Kevin Ollie

[tzznandrew]

Smart move by the AD. If the athletic department was in fact strong armed into Ollie, why would you go longer? This is a temp to perm situation. Is he being handed a bad bag of goods? Kinda. But that should be recognized, it will be relative. His leadership ability will be challenged as well as his X & O's. No one even knows how this guy looks/act/handles that bench during game time - that's a risk. Going 3-4 years is blind faith. Sure, it may ding recruiting a little, but not much. And if he really doesn't pass the sniff test out there owning that bench, you have to open this one up. I just don't think this program is in a place where it can take a 4 year rut and maintain momentum with it's brand out on the recruiting trail. This isn't a true blue blood that can transcend a stretch of anonymity, in particular in a league that's in dissaray. The kid is getting his chance, he needs to make the most of it. I'll be in his corner, but am not going to have blinders on if he feels sub par out there.

A well reasoned opinion. I ultimately think you can hire him for a four year contract, and in year three push the eject button. But this makes as good a case for the opposite point of view as can be made.

One thing, though. Arizona, Ohio State, and a couple of other schools with less history were able to absorb a period of sucking. I don't want that, and it can't be prolonged, but three titles is more than all but UCLA, Kentucky, UNC, Indiana, and Duke. They can get a coach to come here.

 

[Husky Dad]

Pay the man his money.

 

[mauconnfan]

One year? I call BS...........put your confidence in the contract and make him your guy............recruiting tactics will be a factor with opposing coaches saying the UConn people have no confidence in KO doing the job.........

Lay it out there for him to be successful!!!!.............

 

[johnhuskies95]

Kind of crazy to think that a little over two years Ollie played in an NBA playoff game against Kobe, Artest, Gasol, and Bynum, and now he's going to be the head coach of a major, major D1 program.

 

[VAHuskyFan]

Shaka was my favorite to replace JC. Kids obviously love playing for him, he gets an insane level of effort out of his players, and he knows his Xs and Os. The guy is brilliant and his "havoc" style of basketball is awesome to watch.

That said, I have been seriously impressed by KO's efforts on the recruiting trail over the past year, by his commitment to UConn, and by the integrity and maturity he demonstrates at all times. Only question mark is his game-time coaching skills because . . . well, because there is absolutely no basis for judgment.

So at this point, I've really come around to the wisdom of giving KO a chance. Given his lack of any head coaching experience, though, a 1-year deal makes sense to me and is the prudent course. Here's hoping KO does such a good job on the sideline this year that the school winds up paying him more in 2014 and 2015 than he's asking now!

 

[UConnDan97]

Pay the man his money.

Agreed!

 

[RuffRuff]

The big diff with AZ and OSU is that they are huge programs with deep pockets & enormous fan bases - not sure that a Uconn could ever open the vaults to throw around the kind of money those schools have.

 

[Excalibur]

I have no choice but to be on board, but I'm scared sh!tless.

 

[SouleMan]

KO is just Jim Calhoun's latest underrated recruit. Boneyarders always say "in Calhoun we Trust" in regards to recruits and teams, why not coaches?

After all the coaches that have moved on from the program (albeit often with little success) Calhoun sees something unique in Ollie. I'm happy we're going to have a chance to find out just what that is.

Besides success at one school doesn't guarantee success at UConn. Calhoun fit UConn and our place on the national landscape so well. People are doubting us again. Ollie has faced that his whole life and here his is. I like the fit.

 

[upstater]

Smart move by the AD. If the athletic department was in fact strong armed into Ollie, why would you go longer? This is a temp to perm situation. Is he being handed a bad bag of goods? Kinda. But that should be recognized, it will be relative. His leadership ability will be challenged as well as his X & O's. No one even knows how this guy looks/act/handles that bench during game time - that's a risk. Going 3-4 years is blind faith. Sure, it may ding recruiting a little, but not much. And if he really doesn't pass the sniff test out there owning that bench, you have to open this one up. I just don't think this program is in a place where it can take a 4 year rut and maintain momentum with it's brand out on the recruiting trail. This isn't a true blue blood that can transcend a stretch of anonymity, in particular in a league that's in dissaray. The kid is getting his chance, he needs to make the most of it. I'll be in his corner, but am not going to have blinders on if he feels sub par out there.

This sounds exactly like you're not in his corner. Recruits will sniff this out in one second. This year's team is not a strong UConn team. 1 year contract? Who would come here? Bad moves all around. We went from Hathaway to Manuel. Eek.

 

[selles]

Gotta agree with Ruff on this one. I'm not worried about recruiting. KO's gotten good commits when it wasn't even clear he'd be the initial successor. He got himself from the streets of Compton to a long NBA career and it's easy to tell from a distance that he's one of the most fundamentally decent human beings around. You get the kids with the NBA cred, you get the parents with the decency. Recruiting's not going to be a problem.

If KO can take a team and make it a reflection of himself, we're going to be real happy around here for a long time. But we have no idea whether he can do that. None. Coaching is a lot different from playing. The main question is probably whether he can be enough of a d*ck when he needs to be.

A 1 year contract in a year with very low expectations is a soft serve. If KO can return it, my guess is that he'll have a solid extension before the season ends. If he can't, we need to go in another direction. And we need to do that next year, not 3 or 4 years from now. How's UMass doing after the Bruiser Flint era?

I think KO's going to thrive, I think UConn is going to thrive under him. But under the circumstances, a 1 year contract is absolutely the right call.

 

[CL82]

Frankly, though, it seems best if, when he retires, he retires. He's a figurehead whose ring every incoming coach needs to kiss, but then they move onto autonomy. I don't like this "in-between" phase. Ollie's the coach, or he's not.

(To be clear, they do need to respect him and his legacy.)

It's like having Dee Rowe around but on a bigger scale. His primary roll will be as a fundraiser.

 

[Huskymaniac]

If Ollie turns out to be a great coach, he will be given a long term contract. If the recruits believe in him, all he needs to say is that he will be coach if he has a good season and that he will have a good season.

 

[upstater]

If Ollie turns out to be a great coach, he will be given a long term contract. If the recruits believe in him, all he needs to say is that he will be coach if he has a good season and that he will have a good season.

And then he doesn't have a good season and everyone bails!

 

[zls44]

And then he doesn't have a good season and everyone bails!

And the new coach who comes in is a big time recruiter and it gets fixed.

 

[huskiesnyc]

If anyone can handle 1 year contracts it's Kevin Ollie. He had 13 1 year contracts in the NBA.

 

[mauconnfan]

If anyone can handle 1 year contracts it's Kevin Ollie. He had 13 1 year contracts in the NBA.

We know he can but can he get guys to sign on the dotted line? He will have question marks out there on the trails and those darts will be thrown his way from other coaches......that's a way of life and not easy!!

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I suspect this is just Manuel asserting himself a bit and allowing the coaching hire to be his ultimate decision. If Ollie was immediately signed to a multi year permanent title deal now, it would be obvious that the hire was made by Calhoun and Calhoun only. This allows him to hire Ollie to keep continuity, let the retirement media/fan blitz pass, and either part way through the season or just after, assuming that it's not a complete disaster (even with the very low expectation of success this year) immediately hire him permanently and sign a multi-year extension.

 

[NHUConnfan]

Here's how I see it; there are three ways this can play out, one which I find improbable:

1. UConn has a successful year with the scraps left over from last years exodus. Kevin Ollie signs a 3+ year deal and is the future UConn head coach. Recruiting, unaffected in the long run.
2. UConn does not have a successful year. UConn decides to look for a new coach with the high probability of landing someone like Shaka Smart. Recruiting for the most part, unaffected in the long run.
3. UConn does not have a successful year. They are unable to negotiate for a new coach or give Ollie a mulligan year, and resign him to a one year deal. Recruiting, probably affected significantly.

For what it's worth, I think the third scenario is very unlikely. I really think three years down the road, we're either going to see Kevin Ollie or Shaka Smart as our head coach and I think both would do an incredible job at the helm of the program. The state of UConn basketball will be just fine.

 

[upstater]

And the new coach who comes in is a big time recruiter and it gets fixed.

And then fairies alight on Storrs...

 

[upstater]

I suspect this is just Manuel asserting himself a bit and allowing the coaching hire to be his ultimate decision. If Ollie was immediately signed to a multi year permanent title deal now, it would be obvious that the hire was made by Calhoun and Calhoun only. This allows him to hire Ollie to keep continuity, let the retirement media/fan blitz pass, and either part way through the season or just after, assuming that it's not a complete disaster (even with the very low expectation of success this year) immediately hire him permanently and sign a multi-year extension.

I can honestly care less about Warde Manuel's ego. IO'm more interested in UConn basketball.

 

[huskiesnyc]

I don't think the 1 year status is as big a deal as a lot of you. He is the new head coach and unless he gets fired recruits shouldn't expect anything different. When he walks into a recruits living room he is the new face of the program period

 

[mauconnfan]

I don't think the 1 year status is as big a deal as a lot of you. He is the new head coach and unless he gets fired recruits shouldn't expect anything different. When he walks into a recruits living room he is the new face of the program period

Yeah.....for at least ONE year!!

 

[selles]

I can honestly care less about Warde Manuel's ego. IO'm more interested in UConn basketball.

Way too much bashing of Manuel going on here. If a guy with Jim Calhoun's personality was placed in Manuel's position, he'd be doing precisely what Manuel is doing. Manuel's making the right call. If KO has the team rolling in February and Manuel doesn't extend him for multiple years, then we have a discussion. But for now, this is the right call.

 

[mauconnfan]

Way too much bashing of Manuel going on here. If a guy with Jim Calhoun's personality was placed in Manuel's position, he'd be doing precisely what Manuel is doing. Manuel's making the right call. If KO has the team rolling in February and Manuel doesn't extend him for multiple years, then we have a discussion. But for now, this is the right call.

Recruit loves UConn and the Cuse during the year moving forward, Top 20? He thinks I know I like Hoppy and JB but love KO...........but if I need to make a decision I beter take the Cuse because I know one of those guys will be there but KO only has one year guaranteed........thanks but no thanks KO have to move on...........

yeah that works for a guy on the trails!!