Kevin Ollie’s lawyers ask for depositions from NCAA president Mark Emmert and national search firm as contract dispute with UConn

[Umami Zen]

Everything is messy with him now. He had the world by the balls and squandered it all, I kind of just feel badly for him at this point. Hopefully he made some good investments over the years and isn't staking everything on this.

Not an attorney..I have been divorced.. Sometimes the former wife(and her attorney) dictate the math..I hope that the University and KO can come to an acceptable compromise can satisfy all parties so that we can move on to an exciting 2020 season under DH's guidance..

 

[CL82]

Not an attorney..I have been divorced.. Sometimes the former wife(and her attorney) dictate the math..I hope that the University and KO can come to an acceptable compromise can satisfy all parties so that we can move on to an exciting 2020 season under DH's guidance..

The thing is KO had more settlement leverage before his attorneys started a smear campaign. The thing about saying pay us more or we will make a mess in the press, (even if you don't go full Avenatti with it and end up in jail) is that once you make a mess in the press your leverage is gone. That's where team KO is right now. They don't have a lot of leverage left, maybe none at all at this point.

 

[Umami Zen]

The thing is the KO had more settlement leverage before his attorneys started a smear campaign. The thing about saying pay us more or we will make a mess in the press, (even if you don't go full Avenatti with it and end up in jail) is that once you make a mess in the press your leverage is gone. That's where team KO is right now. They don't have a lot of leverage left.

Been that way for awhile...

 

[Fishy]

Who cares?

That clown show can depose half the planet.

They're flailing.

 

[Umami Zen]

Who cares?

That clown show can depose half the planet.

They're flailing.

Tell it like it is Bro

 

[bfs3]

Everything is messy with him now. He had the world by the balls and squandered it all, I kind of just feel badly for him at this point. Hopefully he made some good investments over the years and isn't staking everything on this.

Ollie opened a wellness studio/acupuncture place. Anyone who doesnt see that as a future vacant building space doesnt has very much foresight. I hope its a money laundering front otherwise its a few hundred thousand down the drain. I'm sure he will always be comfortable but he definitely missed the boat by dragging this out. He could have been an assistant in the NBA at worst if he played his cards right.

 

[freescooter]

The thing is KO had more settlement leverage before his attorneys started a smear campaign. The thing about saying pay us more or we will make a mess in the press, (even if you don't go full Avenatti with it and end up in jail) is that once you make a mess in the press your leverage is gone. That's where team KO is right now. They don't have a lot of leverage left, maybe none at all at this point.

That and an NCAA finding that he violated a bunch of rules. When you get fired for breaking the rules and the rule maker finds you broke them and penalizes your employer because of it, you also kinda lose your leverage.

 

[BlueMAB]

From what I have read. The language in the contracts is not the same. In Fact, the specific language in Ollie's contract was a direct result of the compliance issues Calhoun had that led to UConn's punishment and a warning from the NCAA that future infractions will be treated worse. Maybe a good lawyer can make hay with that, but the language in the contracts was not the same

To be clear, I'm not arguing they are the same/similar, I'm just pointing out that's what the lawyers will argue.

The poster i responded to said the following:

"KO's defense amounts to "Jim Calhoun did just as much wrong as me and still got paid therefore I deserve to get paid too."

That's not how it works Kevin.

That is pretty close to exactly how it works. That was my point.

 

[Umami Zen]

I was on the Campus pre-DH for a celebration for a UCONN employee twho had passed ..That JC knew..JC spoke at the event..I'm out in a crowded lobby..JC and KO are 5 feet from each other..No recognition by JC..There were intense vibes but JC was moving on.. I said hi to both.. Beginning of the end..Sad but true..

 

[BlueMAB]

That and an NCAA finding that he violated a bunch of rules. When you get fired for breaking the rules and the rule maker finds you broke them and penalizes your employer because of it, you also kinda lose your leverage.

That's not true at all. His leverage comes from his protected status.

His argument isn't that he didn't break rules. It's that a white coach did the same (or worse) and didn't get fired.
I don't believe for a minute it had anything to do with race. UConn has ample evidence that the NCAA unfairly punished UConn in comparison to other programs, and that they had to act more severely than in the past. Ollie also lied to the NCAA and to UConn, something I don't think Calhoun ever did (or was caught doing).

That said, the fact a black man made him HC and a white man fired him and hired another white man to replace him only further complicates things. These facts matter in employment claims, to what extent varies, but they are facts that are taken under consideration.

The way-too-oversimplified version is "School allows white coach to cheat, but fires black coach for cheating, and replaces him with white man". Noting about that statement is false. Misleading of course, but it's a statement of fact.

On the surface, UConn looks awful (to the headline readers), while Ollie looks awful (to the arguably more informed people). I doubt whoever arbitrates this thing is as familiar with the nuance of the situation (or as biased) as we are. So the UConn legal team will have to make a strong argument, this isn't as open/shut as most of us would like, IMO. They shouldn't lose, but the Falcons should have never lost a 28-3 lead.

 

[Umami Zen]

Not qualified to comment on legal matters..

 

[Northbound]

It's getting to point where someone needs to assess Ollie's mental health.

The guy is nuttier than a fruitcake.

 

[mussels]

Can't believe all the trashing of a coach who delivered a 4th national championship. In 2013, with the program on life support due to Calhoun's retirement and impending conference realignment, he coached with passion and the team responded in kind. They were a tournament team, despite no chance of post season play. We know what happened the next year. Without Ollie, that didn't happen. I repeat: Without Ollie 2014 didn't happen.

Yeah, then something happened. He wasn't the same, so the team wasn't the same, but stuff does happen and lives don't usually proceed in nice straight lines.

Ollie clearly needed to be let go, but let's be honest; he was fired for performance, not NCAA violations. Does his contract have anything about performance? Probably not. So then it came down to a disingenuous argument about NCAA violations on behalf of UConn which invited an equally disingenuous assertion of racial bias on behalf of Ollie.

So argue that he had to go (he did), but please remember what he did for us as a player and a coach, and get off your high horses regarding his contract and NCAA violations. If he was winning people would have defended the violations to the last drop.

 

[NJHusky]

That's not true at all. His leverage comes from his protected status.

His argument isn't that he didn't break rules. It's that a white coach did the same (or worse) and didn't get fired.
I don't believe for a minute it had anything to do with race. UConn has ample evidence that the NCAA unfairly punished UConn in comparison to other programs, and that they had to act more severely than in the past. Ollie also lied to the NCAA and to UConn, something I don't think Calhoun ever did (or was caught doing).

That said, the fact a black man made him HC and a white man fired him and hired another white man to replace him only further complicates things. These facts matter in employment claims, to what extent varies, but they are facts that are taken under consideration.

The way-too-oversimplified version is "School allows white coach to cheat, but fires black coach for cheating, and replaces him with white man". Noting about that statement is false. Misleading of course, but it's a statement of fact.

On the surface, UConn looks awful (to the headline readers), while Ollie looks awful (to the arguably more informed people). I doubt whoever arbitrates this thing is as familiar with the nuance of the situation (or as biased) as we are. So the UConn legal team will have to make a strong argument, this isn't as open/shut as most of us would like, IMO. They shouldn't lose, but the Falcons should have never lost a 28-3 lead.

What about School hires black AD?

 

[JimHurley]

That's not true at all. His leverage comes from his protected status.

His argument isn't that he didn't break rules. It's that a white coach did the same (or worse) and didn't get fired.
I don't believe for a minute it had anything to do with race. UConn has ample evidence that the NCAA unfairly punished UConn in comparison to other programs, and that they had to act more severely than in the past. Ollie also lied to the NCAA and to UConn, something I don't think Calhoun ever did (or was caught doing).

That said, the fact a black man made him HC and a white man fired him and hired another white man to replace him only further complicates things. These facts matter in employment claims, to what extent varies, but they are facts that are taken under consideration.

The way-too-oversimplified version is "School allows white coach to cheat, but fires black coach for cheating, and replaces him with white man". Noting about that statement is false. Misleading of course, but it's a statement of fact.

On the surface, UConn looks awful (to the headline readers), while Ollie looks awful (to the arguably more informed people). I doubt whoever arbitrates this thing is as familiar with the nuance of the situation (or as biased) as we are. So the UConn legal team will have to make a strong argument, this isn't as open/shut as most of us would like, IMO. They shouldn't lose, but the Falcons should have never lost a 28-3 lead.

This is not about race. You did a good job explaining how it could be perceived as racial, but as fans of the program we know it’s not. Calhoun built this program from the ground up and brought us 3 NCs. That’s why he wasn’t fired. Ollie burned the program to the ground in under 5 years. That’s (partially) why he was fired. He also committed several violations and lied to the NCAA. Calhoun also committed violations but he’s also one of the best coaches of all-time. If Ollie was as good a coach as Calhoun, he’d still be the coach here but he’s the opposite of what Calhoun was. And, let’s be real Hurley was hired because he was one of hottest up and coming names in CBB and had major northeast ties. Him and UConn just made sense.

 

[BlueMAB]

What about School hires black AD?

Yes of course that matters too. I don’t think race has anything to do with it. But it’s the argument that allows Ollie to say “Jim got paid, so should I.”

 

[BlueMAB]

This is not about race. You did a good job explaining how it could be perceived as racial, but as fans of the program we know it’s not. Calhoun built this program from the ground up and brought us 3 NCs. That’s why he wasn’t fired. Ollie burned the program to the ground in under 5 years. That’s (partially) why he was fired. He also committed several violations and lied to the NCAA. Calhoun also committed violations but he’s also one of the best coaches of all-time. If Ollie was as good a coach as Calhoun, he’d still be the coach here but he’s the opposite of what Calhoun was. And, let’s be real Hurley was hired because he was one of hottest up and coming names in CBB and had major northeast ties. Him and UConn just made sense.

I agree. But I don’t think contract law allows for the nuance of partial reasons for firing someone.

 

[JimHurley]

I agree. But I don’t think contract law allows for the nuance of partial reasons for firing someone.

Understood. As I said, you did a good job of explaining why it can be perceived as racial. But as fans of the program who know what went on, we know it is not.

 

[Watchdog]

It looks as if they're making a couple arguments:
1. The hiring of Hurley was in the works prior to Ollie's termination; and
2. Calhoun made the same type transgressions and he wasn't fired because he was white.

We don't know when Hurley's hiring process began and if it was started before Ollie was fired.

As to Calhoun skating for the same type violations, that could be true, but he may not have been in violation of the terms of his contract. As I recall, coaching contracts were strengthened as a result of some of the violations that occurred under Calhoun and the new contracts (including Ollie's) include tougher standards of conduct and harsher penalties for violations.

 

[JimHurley]

It looks as if they're making a couple arguments:
1. The hiring of Hurley was in the works prior to Ollie's termination; and
2. Calhoun made the same type transgressions and he wasn't fired because he was white.

We don't know when Hurley's hiring process began and if it was started before Ollie was fired.

As to Calhoun skating for the same type violations, that could be true, but he may not have been in violation of the terms of his contract. As I recall, coaching contracts were strengthened as a result of some of the violations that occurred under Calhoun and the new contracts (including Ollie's) include tougher standards of conduct and harsher penalties for violations.

Calhoun wasn’t fired because he built a sorry forgotten program into a national powerhouse. You cut a guy more slack if he consistently has you among the top 10 teams in the nation. Ollie was fired for a combination of destroying the program and committing numerous violations/lying to the NCAA. Simple as that. I don’t think he’s winning this one...

 

[uconnbill]

Not an attorney..I have been divorced.. Sometimes the former wife(and her attorney) dictate the math..I hope that the University and KO can come to an acceptable compromise can satisfy all parties so that we can move on to an exciting 2020 season under DH's guidance..

That past awhile ago. It would have happened early on, but now he will get the very minimum because of his drawing this out as he has.

This situation sucks for all involved

 

[Dean Wormer]

That past awhile ago. It would have happened early on, but now he will get the very minimum because of his drawing this out as he has.

This situation sucks for all involved

Which is why you sit down, hash it out, and make it go away. It's long overdue.

 

[BlueMAB]

Which is why you sit down, hash it out, and make it go away. It's long overdue.

Both parties need to agree to that. I wonder which party is the barrier to that, Ollie, UConn, or both?

 

[CTBasketball]

Can't believe all the trashing of a coach who delivered a 4th national championship. In 2013, with the program on life support due to Calhoun's retirement and impending conference realignment, he coached with passion and the team responded in kind. They were a tournament team, despite no chance of post season play. We know what happened the next year. Without Ollie, that didn't happen. I repeat: Without Ollie 2014 didn't happen.

Yeah, then something happened. He wasn't the same, so the team wasn't the same, but stuff does happen and lives don't usually proceed in nice straight lines.

Ollie clearly needed to be let go, but let's be honest; he was fired for performance, not NCAA violations. Does his contract have anything about performance? Probably not. So then it came down to a disingenuous argument about NCAA violations on behalf of UConn which invited an equally disingenuous assertion of racial bias on behalf of Ollie.

So argue that he had to go (he did), but please remember what he did for us as a player and a coach, and get off your high horses regarding his contract and NCAA violations. If he was winning people would have defended the violations to the last drop.

Chief could have led the 2014 Huskies to the Championship. Shabazz and Company were determined to win regardless of who was coaching.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Calhoun wasn’t fired because he built a sorry forgotten program into a national powerhouse. You cut a guy more slack if he consistently has you among the top 10 teams in the nation. Ollie was fired for a combination of destroying the program and committing numerous violations/lying to the NCAA. Simple as that. I don’t think he’s winning this one...

This is correct...they're using violations as their legal case to not pay him but realistically, while I rooted for him to succeed bc he was a Uconn guy, the team was getting embarrassed every night. It was 99% performance related, 1% violations.