In a nutshell...

[Stinger92860]

Ever hear of this new thing called paragraphs? It's life changing.

 

[Jaker]

No matter what happens with Ollie, the program should try and keep Chilli here.

 

[whaler11]

No matter what happens with Ollie, the program should try and keep Chilli here.

Yeah winning follows that guy around.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

No, not a fluke, but only attributable to Ollie in the sense that he didn't screw it up. Shabazz was the coach of that team. If we didn't know it then, we know it now.

.com

So the real coach of that team sat with two fouls and while he was sitting we turned the game from a sizable Villanova lead (and Nova having momentum) to a small UConn lead at half. Great coaching on Bazz's part.

 

[Chief00]

No matter what happens with Ollie, the program should try and keep Chilli here.

Agreed.

 

[Waquoit]

So the real coach of that team sat with two fouls and while he was sitting we turned the game from a sizable Villanova lead (and Nova having momentum) to a small UConn lead at half. Great coaching on Bazz's part.

I take it you didn't hear what Bazz said in the huddle after his 2nd foul. Truly inspirational.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Thank you for your sincere efforts. You put some real heart and soul into this thought process. It seems like while some rats are jumping ship and scavenging for scraps on land you have decided to stay aboard this vessel.

Trust me if KO knew jumping ship would land him on an island with Maryanne, Ginger or Kathy he would jump ship and swim through shark infested waters to get to land! Trust me. I know!

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

W

But these are his guys August. He’s the one who thought Larrier would be special, that Anderson had NBA potential, that Polley was a good recruit, that Durham could be the same guy after two torn acls, that Alterique would be healthy enough to run the team, that Vance, Durham, Enoch etc were UConn tough players, that Cobb was worth the risk etc... If he wasn’t so stubborn and would be willing to bring in an assistant to run the offense, I might be willing to give him that final chance as coach. The problem is he’s also the GM, responsible for stocking the cupboard for the coach, a role he’s proven to be poor at. He’s just not up to the task and not equipped to handle all the responsibilities of a head coach of a major D1 basketball program.

Well-argued, and a welcome example of "say what you mean, mean what you say, but don't say it mean."
Thanks for adding to the discussion in ways that many of the emotional outbursts don't. You may be right, though the additional (highly conditional) opportunity that AW advocates could be part of a larger context (and thus locked in) and work out in ways that surprise. I don't you, and you don't either.
It's clear that you've drawn your conclusion, but I appreciate the breathing room you've left with your approach and delivery.

 

[Towney007]

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

Hey we don't agree on much, but I'm 100% with you on this.

JC is just awful to compare anyone with. Coach K, Wooden, Smith.. I'd put Izzo in that class for sure... Roy Williams probably deserves to be there. But all those guys are generational talent. All of them sans MAYBE Williams came out of nowhere. Built something where there wasn't much. In places where *prior to being there* it was hard to put teams together. Now all of them are considered places that are afterthoughts that great talent wouldn't want to go there. Because of what they built. And hey - I still think UConn can be that kind of place.

And for the record, it's not like I enjoy Ollie's failures. I mean the potential... man. I just remember thinking so highly of him after 2014 and thinking to myself 'what are the freaking odds, man... that you get a generational head coach. He leaves and his hand picked guy comes in. Alum. NBA journeyman and in a way - just a representation in every way of what the program is and should be about. And he has the chance and it looks like he'll be just as good or close to it. And not that it matters, but it does that he's black. I mean a successful, potentially great, home-grown african american coach in a place like freaking Connecticut and the world is his oyster. That's stupidly lucky."

But based on the results and the accumulation of it all - and the overall mood of the culture around him... from the players to the fans, to all of it - it's clear there needs to be a change. I think everyone's mostly on board with that at this point.

And comparisons are inevitable, but I don't think they're fair. And in a way - that's why i'm willing and hoping they go off the proverbial reservation when they track down the next guy.Because I'm hoping we find the first 'next guy' and people don't get lost in finding another JC. That's not happening, that's not fair to expect that to happen, etc. I think you get my point.

 

[Huskybass]

W

But these are his guys August. He’s the one who thought Larrier would be special, that Anderson had NBA potential, that Polley was a good recruit, that Durham could be the same guy after two torn acls, that Alterique would be healthy enough to run the team, that Vance, Durham, Enoch etc were UConn tough players, that Cobb was worth the risk etc... If he wasn’t so stubborn and would be willing to bring in an assistant to run the offense, I might be willing to give him that final chance as coach. The problem is he’s also the GM, responsible for stocking the cupboard for the coach, a role he’s proven to be poor at. He’s just not up to the task and not equipped to handle all the responsibilities of a head coach of a major D1 basketball program.

All true and perfectly stated. Anyone who is being objective sees all this.