Kevin Ollie to be Nets Interim Head Coach

[Dogdeacon]

Weird both Ollie and Perno were really well liked as players at UConn. Both became coaches and there are fans that absolute hate both now. Advise to current and past players. Never return to coach.

The 30 years between their coaching tenures is only surpassed by the more vast difference between them. Maybe by the end Ollie was somewhat similar to Perno in apathy, but in Perno’s defense he simply didn’t have the vision that JC had to see/know/manifest what UConn could be. Ollie knew it but didn’t care anymore.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Ollie's legacy here is a complicated one that certainly leaves room for some bitterness, resentment, and feelings of betrayal. What I've never understood are those who take it farther than that. People are going to disappoint you sometimes. That's life.

If Dan Hurley stops recruiting tomorrow (which is really what people mean when they say he stopped doing his job), I'm not going to say he shouldn't still be paid his contract. That's not how the free market works.

No no no no no. Every aspect of the job was half/hearted at best. He stopped coaching full stop.

 

[AdamaNation]

Happy KO is getting another shot. Interested in seeing how he does with a Nets roster that has potential to at least make the playoffs.

Seemed like he was terrible at managing a college program, but maybe he’s a better fit for the Xs and Os of the NBA.

Hope he can win the whole thing. It would be great for UConn. His polarizing time here would just be remembered for a title and a nose dive. the nuance of his failure would fade with time outside of the boneyard.

 

[Dogdeacon]

The same fans that hate Ollie have moved on to shredding Donny Marshall every game he calls.

Aren’t you a Cuse Fan? Donny Marshall was a great player and I loved the guy. Was bummed when the Celtics cut him loose. But nowadays I can see why, the guy isn’t fun when doing games, simply talks too much. If unbiased observation makes us bad fans we will just have to live with that along with 5 national championships and counting.

 

[huskyjawz]

The university amateur-houred his departure trying to do things on the cheap rather than on the up and up. He's not the only culprit in the mess. In any case hope he has continued success because he's a Bleed Blue husky.

Do you know what Bleeding Blue means? If you'd like to think of him is a true husky, then that's up to you, but for him to bleed blue would suggest that he loves UConn with all his soul. If that were the case, he would not have accused the school of racism and sued with the scorched earth tactics that he did. I would be surprised if he even roots for UConn's success after all that's happened.

 

[Madmannsucks]

Best of luck coach.

 

[Madmannsucks]

Should I be cheering for Ollie because he was so bad we had to fire him and he cost us $11,000,000? Because I'm not.

Yes, I am happy Hurley is our coach and we won a natty. Duh. So I wouldn't go back in time and change things if I could I guess.

That doesn't mean I can't wish a heaping pile of blowout losses and more professional embarrassment on our old friend Kevin. He was both a terrible coach, a bad role model, and a s---y person while he was here. I can deal with being a poor coach; the rest of it was pathetic.

Actually closer to 16 million when all said and done. lol. UConn cost itself when it lost the arbitration case.

 

[Connecticut13]

Kevin who? Never heard of him…

 

[controlfade]

Thank goodness he’s gone and in the NBA . Hopefully he doesn’t get complacent and lazy this time.

 

[Apollo]

It's well known around the state what he did behind the scenes. And there's more most folks don't know.

 

[Huskyforlife]

If Ollie was just a bad coach like PP or Diaco, I could move on. Many of you have short memories, that’s not why he’s hated. Can’t wait to watch his miserable failure.

 

[Madmannsucks]

The university amateur-houred his departure trying to do things on the cheap rather than on the up and up. He's not the only culprit in the mess. In any case hope he has continued success because he's a Bleed Blue husky.

Irvings also criticized the N.C.A.A. for prohibiting Ollie to have any representatives in the interviews. He wrote that “UConn not only did not seek to protect him in any way, but it essentially turned into the most vigorous prosecutor.” He noted that UConn had fired Ollie for just cause when other coaches accused of similar misconduct hadn’t been fired, let alone with just cause.

The arbitration decision also concluded that UConn had failed to provide adequate due process to Ollie. Under the collective bargaining agreement, employers are required to show the employee the grounds upon which the termination was supposedly based, something Irvings stated UConn failed to do. When the university terminated Ollie, he had little knowledge of the charges made against him and had not been given an opportunity to respond to those charges.

In sum, Irvings stated that UConn’s firing of Ollie was based on “deeply flawed information” and labeled his punishment for the few infractions that were later proven “arbitrary, capricious, and disparate.”

As a result of this decision, UConn recently paid Ollie the residual amount of $11.2 million on his contract before he was improperly fired. He is currently the head coach and director of player development of Overtime Elite, an alternative basketball league for elite prospects between 16 and 18.

 

[Madmannsucks]

It's well known around the state what he did behind the scenes. And there's more most folks don't know.

No it really isn't but you hang on to it like you have inside information rather than gossip and innuendo.

 

[John]

If Ollie was just a bad coach like PP or Diaco, I could move on. Many of you have short memories, that’s not why he’s hated. Can’t wait to watch his miserable failure.

Speaking of short memories looks like yours begins in 2015.

 

[superjohn]

Irvings also criticized the N.C.A.A. for prohibiting Ollie to have any representatives in the interviews. He wrote that “UConn not only did not seek to protect him in any way, but it essentially turned into the most vigorous prosecutor.” He noted that UConn had fired Ollie for just cause when other coaches accused of similar misconduct hadn’t been fired, let alone with just cause.

The arbitration decision also concluded that UConn had failed to provide adequate due process to Ollie. Under the collective bargaining agreement, employers are required to show the employee the grounds upon which the termination was supposedly based, something Irvings stated UConn failed to do. When the university terminated Ollie, he had little knowledge of the charges made against him and had not been given an opportunity to respond to those charges.

In sum, Irvings stated that UConn’s firing of Ollie was based on “deeply flawed information” and labeled his punishment for the few infractions that were later proven “arbitrary, capricious, and disparate.”

As a result of this decision, UConn recently paid Ollie the residual amount of $11.2 million on his contract before he was improperly fired. He is currently the head coach and director of player development of Overtime Elite, an alternative basketball league for elite prospects between 16 and 18.

What a joke.

 

[Madmannsucks]

What a joke.

No it's not a joke..it's a 15 million dollar mistake. The ruling is clear. It isn't like you can just say "fake news". 15 million plus all the attorneys billable hours. Justice prevailed...like it or not. They should have fired him for performance. They did not. They blew it. The track record was very clear and was an easy ruling.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Speaking of short memories looks like yours begins in 2015.

And yours ended in 2014.

 

[IndyLives]

KO gets an NBA head coaching job over Hurley. What were the odds of that happening in April!?!?

 

[John]

And yours ended in 2014.

Silly boy.

 

[huskyjawz]

Shouldn't have even gone to the arbitrator.

 

[superjohn]

No it's not a joke..it's a 15 million dollar mistake. The ruling is clear. It isn't like you can just say "fake news". 15 million plus all the attorneys billable hours. Justice prevailed...like it or not. They should have fired him for performance. They did not. They blew it. The track record was very clear and was an easy ruling.

The ruling by the arbitrator was a joke.

Ollie got a three year show-cause.

 

[Madmannsucks]

The ruling by the arbitrator was a joke.

Ollie got a three year show-cause.

Justice prevailed.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Ollie replacing Jacque Vaughn. Wow im old.

 

[CL82]

Actually closer to 16 million when all said and done. lol. UConn cost itself when it lost the arbitration case.

Actually, it wasn't, but even if it was, paying KO not to Coach so that we could get Dan Hurley in here was one of the best investments the program has ever made.

 

[HooperScooper]

It sounds pathetic at this point, like saying the one thing you remember about his tenure is free throw shooting.

I don't get that analogy at all. Bad free throw shooting = deliberately throwing your favorite sports team into the dumpster?

Here's a better one. You give money to a wealth manager. He does well for a few years and even way outperforms the market 1 year. You're happy with his performance but then, for reasons you can't explain, he negligently stops doing his job in a bull market and loses you a bunch of money. You're O.K. with that?

Whatever. Time to move on. I recovered all my money in the last few years investing in Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia.