In a nutshell...

[uconnfan68]

How much of this is Ollie as opposed to the fact we play in a mid major conference. This was all inevitable. We just need to learn to change our expectations. UConn is a basketball school that is now playing in a mid major basketball conference.

Oh please. If this is such a bad place, why can’t we beat the other teams?

 

[InKembaITrust]

That's the new spin? No sale.

You disagree?

I'd say that's the main narrative other than him losing out on the 3 transfers...1 of which was an injury story

 

[SouthBayHusky]

I love it when the opposition starts with, "If you disagree with me, you have no sense." Brilliant counter point.
KO had ZERO to do with making Shabazz the player he became. Or Giffey, or DD, or Boatright. Calhoun chose the players. Calhoun broke them in and trained them. Ollie had them for 1 year prior to the championship season. Not long enough to infect them, apparently. Believe what you want. If AB doesn't hit that 3, there is ZERO doubt that Ollie was a complete bust. He didn't out coach St. Joes - he got lucky that he didn't cost us the game. The players won the NC. Not Ollie. He was along for the ride. I didn't want to believe it at first, but it's clear as day in the rear view mirror - the 2014 squad won in spite of Ollie, not because of him. He's awful. He's been awful from day one. The Calhoun momentum earned the 4th natty, not Ollie's coaching. When the momentum ran out, so did the success.

In short, if you haven't been paying attention - immediately upon the exhaustion of the Calhoun momentum the program tanked and has sucked since.

It's Ollie. It's always been Ollie. He may be the worst coach in Div. 1. Completely serious when I say that.

That makes the 2014 team's achievement even more impressive.
Shabazz said, "this is what happens what you ban us." The motivation came from within.

Ollie is not a head coach. At any level. Period.
This is business. Let's get on with it.

I agree with much of your post. But, I do think KO served as an amazing mentor and motivator and that had something to do with the national championship. That said, being an amazing mentor does not amount to being a high-level Division I basketball coach.

 

[UconnFanDC]

The problem bas been keeping a team together and player development. There has been some talent on each team during Ollie's time here. It's puzzling and frustrating as heck.

 

[JeepCSC]

So you don’t think coach k can get recruits to come to duke ?? Better yet do you feel duke would not get top recruits if capel left ??

K recruited very well prior to Capel coming. It got kicked up several notches since however. In the last 7 years, they’ve brought in more talent (whether you measure in burger boys, top 10 talent, or lotto picks) than any other full decade in Duke history.

 

[Scrutineer]

How much of this is Ollie as opposed to the fact we play in a mid major conference. This was all inevitable. We just need to learn to change our expectations. UConn is a basketball school that is now playing in a mid major basketball conference.

How do you explain Cincinnati and several others improving their standing in the sport over the past five years if the league is the problem and why would WSU join the league if it's as bad as you say?
UConn used to dominate the Big East and holds the all-time record for wins in a season with 17, but the last regular season
championship they won was in 2005/2006 and that was a title shared with Villanova.
This season seems to actually be the latest in a ten year decline that was punctuated with two unexpected national championships

 

[Scrutineer]

I actually do. I'm willing to give another year to him because the potential returns far outweigh the risks in my mind. You have a guy that is fully vested in the program. If he can figure it out we will be in an enviable spot for years. Don't get me wrong, he is definitely an underdog right now. I think he will have to do some major soul searching this off season and next year because the writing is on the wall. He has to improve and he knows it.

Look at Jay Wright's first couple of years. I'm sure you can look at a whole bunch of different coaches' early records and you'll see the same thing. If Kevin Ollie can succeed here then the program is set for 20+ years. If we bring someone with no allegiance to the program we could be facing a turnstile head coaching spot and I feel that is just as bad as what we're going through now.

Some people may think that another year of these results will somehow bury the program forever. I just don't see it that way. If UCONN beat mich st and unc out in oregon the media would have been all over them. I don't get the feeling that we're on the brink of total anhilation because we aren't. If they win they will be instantly "relevant" again.

I understand where you're coming from and you have every right to be calling for KO's head. You can rightfully ask how will anything change next year. People grow and change, especially when faced with adversity. Maybe it's a long shot, but for the long run I think giving KO one more chance is worth the risk.

I was going to mention Mike Krzyzewski's first three years at Duke before you mentioned Wright. Coach K was 17-13, 10-17 and 11-17 and there was the same kind of clamoring for his head at Duke as there seems to be among many on this site right now. You're right that it would be nirvana if Ollie can keep the team together and make the big turnaround next year, but none of us have the crystal ball we need to make the right decision. I don't envy the AD.
The thing that bothers me the most is how fast the fans have fallen off the bandwagon. It's got to be frightening to UConn's Board and Administration. Bad for the budget but bad also because they're losing the spotlight the program once had. When I lived in the Northeast many of us were loyal fans during the bad Perno years and were overjoyed when the team started winning and became the national power we hoped we would be one day. We can only hope this dreadful period will end as well as the one thirty years ago.

 

[Towney007]

Good god, we're hearing Ollie/Coach K comps.

Kill me.

 

[Scrutineer]

New Coach and everyone will be blaming Ollie for years and years when keep on sucking..

A top tier coach who can recruit is not walking thru the door folks. Ollie needs to go but your not getting any heavy hitter.. Dan Hurley will BOMB here big time !!!

Why would we want a big name? Was Calhoun a big name?
No, he wasn't, but he was a proven winner who knew how to run a program and that's all it takes in basketball. Especially at a school which has such a proud history and a fan base that was great until the recent past.

 

[Scrutineer]

Good god, we're hearing Ollie/Coach K comps.

Kill me.

Read the whole thing and understand why the comparison was made. It doesn't guarantee that Ollie will have the same success if he stays another year, but merely points out another coach who started similarly and also notes how difficult a decision the AD faces.

 

[Chief00]

I wish I could read the staff's recruiting notes on all of our players. I'd like to see the pros/cons and their assessment of development needs for each one. More importantly what they felt each one was going to bring to the Court in terms of expected contributions.

Sure we aren't competing well against the P5s for recruits but what did our Coaches see in this crop or what did they believe they were getting?

Lastly if their notes indicate there strategy and observations, and that has not changed then we will for awhile be a team with perpetual missing parts. Ollie always says he wants kids here who will buy into the UConn brand and culture. Well our culture and brand has diminished substantially and it looks like his recruits (i.e players) have adopted his new culture. Its all top-down.

Just saying this is Ollie's team/staff/players, brand and culture. Consequently (and sadly) this also is the new UConn.

The UConn culture that KO preaches is man to man defense; we played zone 95% of the game. Shame on us!

 

[Chief00]

I love it when the opposition starts with, "If you disagree with me, you have no sense." Brilliant counter point.
KO had ZERO to do with making Shabazz the player he became. Or Giffey, or DD, or Boatright. Calhoun chose the players. Calhoun broke them in and trained them. Ollie had them for 1 year prior to the championship season. Not long enough to infect them, apparently. Believe what you want. If AB doesn't hit that 3, there is ZERO doubt that Ollie was a complete bust. He didn't out coach St. Joes - he got lucky that he didn't cost us the game. The players won the NC. Not Ollie. He was along for the ride. I didn't want to believe it at first, but it's clear as day in the rear view mirror - the 2014 squad won in spite of Ollie, not because of him. He's awful. He's been awful from day one. The Calhoun momentum earned the 4th natty, not Ollie's coaching. When the momentum ran out, so did the success.

In short, if you haven't been paying attention - immediately upon the exhaustion of the Calhoun momentum the program tanked and has sucked since.

It's Ollie. It's always been Ollie. He may be the worst coach in Div. 1. Completely serious when I say that.

That makes the 2014 team's achievement even more impressive.
Shabazz said, "this is what happens what you ban us." The motivation came from within.

Ollie is not a head coach. At any level. Period.
This is business. Let's get on with it.

Quite frankly, the other factor was Calhoun attended every practice and game. Then the ego blew up like a balloon - Calhoun was no longer needed and stuff happened off the court and it wasn’t recruiting.

 

[Stinger92860]

Only if you weren't here for MakersMuppet.

Good point, forgot about that.

 

[Captbluefin]

Why would we want a big name? Was Calhoun a big name?
No, he wasn't, but he was a proven winner who knew how to run a program and that's all it takes in basketball. Especially at a school which has such a proud history and a fan base that was great until the recent past.

How many once in a lifetime HOF coaches do you think are going to come to UCONN snd rise from the ashes ???

And you think all of a sudden he is going to get Studs here he could not get at URI ??? Even if he could it would take 5 years. It took JC a while. The entitled fans here are not going to wait 5 years before demanding his head.. Many think Hurley is going to come here and we are going to be top 25 in a year..

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT !!!!

 

[jibsey]

Good god, we're hearing Ollie/Coach K comps.

Kill me.

K just got the #2 player yesterday for next year. I want KO gone because he can’t get good enough players and he can’t seem to coach but there’s no way on earth to compare these guys at this point. Just can’t win without the talent. And that’s also why our last 2 national championships are so remarkable because in comparison to the top ranked teams at the time we were such underdogs.

 

[White Dwarf]

We are circling the drain. Not really hard to see.

 

[TRest]

Read the whole thing and understand why the comparison was made. It doesn't guarantee that Ollie will have the same success if he stays another year, but merely points out another coach who started similarly and also notes how difficult a decision the AD faces.

I bet anyone watching the early K teams didn't think that they were poorly coached.

 

[Pudge]

I love it when the opposition starts with, "If you disagree with me, you have no sense." Brilliant counter point.
KO had ZERO to do with making Shabazz the player he became. Or Giffey, or DD, or Boatright. Calhoun chose the players. Calhoun broke them in and trained them. Ollie had them for 1 year prior to the championship season. Not long enough to infect them, apparently. Believe what you want. If AB doesn't hit that 3, there is ZERO doubt that Ollie was a complete bust. He didn't out coach St. Joes - he got lucky that he didn't cost us the game. The players won the NC. Not Ollie. He was along for the ride. I didn't want to believe it at first, but it's clear as day in the rear view mirror - the 2014 squad won in spite of Ollie, not because of him. He's awful. He's been awful from day one. The Calhoun momentum earned the 4th natty, not Ollie's coaching. When the momentum ran out, so did the success.

In short, if you haven't been paying attention - immediately upon the exhaustion of the Calhoun momentum the program tanked and has sucked since.

It's Ollie. It's always been Ollie. He may be the worst coach in Div. 1. Completely serious when I say that.

That makes the 2014 team's achievement even more impressive.
Shabazz said, "this is what happens what you ban us." The motivation came from within.

Ollie is not a head coach. At any level. Period.
This is business. Let's get on with it.

You didn't like the way I started that last post ... here's the NEXT idea I had:

YOU are an idiot.

I condemn you to go watch the 6 MM games of 2014 once again. All ... proved that Kevin Ollie can coach. Simple. That doesn't take much. The mess we have today is from his deficiencies in so many other things that go with running an elite Program. He is a good coach, in some specific circumstances. I refuse to take Fishy's opinion: he is lazy and doesn't work and doesn't like recruiting. I accept that he has failed to use the resources given to him by our culture and Coach Calhoun's legacy.

Further: what is abundantly frightening is the Fanbase. Gosh, really? Do you think Purdue abandoned Matt Painter in his 3 year lull after some initial success?

 

[UConniki]

New Coach and everyone will be blaming Ollie for years and years when keep on sucking..

A top tier coach who can recruit is not walking thru the door folks. Ollie needs to go but your not getting any heavy hitter.. Dan Hurley will BOMB here big time !!!

He's not bombing at RI and they're a much smaller school in a lesser league with Providence for competition in their own back yard. If Hurley can succeed at Rhode Island HE CAN SUCCEED HERE.

 

[nomar]

Good god, we're hearing Ollie/Coach K comps.

Kill me.

No comparison.

Ollie has been much more successful than Coach K in taking down UConn.

 

[Stainmaster]

I love it when the opposition starts with, "If you disagree with me, you have no sense." Brilliant counter point.
KO had ZERO to do with making Shabazz the player he became. Or Giffey, or DD, or Boatright. Calhoun chose the players. Calhoun broke them in and trained them. Ollie had them for 1 year prior to the championship season. Not long enough to infect them, apparently. Believe what you want. If AB doesn't hit that 3, there is ZERO doubt that Ollie was a complete bust. He didn't out coach St. Joes - he got lucky that he didn't cost us the game. The players won the NC. Not Ollie. He was along for the ride. I didn't want to believe it at first, but it's clear as day in the rear view mirror - the 2014 squad won in spite of Ollie, not because of him. He's awful. He's been awful from day one. The Calhoun momentum earned the 4th natty, not Ollie's coaching. When the momentum ran out, so did the success.

In short, if you haven't been paying attention - immediately upon the exhaustion of the Calhoun momentum the program tanked and has sucked since.

It's Ollie. It's always been Ollie. He may be the worst coach in Div. 1. Completely serious when I say that.

That makes the 2014 team's achievement even more impressive.
Shabazz said, "this is what happens what you ban us." The motivation came from within.

Ollie is not a head coach. At any level. Period.
This is business. Let's get on with it.

This is a stupid take and you don’t know anything.

 

[Stainmaster]

Good god, we're hearing Ollie/Coach K comps.

Kill me.

It’s just as exhausting as hearing Ollie compared to Calhoun, and realizing the same will be true of every coach to follow him.

 

[DMIL]

Ollie recruited a bunch of high level injured/injury prone players that other schools were smart enough not to gamble on, think it's as simple as that.

The risk reward was great, got the short end of the stick and it blew up in his face. LESSON LEARNED

Now we temporarily do not have nearly the talent to compete with teams this year.

1 more year, if he doesn't piece it together next season, adios

Spot on!

 

[DMIL]

And let's say we give you and Ollie that. What can be done to make next season better? Because just saying "OK Kevin, we're giving you another year" won't cut it. Do we insist on bringing in a new coach? Make the guys practice more 3-pointers? Counting on a switch going off suddenly is a long shot in my opinion.

Maybe an adjustment to the coaching staff as well. Something is seriously missing there. They just seem to be soft and maybe that is because of the confidence issue with the team. They have to think basics too much and aren’t able to go out and play relaxed, fun basketball. And the schedule has been an absolute killer of confidence. I mean it’s a catch 22. Having a brutal schedule is great for recruiting given the conference when you have a stable program, team but as we know this has not been the case and what ever has been going on the last few years is not being exposed for the world to see. The Administration, couching staff have all been caught with there pants down. You know it’s not all on Ollie but enough of it is. When it rains it pours. Fundamentally we do not have the right mix of players to be successful in this league period. The transfers from last year was a devastating blow to our program and Ollie. I don’t know the real reason why these guys left but it has left a devasting hole that will take years (at least 3) to recover from. Ollie took a chance on injured recruits with great promise. Gilbert stayed and Durham bounced. Yes, Ollie got played by these guys at the end of the day with no contingency plan. His divorce had to be a big factor for him over the last few years as well. He is such an energy person and I’m sure that was off a bit. For a successful season with the current squad you needed a couple of things to happen. (1) Adams and Larrier to dominate at there positions. This is the constant, the glue that is crital to this particular team. (2) Gilbert to stay healthy and flourish. Gilbert with his pure talent provides scoring, assists, defense and developing leadership. Imagine a true 5 Star point guard setting Larrier up off of a pick and roll or screen for open jumps shots. None of this has come to pass and when the first didn’t come to pass it exposed the rest of the team which was young, not as talented and had not played together. This is who we are right now. Ollie has to find a way this season to give us any semblance of hope going into next season. The best we can hope for is a winning season / .500 the rest of the way out. Pressure brings out the best and worst with teams. These guys aren’t what he hoped and that is o.k. I don’t know if Ollie survives after this season. If he does then Kudos to him but man this is a painful time and it is getting so toxic. It ‘s just unbelievable the way we are getting exposed. Let’s continue to focus on the positives as much as we can. That is about all we can do.

 

[Huskymagic]

I don't understand how any UCONN fan could want Ollie back as head coach. He has done nothing that wasn't given to him by Calhoun.

He has the worst eye for talent, has no idea how to develop or put talented players in a position to succeed, and can't recruit well enough to hide his coaching deficiencies.

PS: Coach K doesn't need Capel to recruit nor would Capel be that successful recruiting outside of Duke. Its not that hard for the Ratface to recruit to Duke, its gone into insane overdrive with the one and done rule and K deciding to recruit and coach to that new reality.