Kevin Ollie Picking Up Pieces, Pondering What Comes After UConn

[HooperScooper]

I don't really want to start another Ollie discussion but figured people would want to read his first public comments since the day the season ended.

“I’m always going to stay in coaching. That’s my passion,” Ollie said. “I’m going to see what the future holds for me. I have a lot of connections, people that are rooting for me. I’m going to take it all in stride and see where my heart leads me. I do not want to get into something that I don’t have my whole heart in.”

Kevin Ollie Picking Up Pieces, Pondering What Comes After UConn

Kevin Ollie discusses future plans at annual youth clinic

Jeff Jacobs: Despite UConn feud, Kevin Ollie says he's refreshed, ready to move forward

 

[goskis2018]

Hope he turns it around and does well!

 

[WrenchFan69]

LMU is going to be looking for a new coach after this season. I think that would be a great spot for him.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Seems he will not take a new job this year so his daughter can finish high school.

 

[husky99]

In an odd way uconn set ollie up for failure. You cannot go from 3rd on the bench to a head coach of a top tier program and be a superstar. 99% of coaches need to get a 100 to 300 wins under their belt at a mid major. I'm sure a few of you can rattle off the 1% but that was not ollie.

 

[husky8273]

Seems he will not take a new job this year so his daughter can finish high school.

which SH and DB should have realized, he wasn't leaving for the NBA and didn't need an inflated extension

 

[Danzz]

Ran into Ollie at Rockledge before he was named HC. Had a chance to talk to him for a few minutes and he is one of the nicest unassuming men you could ever meet. The man bleeds Husky blue. He is an easy guy to cheer for and no doubt he will land on his feet.

 

[mauconnfan]

Ran into Ollie at Rockledge before he was named HC. Had a chance to talk to him for a few minutes and he is one of the nicest unassuming men you could ever meet. The man bleeds Husky blue. He is an easy guy to cheer for and no doubt he will land on his feet.

I did get to meet him a couple of times when my son went to his basketball camp at Loomis. You hit it on the nose, you can't meet a nicer guy or more genuine guy.

Hope he gets back in line with his dreams he deserves it.

 

[husky429]

Ran into Ollie at Rockledge before he was named HC. Had a chance to talk to him for a few minutes and he is one of the nicest unassuming men you could ever meet. The man bleeds Husky blue. He is an easy guy to cheer for and no doubt he will land on his feet.

Agreed. Good guy that went down a pretty dark path when his job, divorce, family, etc. got to be too much.

 

[KembaStepback]

He seems perfect as an NBA assistant and eventually HC.

 

[Mike Honcho]

In an odd way uconn set ollie up for failure. You cannot go from 3rd on the bench to a head coach of a top tier program and be a superstar. 99% of coaches need to get a 100 to 300 wins under their belt at a mid major. I'm sure a few of you can rattle off the 1% but that was not ollie.

Just to be clear, it was very specifically JC who pulled the strings on this move. He backed Warde into a corner, and to his credit, Warde gave KO a 7 month "prove it" contract, despite getting flak from people on both sides of the issue.

I don't know if I totally agree with this sentiment though, especially because KO's first two years went as well as they possibly could have. It's possible that KO got drunk off his early success and stopped working so hard (there are probably other reasons for this, too). Maybe if he "paid his dues" at a mid-major he'd have more appreciation for the hard work it takes to summit the mountain.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Reading pieces like this, it's kind of remarkable everything that had to occur to get to this spot.

Hell, after 2013 we thought we had our coach for the next 30 years. 2014 and the title? Forget about it.

Quite the fall from grace, but if he truly wants it, I'm sure he can achieve success elsewhere.

 

[B1GEast]

I think KO would be a great NBA coach

 

[8893]

 

[nomar]

Try this one on for size @8893

 

[mauconnfan]

He has "Work To Do" no doubt 8893. (best song on the album)

Average White Band - Work To Do

 

[huskymedic]

... and the requisite Dicky V Tweet after a story goes to print:

 

[ctchamps]

2013-2014 mojo appears on that cover. Appropriate on many levels.

 

[husky99]

Just to be clear, it was very specifically JC who pulled the strings on this move. He backed Warde into a corner, and to his credit, Warde gave KO a 7 month "prove it" contract, despite getting flak from people on both sides of the issue.

I don't know if I totally agree with this sentiment though, especially because KO's first two years went as well as they possibly could have. It's possible that KO got drunk off his early success and stopped working so hard (there are probably other reasons for this, too). Maybe if he "paid his dues" at a mid-major he'd have more appreciation for the hard work it takes to summit the mountain.

Coaching games and running a program are two different skill set. I agree this was JC actions that pushed ollie into the head coach. (He had limited experience in recruiting, creating team chemistry for 19 boys, x and o,etc)

 

[krinklecut]

I hope Ollie ends up well. But for him to say he's so passionate about it I just don't get it. I only got to see UConn once last year, at Auburn, and he had no energy and brought the entire bench down with him. I hope he finds a way to light a fire under his ass.

 

[intlzncster]

Coaching games and running a program are two different skill set. I agree this was JC actions that pushed ollie into the head coach. (He had limited experience in recruiting, creating team chemistry for 19 boys, x and o,etc)

I think he could have been a dynamite recruiter, if he busted his butt and had the right staff and accountability. Don't think he was good at assembling his staff, nor listening to or seeking their advice.

 

[Fishy]

The guy who coached here the first two years would be successful almost anywhere.

The guy who coached here the past two years won’t be successful anywhere.

Up to KO which way this goes from here.

 

[Hoophound]

I tend to give him a pass and presume it was the divorce that changed him. However, others would say it was winning the national championship that changed him. I don’t know, but I’m glad it sounds like he’s more himself again.

 

[uconnever]

... and the requisite Dicky V Tweet after a story goes to print:

I agree, I have been embarrassed that my school is mixed up in this. Settle so we can move on, this lingering over us looks soooo bad. Kinda like a deadbeat that doesn’t pay their bills. The best of the best should not have something like this lingering for too long. This is beneath Uconn, or at least I thought.