Jay Williams Tweet

[hoopsknowitall]

People on this board are kidding themselves if they don't think we look like huge weasels trying to get out of this contract.

If it's something egregious, then fine. But if they're trying to wiggle free based on some technicality then it's a really bad look for the school.

I agree with what you’re saying but Ollie had to know that he was on the thinnest of ice with UCONN already what with his lousy record and the NCAA snooping around. And yet he still managed to have two of his top players almost getting suspended for the initial tournament game.

I was on board for keeping Ollie onboard for next year due to the payoff but that was the last straw. He’s clueless I think...

 

[uconngb]

I tend to think that it's just business.

....KO had to go because of performance

.....KO had a $10 million buy out

.....Threaten the fire for "just cause" and then that gives some leverage for a settlement...UConn could save millions with the strategy.

....Business decision

The fact that so many people on this board don't understand this tells me just how far this forum has devolved. There is nothing personal here. No vendetta to make KO look like a criminal. It is now a business negotiation, plain and simple. Could it get ugly? Yes. But divorces often are. Both sides are looking out for their best interests, it will end up getting settled.

And I guarantee it will have NO impact on any future coach considering whether to come here or not. You see it happening at Pitt in real time, it's happening w Pitino at Louisville and it would happen everywhere else in the same situation. No school is just going to say "we'll pay you out" and no coach is going to say "never mind the buyout, you keep your money." Why is this so hard for people to understand?

 

[Horatio]

Can someone explain what a "impermissible
workout" means in regards to Larrier and Jalen. Was it NBA related?

 

[scotty0330]

Can someone explain what a "impermissible
workout" means in regards to Larrier and Jalen. Was it NBA related?

Context I know is important here. At Louisville it means something entirely different.

 

[jibsey]

The fact that so many people on this board don't understand this tells me just how far this forum has devolved. There is nothing personal here. No vendetta to make KO look like a criminal. It is now a business negotiation, plain and simple. Could it get ugly? Yes. But divorces often are. Both sides are looking out for their best interests, it will end up getting settled.

And I guarantee it will have NO impact on any future coach considering whether to come here or not. You see it happening at Pitt in real time, it's happening w Pitino at Louisville and it would happen everywhere else in the same situation. No school is just going to say "we'll pay you out" and no coach is going to say "never mind the buyout, you keep your money." Why is this so hard for people to understand?

I agree, and depending on the violation whether it’s big or small, it will help determine the final payout numbers. If he committed no infraction how can they not pay him?

 

[GemParty]

Can the school/Ollies lawyers request the NCAA promptly wrap up or release facts of their investigation, because a $10 million dollar payout is largely related to those findings?

 

[intlzncster]

Can the school/Ollies lawyers request the NCAA promptly wrap up or release facts of their investigation, because a $10 million dollar payout is largely related to those findings?

Not a lawyer, but no way.

 

[Storrs South]

Can the school/Ollies lawyers request the NCAA promptly wrap up or release facts of their investigation, because a $10 million dollar payout is largely related to those findings?

“There isn’t a burden of proof established in the contract on what the university must prove to show just cause so that gives them some leverage,” Jessop said. “The contract is not favorable to Ollie unless he is vindicated by the NCAA investigation.”

Jessop said the contract also doesn’t have a timeline saying when the university must act, of that it must wait for the NCAA to complete its investigation.

“They can arguably get out of the contract well before the NCAA ever concludes its investigation,” Jessop said.

Kevin Ollie Fired After UConn Claims 'Just Cause'; Coach Says He Will Fight

 

[ElmCity40th]

Jay Williams is a corny ... we all know KO got fired for on court results and that the "just cause " thing is all business...to name drop our hof coach who built this mf like he was doing something shiesty is wrong... he's protecting UCONN like you and Bilas are protecting Grayson Allen's punk ...keep Calhoun's name out your mouth batch!!!

 

[AdamaNation]

Lame

 

[IthacaMatt]

Then what happened between JC and KO?

My guess would be that Ollie may have felt his title was devalued by having Calhoun around the program as much, that they had been Calhoun's players. That's the way I read Calhoun's comment the other day about wanting to be closer to Kevin these last few years, but he wasn't.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The school is playing hardball. you don't start by asking Ollie if he would accept $9M. By starting the range at $0, the school is sending a clear message. Ollie can stick to his $10M, but if there is anything amiss from his contract, it gets harder for him.

As a neutral observer, the only thing I've seen in relation to those 2 players possibly being held out of the SMU game was impermissible workouts - not impermissible benefits. So if it's really only unauthorized workouts, then that paints UConn in a pretty harsh light to try to withhold the guy's $10M buyout for leaving the gym unlocked. It really looks like UConn is too broke to pay it, and is weasling out.

Now, if he is going to get you on some serious probation, then the University better already know about it, for them to go public like that, that they were firing him for cause. This all should have been handled behind the scenes. Sounds like your AD is not very experienced with the communications side of the job.

 

[Dove]

"The paint was already on the wall" so sounds like an Ollieism.

Disagree.

So I typed that into my Ollie App and it came out:

"We don't paint walls. Together we run though them."

 

[whaler11]

I get that and I would understand standing by KO that he was going to turn it around, he's a great coach, etc., etc. but to have issue with the "just cause" aspect when none of us truly know what happened.

I can't stand here and make an argument that UConn going the "just cause" route makes sense or doesn't because we don't know what happened and if there will be any punishment for it.

Because if they were a 2 seed Benedict would be banging his shoe on the podium defending Ollie no matter what the violations.

Everyone knows it’s just a play to avoid the payout and are reacting accordingly.

 

[whaler11]

The only shame is that they didn’t hold Larrier out for the entire season.

 

[Rocktheworld]

jay williams, pffffhf

The only guy who believed in us in 2011

Just sayin

Although his tweet is still stupid

 

[Yorkeez4]

I find it interesting that coaching contracts generally have a buyout clause if a coach decides to move on to greener pastures but no such clause if a school decides that team performance is not meeting expectations. I think it would be interesting if both sides were covered in the contract at the same $$$ amount. Contracts seem very one-sided but I guess that's because good coaches are in great demand.

 

[whaler11]

I find it interesting that coaching contracts generally have a buyout clause if a coach decides to move on to greener pastures but no such clause if a school decides that team performance is not meeting expectations. I think it would be interesting if both sides were covered in the contract at the same $$$ amount. Contracts seem very one-sided but I guess that's because good coaches are in great demand.

Don’t ignore the people negotiating them for the schools are inept and have zero confidence (rightfully) in their ability to recognize talent.

 

[olehead]

Sure, yet Williams' logic appears to remain impaired following his motorcycle-enabled career ending run in of his brain and a immobile stoplight. Other than that, great point Jay!

A no response says much.

 

[Chief00]

If that’s what you want to believe.

Agreed, it had been damaged long before then.

 

[DAC17]

This is just another sad example of what happens when the 24/7 sports news cycle gets a bone thrown to them. They will gnaw on it for days, with everyone's opinion (not facts) put on the air to fill up time. Yawn....

 

[JellyBean]

Jay, like me, is a Coach KO guy. The university better be right with their "Just Cause" line of bull because the whispers around this whole NCAA investigation is related to improper practice sessions. If that is the case, firing a coach over an extra practice session makes no sense. In the long run, I am hoping that the university and coach can sit down and figure out a way to settle this peacefully.

Stan Simpson: UConn’s dubious dumping of Kevin Ollie

 

[metsfan2323]

Maybe the school has more legit "cause" for firing Ollie but they are hoping to get through this without having to make it public.

 

[uc1990]

Maybe the school has more legit "cause" for firing Ollie but they are hoping to get through this without having to make it public.

Well firing him for cause would make it so you have to go public with it after he sues. I hope AD knew this would happen. If not, giving the coach the bad contract in the first place then this are 2 big marks against him. My hope is he knew this would happen, they settle on a reasonable buyout and we move on with some integrity so the next hire isn't scared to do business with this AD. Imagine if your a coach with multiple schools offering you contracts, do you take the one that just fired a guy and took all his guaranteed money away because he... It better be something or it better be the way it had to be negotiated.