If you care about Uconn basketball

[UConnStats]

Don't drag Boat's name into this. That dude had a ton of heart, the quality of talent around him his senior year was just atrocious.

How about not dragging the best player of any of our teams into this... Making a scapegoat out of innocent kids isn’t making this program any better. Every one of these kids has given their best to the university, regardless of the end result. Get a grip.

I wonder if Glenn Miller just watches these games and laughs

Yes, the assistant coach of the team who lost against Wagner and Northeastern is surely laughing right now as he scours job postings.

 

[NielsisGood]

Who would be happy to stay at UConn? As long as we're in the AAC, it's not a final destination for anyone -- other than an alum.

Mark Few and Gregg Marshall prove that's not the case. This mentality is even worse than the OP.

 

[UCFan1513]

Don't drag Boat's name into this. That dude had a ton of heart, the quality of talent around him his senior year was just atrocious.

Probably not fair to bring him in but it’s just a pattern I’ve seen.

 

[UCFan1513]

How about not dragging the best player of any of our teams into this... Making a scapegoat out of innocent kids isn’t making this program any better. Every one of these kids has given their best to the university, regardless of the end result. Get a grip.

Not saying anything bad about any one of these kids. Saying they didn’t have the leadership from above to help them maximize their potential as players and leaders on the court.

 

[nomar]

I definitely think we beat out the bottom third of power conference teams in terms of appeal. That window is closing the longer Ollie stays here.

Right, but that leaves the top 3rd.

So let's say we hire some hot up & comer and he takes us to the Sweet 16. Then, say, Indiana comes calling. Or Texas. Or Florida. He's gone.

That's my fear. That's why I'm hesitant about closing the book on Ollie. He's loyal if nothing else.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not impressed by what I've seen over the last few years. There's no good choice here.

 

[NielsisGood]

How about not dragging the best player of any of our teams into this... Making a scapegoat out of innocent kids isn’t making this program any better. Every one of these kids has given their best to the university, regardless of the end result. Get a grip.

It's fair to be critical of a guy like DHam. These aren't 12 year old kids, they're young adults. It's fair to hold them to a level of accountability.

 

[nomar]

Mark Few and Gregg Marshall prove that's not the case. This mentality is even worse than the OP.

Two guys. OK. Hoping Ollie can turn things around is worse than having a temper tantrum; got it.

 

[Jaker]

Right, but that leaves the top 3rd.

So let's say we hire some hot up & comer and he takes us to the Sweet 16. Then, say, Indiana comes calling. Or Texas. Or Florida. He's gone.

That's my fear. That's why I'm hesitant about closing the book on Ollie. He's loyal if nothing else.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not impressed by what I've seen over the last few years. There's no good choice here.

Couldn't agree more

 

[jibsey]

At this pount I see us near the bottom of the AAC. We just don’t have the horses or the coaching for better than that. We struggled to beat Columbia and what team in the AAC is worse than them? Not only that but Gilbert is injured, and Larrier and Jalen are beat up before the season has even gotten going. One of them is probably going to miss games and then what? Our bigs are inadequate to say the least and our guards are small and not good shooters. Recipe for disaster. I bleed for the team and the kids are trying but I have to be honest. Wish I wasn’t and could just look through rose colored glasses.

 

[Bonk]

Replacing Ollie mid season, although unlikely, would be a smarter move than waiting until the end of the year. There are still many uncommitted 2018 recruits the new coach could target as well as target the recruits that decommit from programs at the end of the year which always happens. It would make for a smoother transition, and also give the new coach time to recruit the current UConn players to remain at the school and not transfer.

 

[NielsisGood]

Right, but that leaves the top 3rd.

So let's say we hire some hot up & comer and he takes us to the Sweet 16. Then, say, Indiana comes calling. Or Texas. Or Florida. He's gone.

That's my fear. That's why I'm hesitant about closing the book on Ollie. He's loyal if nothing else.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not impressed by what I've seen over the last few years. There's no good choice here.

Even if that ended up being the case every single time you would just grab the next up and comer to what would then be a more attractive job than it currently is.

 

[nomar]

Even if that ended up being the case every single time you would just grab the next up and comer to what would then be a more attractive job than it currently is.

That doesn't sound good, either. I don't want to be Southern Illinois.

Look, like I said, I'm not impressed. And I'm not making any excuses. But he's not getting canned during the season (unless it turns out he has a button under his desk that closes his office door) so rather than rant and rave I'm just going to keep hoping the team starts playing somewhere close to its potential.

 

[NielsisGood]

Two guys. OK. Hoping Ollie can turn things around is worse than having a temper tantrum; got it.

2 guys that run elite programs outside of the power 5. Add Wright to the list as well.

And the willingness to accept the continued ruination of this program just because "the next guy might just leave after a few good years" is what's worse. The point is that the program will have had those good years, and it's not even a given that the next guy would leave. Hell, how long did we all have to worry about Ollie leaving for the NBA? It can just as easily happen regardless.

 

[intlzncster]

Replacing Ollie mid season, although unlikely, would be a smarter move than waiting until the end of the year. There are still many uncommitted 2018 recruits the new coach could target as well as target the recruits that decommit from programs at the end of the year which always happens. It would make for a smoother transition, and also give the new coach time to recruit the current UConn players to remain at the school and not transfer.

That doesn't make any sense. You're not going to get the new coach you want mid season. And exactly zero kids are going to commit to a school who doesn't have a set in stone coach.

 

[NielsisGood]

That doesn't sound good, either. I don't want to be Southern Illinois.

Look, like I said, I'm not impressed. And I'm not making any excuses. But he's not getting canned during the season (unless it turns out he has a button under his desk that closes his office door) so rather than rant and rave I'm just going to keep hoping the team starts playing somewhere close to its potential.

I'm just playing off of your assumption that the next guy would definitely leave.


Not sure why you're harping on the Ollie isn't being fired now thing. No reasonable person expects the long term replacement to be hired now, and it doesn't matter whether Ollie is fired now or at the end of the season, the point is that he needs to go.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

How about not dragging the best player of any of our teams into this... Making a scapegoat out of innocent kids isn’t making this program any better. Every one of these kids has given their best to the university, regardless of the end result. Get a grip.

Yes, the assistant coach of the team who lost against Wagner and Northeastern is surely laughing right now as he scours job postings.

Glen Miller caused us to lose to Wagner and Northeastern? now i've heard everything

 

[Bonk]

Replacing Ollie mid season, although unlikely, would be a smarter move than waiting until the end of the year. There are still many uncommitted 2018 recruits the new coach could target as well as target the recruits that decommit from programs at the end of the year which always happens. It would make for a smoother transition, and also give the new coach time to recruit the current UConn players to remain at the school and not transfer.

That doesn't make any sense. You're not going to get the new coach you want mid season. And exactly zero kids are going to commit to a school who doesn't have a set in stone coach.

Unless it's Tom Crean or another good coach without a job you are absolutely right. My point was that if somehow they could find a new coach before seasons end it'd be more advantageous to do it earlier rather than later. But again it is highly unlikely.

 

[nomar]

2 guys that run elite programs outside of the power 5. Add Wright to the list as well.

And the willingness to accept the continued ruination of this program just because "the next guy might just leave after a few good years" is what's worse. The point is that the program will have had those good years, and it's not even a given that the next guy would leave. Hell, how long did we all have to worry about Ollie leaving for the NBA? It can just as easily happen regardless.

Wright is different. Nova was a P5 team and Wright kept them on that level. It would have been weird for him to bolt.

I don't think anybody's willing to accept the continued ruination of the program or to give Ollie a long leash. I'm willing to see how the season plays out, however, and I think that's healthier than furiously typing a GBGW post 30 minutes into the 7th game of the season. And I am concerned about firing Ollie if the team shows real improvement as the season goes on.

Ollie doesn't talk or act like his job is on the line but he has to know it is, and hopefully he finds a way to light a fire under these guys like he did in 2013 and 2014. I'm not going to bet on it, but crazier things have happened.

 

[nomar]

I'm just playing off of your assumption that the next guy would definitely leave.


Not sure why you're harping on the Ollie isn't being fired now thing. No reasonable person expects the long term replacement to be hired now, and it doesn't matter whether Ollie is fired now or at the end of the season, the point is that he needs to go.

I think some people here would love for him to be fired right now.

What if the team makes the tournament? Not looking likely, obviously, but what if it does? Should Benedict fire him?

 

[UCFan1513]

I think some people here would love for him to be fired right now.

What if the team makes the tournament? Not looking likely, obviously, but what if it does? Should Benedict fire him?

Yes. At this point winning masks a larger problem.

 

[Jimdish255]

Replacing Ollie mid season, although unlikely, would be a smarter move than waiting until the end of the year. There are still many uncommitted 2018 recruits the new coach could target as well as target the recruits that decommit from programs at the end of the year which always happens. It would make for a smoother transition, and also give the new coach time to recruit the current UConn players to remain at the school and not transfer.

Unless you have a surefire replacement lined up, vetted and committed along with the $ for a buyout it would be a disaster. Even if you did the press would kill us, some players would begin making other plans, and other coaches would be reticent to ever come here having the rug pulled after less than half a season. This isn't the NBA, yet.

 

[nomar]

Yes. At this point winning masks a larger problem.

Fair enough. FWIW, I don't think the Mike Davis comparison is a crazy one.

Out of curiosity, and I'm asking you because I think you're speaking for a lot of Yarders, what would the team have to do to convince you that Ollie's not incompetent?

 

[Towney007]

It's not a character issue. No one slapping their fingers on a keyboard has any right to be questioning the 'character' of kids on the court. 99.9% of this fanbase has *zero* concept for the work and effort that goes into being a Division-1 athlete. Don't know a thing about it, aren't capable of actually being one, etc.

What is fair, though:

-Is that this has been a below-average to bad team - an actively bad team by UConn standards - for four seasons, now. One of which was the worst season the program has seen in 30 something years.
-The problems are consistently the same problems.
-The problems are not showing signs of going away anytime soon.
-The players change, the problems stay the same.
-The assistant coaches change, the problems stay the same.

And it's all happening at a super critical time which takes 'big problems' and turns them into 'crisis-level problems.'

And then to top it all off - the team's getting beaten by Yale, Wagner, Northeastern, East Carolina, STRUGGLING to beat DII Chaminade, Columbia, Loyola Marymount during that period of time... It's a pretty awful situation.

 

[Whtdmd]

We fire PP and hire Diaco, how did that work out?We fire Diaco and hire Edsel- did it get any better? Let Ollie do his job for the yr. We won the championship less then four yrs ago. We won the conference tourney 2 yrs ago. Ollie deserve at least till 19. I m for moving back to the big east rather then firing Ollie to correct the basketball problem

 

[NielsisGood]

Wright is different. Nova was a P5 team and Wright kept them on that level. It would have been weird for him to bolt.

I don't think anybody's willing to accept the continued ruination of the program or to give Ollie a long leash. I'm willing to see how the season plays out, however, and I think that's healthier than furiously typing a GBGW post 30 minutes into the 7th game of the season. And I am concerned about firing Ollie if the team shows real improvement as the season goes on.

Ollie doesn't talk or act like his job is on the line but he has to know it is, and hopefully he finds a way to light a fire under these guys like he did in 2013 and 2014. I'm not going to bet on it, but crazier things have happened.

Wright is in a slightly better position than Few or Marshall, but how is Nova's current situation any different than what UConn can be? The same rules apply to both. I would rather be in Nova's position where the program's biggest worry is whether Wright would ever leave for a job like Indiana (or maybe Duke/Ville to be more current) than be in our current situation.


We also need to consider how extremely rare it is for a coach to stay at any program, no matter the level, for the length of time that a guy like Calhoun was at UConn. We might not ever see the likes of a Calhoun, Coach K, Izzo, etc stay with 1 program for this length of time once this generation is done.

 

[intlzncster]

We fire PP and hire Diaco, how did that work out?We fire Diaco and hire Edsel- did it get any better? Let Ollie do his job for the yr. We won the championship less then four yrs ago. We won the conference tourney 2 yrs ago. Ollie deserve at least till 19. I m for moving back to the big east rather then firing Ollie to correct the basketball problem

The team doesn't magically learn how to play basketball going back to the Big East. They just get beat easier. UCONN is struggling with the Columbia's of the world right now.

 

[NielsisGood]

I think some people here would love for him to be fired right now.

What if the team makes the tournament? Not looking likely, obviously, but what if it does? Should Benedict fire him?

Not looking likely is a bit of an understatement, no? I would still want him gone even if he makes a token appearance like a couple years ago.


On the flipside, wouldn't you say there's additional damage to be done in the event that things continue on their current trajectory and we keep Ollie on as a lame duck Bob McAdoo type?

 

[SouthBayHusky]

Not looking for any arguments and pissing matches, I'm done. If you at all care about Uconn basketball and ever want the program to be relevant again I urge you to email, write, call athletic director David Benedict and school president Susan Herbst.

I've beaten this horse dead for the past year and I'm so upset about what's happened that it makes me phyically ill. Kevin Ollie is so far in over his head and isn't the guy many of you think he is. If you care about Uconn basketball you cannot accept this, let the people who run this school know the coach needs to be fired. You may not think it has an effect but it can only help. I won't be posting nearly as much anymore because it angers me too much. I'll be back once Ollie is no longer our coach.

Agreed. I have checked out completely. I feel like I’m in an alternative universe. For what it’s I sent my letter to at least register my opinion. At the end of the day, the meager attendance and the lack of TV ratings will likely be the nail in the coffin. The current course is unsustainable.

 

[nomar]

Wright is in a slightly better position than Few or Marshall, but how is Nova's current situation any different than what UConn can be? The same rules apply to both. I would rather be in Nova's position where the program's biggest worry is whether Wright would ever leave for a job like Indiana (or maybe Duke/Ville to be more current) than be in our current situation.


We also need to consider how extremely rare it is for a coach to stay at any program, no matter the level, for the length of time that a guy like Calhoun was at UConn. We might not ever see the likes of a Calhoun, Coach K, Izzo, etc stay with 1 program for this length of time once this generation is done.

It's only different because Ollie has blown the opportunity to keep UConn at a high level. I'd rather be in Nova's position too. They kicked Penn's butt tonight while went to OT against Columbia. No argument from me there, or on your second point (although I'm sure there will be some schools fortunate enough to have long-time coaches). We for a long time thought we might have lucked into two long-time coaches in a row, but that certainly doesn't seem to the case at this point.

It's just sad. We're all handling the disappointment in different ways. I'm just trying to be even-keeled. Less acid reflux that way. I get that some people feel so passionate that they want to pressure Benedict into firing Ollie.

 

[nomar]

Not looking likely is a bit of an understatement, no? I would still want him gone even if he makes a token appearance like a couple years ago.


On the flipside, wouldn't you say there's additional damage to be done in the event that things continue on their current trajectory and we keep Ollie on as a lame duck Bob McAdoo type?

Yes, that was an understatement. If we limp into the AAC tourny and then squeak by a few teams to win it and thereby sneak into the NCAA tourny, I doubt anyone would be that impressed.

I'm not sure what time frame you're talking about. The rest of the year or next year?