I always thought replacing JC would be impossible, I never wanted to see that day come. Then Kevin's first two seasons were pretty amazing, he set the bar high, my fears subsided. Last season was a disappointment, but it was easy to understand why in the aftermath. This season should be better, I don't think one person on the staff will tell you otherwise.

In the 2014 championship run he displayed fire in his eyes, he was burning as much energy on the sidelines as the kids were on the court, where's that same fire today?

More importantly, why can't we rebound? He has to fix that problem, we have to rebound, we're doing something wrong there.

 

[tcf15]

More importantly, why can't we rebound? He has to fix that problem, we have to rebound, we're doing something wrong there.

We've literally outrebounded all but two opponents this year.

 

[tdrink]

Rebounding, especially, against better competition is a glaring weakness, but I don't believe that isn't being worked on in practice.

My concerns with KO are the in-game coaching intangibles. TO patterns, sub patterns, and working the refs. Just that lost one had a major impact on the finish of the last game.

KO has fewer opportunities to hone those skills and a comfort level will probably only come with time.

I think it's rediculous to talk about giving up him or calling him a bum.

 

[HuskyCLT]

Really he just needs to find out how to get the team going from the first whistle. He seems to make great half-time adjustments, but it's too little too late against the better teams in the country like Maryland and Gonzaga.

 

[jibsey]

KO had a bad game because he got angry with a bogus call? Please. I have zero doubt that KO and his staff have properly prepared and coached our players. You don't think he teaches defensive rotation? These are the same coaches that helped us rip through a national championship run. Getting players to do what he asks is quite another thing, and how can he be faulted for looking for answers on the bench? I believe we continually get better but the OOC and conference reality is what it is.

 

[Horatio]

To be honest KO had the benefit of having two extensions of himself on the floor in Shabazz and Boat. That was a huge benefit. Shabazz was a coach / PG And a master at drawing fouls , getting to the line and manufacturing points through gamesmanship . KO doesn't have that anymore but the closest thing to it on this team is Adams and Hamilton.

 

[MadisonSquare Gordon]

Have we forgotten how he held together UCONN basketball the year of our postseason ban? Have we forgotten how in year two he pulled UCONN basketball together and coached us to a National Championship? Have we forgotten his coaching impact on the likes of Shabazz and Boat (ask Shabazz Napier if he thinks Ollie is a bum). Have we forgotten his impact on our APR situation? Have we forgotten his recent recruiting success, even with all the conference factors against us? Have we forgotten what our players and recruits say about him? Have we forgotten what Coach Calhoun says about him and that he mentored him? Have we forgotten his loyalty to UCONN when he could have jumped for the NBA and a lot more cash?

The amount of garbage posted about our coach the last couple days has been disgusting. The only "bums" are people badmouthing Ollie. He made an uncharacteristic mistake. His record, his resume, his loyalty, his success, his character should be enough for us to support our coach and show him some love. He'll turn this around. Go Huskies!

Thank you for this post. I was starting to wonder if I was one of the few that felt this way. The Boneyard really is a painful place to come to after a loss. I know we all hate losing, but some of the nonsense that floats around here is absurd. KO is UConn and UConn is KO. Sure he made a bad decision with tossing some papers and he's still trying to figure this group out, but we're still UConn and it's still only December.

 

[intlzncster]

Have we forgotten 'when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?'

 

[intlzncster]

I like Ollie. I think he is a good coach. I'm glad he is at UConn.

But he didn't have a bad night. Coaching is about adjustments. Right now, whatever he is doing has been figured out. It worked for Gonzaga and Sacred Heart and Maryland. He needs a new wrinkle. An adjustment needs to be made.

Less than 10 games in yet. He hasn't figured out what works yet. Lot's of new pieces. Takes time.

 

[HungryHuskies]

He's only being criticized because of the conference we are in. Talks would certainly be different if we were in the B1G/ACC. There is a lot of pressure on him to win games early in the season with new pieces. He'll learn in the future that the team has to be ready for these early games. He's still very new to coaching and he's not Hall of Fame coach, Jim Calhoun (yet).

KO is the right guy for the job.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I loved JC but the program he left was a disaster
Even in his last year
2011-12
He finished below .500 in conference. with NBA or near NBA talent like Bazz,Lamb,Andre, AO, Roscoe,and Boatright and with roll players like Giffey and DD.It was the Worse coaching performance in his entire career . There were health issues but Ollie went through a divorce last year.That stuff happens.
If Ollie had that talent this year we would be top 3 .
2012-13
Then the better half of the team left
We had TO ,Nolan ,and Wolf left as Bigs wow
DD was as a big fail , Omar had bad hips , we had an undersized German playing at PF some of the time.
Ollie won 20 games with that team that couldn't rebound a lick.
We were out rebounded by a bad Providence team by 30
We had great guard leadership especially Bazz at PG.
But remember even Bazz was questioned after the disaster of JC last year.
The only the only guard sub was a Post Grad from Holy Cross.

The following year
We gotl lucky getting an underrecruited Brimah plus a Better Post Grad from GW
DD and Giffy improved by leaps and the team played great team D.
The result a NC. The Ollie guy can coach.
Last year we lost our leader plus DD ,Kromah,And Giffey
We were forced to play a two at the one who was injured much of the year had poor outside shooting many injuries and we still won 20 games .
Another great Ollie coaching job
Without a true point ,and a healthy RB, maybe the least talented team since the Perno's reign
This year
We lack great guard leadership because we were unable to recruit replacements due to ,Suspension ,coaching change and CR. For the first time in years we had no mentor understudy at the most critical position PG.
a Sophomore JA would make a huge difference in this team,
Ollie has cobbled together this team with transfers that I predict will be a very good team once they find their leader.
PS I think it's Adams but I trust KO to figure it out.
For you KO critics I have one question:
In basketball making a made basket from beyond the three point line is worth:
A. One point
B. Two points
C. Three points
D. Four points

 

[Dogdeacon]

I can't believe I tried to read some of that, but if Calhoun's coaching was 'the Worse' of his career when Bazz was a soph & Boat a frosh isn't that exactly what's going on now with Ollie's coaching & backcourt? Or are you saying since we don't have a German it could be wurst?

None of the above, making a made basket is worth zero points because it has already been made.

 

[Goat]

KO has amassed a ton of chips in my bank. I allow mistakes. Too bad our relegation to the AAC dictates big early challenges. That is an obvious problem in a year when we have are reloading the cupboards. However, we will be fine and next year, oh boy.
I also think we won't be waiting too long to see Jalen lead.

 

[Silk31]

Less than 10 games in yet. He hasn't figured out what works yet. Lot's of new pieces. Takes time.

I agree that it's not panic button time just yet. I was at the game and have since sobered up and calmed down a bit.

The issue with not having it figured out in the early going is that thanks to the AAC life we will need to have our together earlier in the seasons to beat these good OOC teams.

 

[CL82]

I loved JC but the program he left was a disaster
Even in his last year
2011-12
He finished below .500 in conference. with NBA or near NBA talent like Bazz,Lamb,Andre, AO, Roscoe,and Boatright and with roll players like Giffey and DD.It was the Worse coaching performance in his entire career . There were health issues but Ollie went through a divorce last year.That stuff happens.
If Ollie had that talent this year we would be top 3 .
2012-13
Then the better half of the team left
We had TO ,Nolan ,and Wolf left as Bigs wow
DD was as a big fail , Omar had bad hips , we had an undersized German playing at PF some of the time.
Ollie won 20 games with that team that couldn't rebound a lick.
We were out rebounded by a bad Providence team by 30
We had great guard leadership especially Bazz at PG.
But remember even Bazz was questioned after the disaster of JC last year.
The only the only guard sub was a Post Grad from Holy Cross.

The following year
We gotl lucky getting an underrecruited Brimah plus a Better Post Grad from GW
DD and Giffy improved by leaps and the team played great team D.
The result a NC. The Ollie guy can coach.
Last year we lost our leader plus DD ,Kromah,And Giffey
We were forced to play a two at the one who was injured much of the year had poor outside shooting many injuries and we still won 20 games .
Another great Ollie coaching job
Without a true point ,and a healthy RB, maybe the least talented team since the Perno's reign
This year
We lack great guard leadership because we were unable to recruit replacements due to ,Suspension ,coaching change and CR. For the first time in years we had no mentor understudy at the most critical position PG.
a Sophomore JA would make a huge difference in this team,
Ollie has cobbled together this team with transfers that I predict will be a very good team once they find their leader.
PS I think it's Adams but I trust KO to figure it out.
For you KO critics I have one question:
In basketball making a made basket from beyond the three point line is worth:
A. One point
B. Two points
C. Three points
D. Four points

You could not be more correct. I am so glad we got rid of that Calhoun bum.

 

[mlz01]

people are allowed to be critical of the head coach. Quit the sanctimonious bs.

Yes, of course they are. Just as I'm allowed to be critical of BY'ers posting negatively about our Coach. The least of my intention is to point the "morality finger". Not everyone on the BY is that self-indulgent.