Kevin Ollie

[Danzz]

That's bs. Give the guy four years with the first two guaranteed. It shows recruits that Ollie will be here. Also, I suspect Herbst told Manuel he had to give Ollie the job.

1 year makes no sense especially with a team that is probably not going to be very good. The players we are recruiting have multiple choices and a 1 year contract creates coaching instability questions in the minds of the recruits. If a recruit is on the fence this could push him off into somebody else yard. Facey and Samuel have not signed letters of intent and we could lose 1 or both of them.
I get the feeling Manuel would like someone else and the 1 year contract was a compromise he had to accept. A 1 year contract is setting Ollie up to fail.

 

[Huskymaniac]

I like you guys and I like Ollie but stop ducking whining and crying already. YES, the recruits should have doubts about a guy with zero head coaching experience, just like the AD should. And stop it with the doom and gloom crap. If Ollie is as good as you think he is and we all hope he is, it will be OBVIOUS that he should get a contract extension. This team does NOT suck. It HAS talent, lots of it. It is way better than the team Calhoun took to the elite eight in 1990. If Ollie can coach, we will know and know quickly. No one is expecting this team to perform like the 1999 or 2004 championship teams. All the recruits know, all Manuel knows and all that we know is that we all like Ollie and will be pulling for him to succeed. A one year trial by fire is by far the most logical thing to do in this situation. Support the new coach without creating a negative environment. People are watching and it matters.

 

[The Funster]

KO is a stretch. I hope he's a homerun though, obviously. If JC was to retire, this is probably the best season to turn over the reins. There are no expectations, and Ollie has a lot of latitude to rebuild the team his way. He has my support but Ollie has to produce. With the school in conference-flux, men's hoops has to continue to excel in the post-Calhoun era.

 

[Waquoit]

1 year makes no sense especially with a team that is probably not going to be very good. The players we are recruiting have multiple choices and a 1 year contract creates coaching instability questions in the minds of the recruits. If a recruit is on the fence this could push him off into somebody else yard. Facey and Samuel have not signed letters of intent and we could lose 1 or both of them.
I get the feeling Manuel would like someone else and the 1 year contract was a compromise he had to accept. A 1 year contract is setting Ollie up to fail.

One year is enough to see if has a clue in the head seat. Can he run a program soup to nuts? It's more than just the W-L's. This gives UConn some protection against an unmitigated disaster.

 

[huskyjawz]

Huskymaniac: This team does NOT suck. It HAS talent, lots of it. It is way better than the team Calhoun took to the elite eight in 1990.


Whatever you say, GUY.

 

[mauconnfan]

KO is a stretch. I hope he's a homerun though, obviously. If JC was to retire, this is probably the best season to turn over the reins. There are no expectations, and Ollie has a lot of latitude to rebuild the team his way. He has my support but Ollie has to produce. With the school in conference-flux, men's hoops has to continue to excel in the post-Calhoun era.

There's no doubt he HAS TO PRODUCE no matter who he is....everyone get's that.....

But 1 year with Olander as your go-to big guy and Nolan, Tolksdorf, Wolf the others...?? Either start looking now or give him the chance to prove himself with "his team" next year as the recruits are still out there........the one year deal is not fair but hey, I get the big man Warde throwing his weight around. I'm okay with it, it's on him.......just of the opinion he has KO set up for failure!!

 

[mauconnfan]

Huskymaniac: This team does NOT suck. It HAS talent, lots of it. It is way better than the team Calhoun took to the elite eight in 1990.


Whatever you say, GUY.[/q


Better than the team KC took to the Elite 8??? Boy are you screwed up...........Show me the Henefeld, hell show me the Rod Sellers??? How about Smitty and Tate....we have a ton of 6'2 and 6'5 guards huh? And wjhile Omar may end up being Scotty Burrell, that was a special 6'5 kid who played in the NBA and won rings.........you still in for that comparison GUY?? LOL

 

[The Funster]

There's no doubt he HAS TO PRODUCE no matter who he is....everyone get's that.....

But 1 year with Olander as your go-to big guy and Nolan, Tolksdorf, Wolf the others...?? Either start looking now or give him the chance to prove himself with "his team" next year as the recruits are still out there........the one year deal is not fair but hey, I get the big man Warde throwing his weight around. I'm okay with it, it's on him.......just of the opinion he has KO set up for failure!!

I guess the question has to be: how does Warde evaluate Ollie versus, say, Smart. Ollie doesn't have a totally free ride but it is an opportunity to evaluate how he runs practices, how he manages the game and what kind of effort the players give him. Looking at Ollie, you have a guy who stayed around the Game for 13 years with less talent than a lot of other guys who stuck around for far less. He mentored younger players and was a very respected teammate. Those are great tools to bring into a recruit's home. He'll probably close the deal more often than not with his experience at the next level and his presence.

The metrics to evaluate Ollie this year will be very subjective. Things like attitude, execution and cohesiveness should get far more scrutiny than wins and losses.

 

[Waquoit]

Huskymaniac: This team does NOT suck. It HAS talent, lots of it. It is way better than the team Calhoun took to the elite eight in 1990.


Whatever you say, GUY.

Agree. That alone makes everything he has said or will say, suspect.

 

[mauconnfan]

I like Shaka Smart and he has shown an ability to get his teams to show up on the big stage and compete.......having said that is he willing to come here? Can he live in the shadow and survive yet? These are as much of an unknown as KO I believe.........and Shaka may well be on his own if he comes here......no one knows how the fraternity will react especially the big man........we know how they will consistently react with KO!!

 

[CTHUSKY74]

I've always said that while Calhoun was one of a kind, and not easy to replace. The program that he built is light years different from what he took over and therefore the choices to replace him are far different than before he came. This is a huge job opportunity for most of the basketball coaching world. I love Ollie and what he espouses (hard work and perseverence). I don't know if he can coach at this level but I hope that he can. I don't feel that he has demonstrated this ability yet at any level and therefore the admin has to be cautious. If he proves he can handle the X's and O's and can handle the administrative challenges that the head coach has to handle, then we should commit to him long-term. For him or Calhoun to demand a long term deal prior to any demonstration of these skills is not reasonable. I believe that the university will give him a fair chance to win this job long-term. And I hope that he shows us enough to do that. I always hoped that if Calhoun left we would go out and get one of the top young coaches to replace him. If KO can be that guy I would love it. However, lets not make a mistake and use emotion in making this HUGE decision. There should be a middle ground here and I don't think being cautious will result in disaster in recruiting as some have indicated here. Some of the decisions Calhoun made based on recruiting were big mistakes for the program. If we make our decision based on what we think will appeal to top recruits, that's not the correct analysis. If we make our decision based on who can best run the program in all aspects, including recruiting we will be well served. I don't believe Susan will let us down and I also think that Warde will not make a poor decision on the most important hire he has ever made. Hopefully we will get some pleasant surprises in the press conference.

 

[mauconnfan]

I've always said that while Calhoun was one of a kind, and not easy to replace. The program that he built is light years different from what he took over and therefore the choices to replace him are far different than before he came. This is a huge job opportunity for most of the basketball coaching world. I love Ollie and what he espouses (hard work and perseverence). I don't know if he can coach at this level but I hope that he can. I don't feel that he has demonstrated this ability yet at any level and therefore the admin has to be cautious. If he proves he can handle the X's and O's and can handle the administrative challenges that the head coach has to handle, then we should commit to him long-term. For him or Calhoun to demand a long term deal prior to any demonstration of these skills is not reasonable. I believe that the university will give him a fair chance to win this job long-term. And I hope that he shows us enough to do that. I always hoped that if Calhoun left we would go out and get one of the top young coaches to replace him. If KO can be that guy I would love it. However, lets not make a mistake and use emotion in making this HUGE decision. There should be a middle ground here and I don't think being cautious will result in disaster in recruiting as some have indicated here. Some of the decisions Calhoun made based on recruiting were big mistakes for the program. If we make our decision based on what we think will appeal to top recruits, that's not the correct analysis. If we make our decision based on who can best run the program in all aspects, including recruiting we will be well served. I don't believe Susan will let us down and I also think that Warde will not make a poor decision on the most important hire he has ever made. Hopefully we will get some pleasant surprises in the press conference.

Well stated and thought out.....

Always remember the family which was created........It may not be KO to keep it that feel while winning in Storrs but it needs to be consistent I believe in order to maintain the program's success. If Ray, Rudy, Caron, Emeka, Rip, KEA, Scotty, Smitty, Kemba and the so many others are not around then is it really UConn basketball any more? Not saying we NEED to make JC happy with KO, just trying to help everyone understand how this was built and maintained....that's important!!!!

 

[HuskyHawk]

They cannot go "all in" on a guy who has never coached a game at any level. That would be stupid. The alternative is to give the job to Hobbs for one year, who at least has a resume and body of work. Make Ollie the #2 and please God, no matter what, send Blaney out to pasture. Instead they are giving KO a shot. Is it a fair shot? No. But it is more than he could reasonably expect. I doubt any other decent D1 program would hire him, and he's the coach at UConn?

I think they run a search in the spring unless KO hits a home run and the team overachieves. KO will be included as a candidate and if they can't find anyone they like better, he gets an extension. This is a long term decision, it can't be made based on JC's gut feeling that KO will be great.

 

[NHUConnfan]

For what it's worth, I don't trust Manuel. I realize he just got on the job, but he hasn't done anything to earn my trust yet. And honestly, President Herbst is in the same boat in my opinion.

Listen up buddy, President Herbst wasn't hired to freaking run the athletic program and what she has done thus far with UConn has been nothing short of amazing.

No one should call for Herbst retirement due to anything athletically related unless it's something on the scale of PSU or other NCAA sanctions that goes over multi-sports.

I understand how important athletics is for the university, but the university is first and foremost an institution of education and that's what she should focus on and that's what she has been focusing on.

 

[upstater]

They cannot go "all in" on a guy who has never coached a game at any level. That would be stupid. The alternative is to give the job to Hobbs for one year, who at least has a resume and body of work. Make Ollie the #2 and please God, no matter what, send Blaney out to pasture. Instead they are giving KO a shot. Is it a fair shot? No. But it is more than he could reasonably expect. I doubt any other decent D1 program would hire him, and he's the coach at UConn?

I think they run a search in the spring unless KO hits a home run and the team overachieves. KO will be included as a candidate and if they can't find anyone they like better, he gets an extension. This is a long term decision, it can't be made based on JC's gut feeling that KO will be great.

A person who does not want Ollie as the coach said it best already in this thread. Either you go all in, or you get out. Half measures WILL result in failure.

Recruits can sniff this situation out from a mile away. The AD is not sold on the coach.

Good luck to UConn basketball.

 

[iam76]

he just wants a sure thing.

 

[NHUConnfan]

I like Shaka Smart and he has shown an ability to get his teams to show up on the big stage and compete.......having said that is he willing to come here? Can he live in the shadow and survive yet? These are as much of an unknown as KO I believe.........and Shaka may well be on his own if he comes here......no one knows how the fraternity will react especially the big man........we know how they will consistently react with KO!!

He was as public as he could get about wanting to coach here (i.e. leaks of his interest in the job if it opened up).

 

[upstater]

And any time a school gives a coach who turns out to be lousy a 4 year deal they risk descending into irrelevance. Or at least having a horrid 4 years.

A 1 year deal with the low expectations we have coming into this year is not "barely a shot at success". It's a pretty darn good shot at success as far as I can see.

I firmly believe KO's going to get this thing done, but let's see him coach an actual game before he gets a multi-year contract.

Honestly, I can't believe this point is being debated.

You can always fire a coach. Plenty of schools do.

This is preparing to fail. The AD doesn't trust the coach. What more needs to be said?

 

[mauconnfan]

This thread is so tough as I get all the views and ideas on "what's next and what should be next"?

Problem is what what upstater is pointing to......all in or not?? If they make a change they lose recruits and start all over and can the program come back without the support of THE coach in the background?

It will play out but the now time is the critical time.......

 

[NHUConnfan]

Firing the coach costs $. Kevin Ollie didn't have issues recruiting under the issue of JC's possible retirement.

Also, you have to consider the fact that Kevin Ollie is a UConn hero. Firing him would really sour the fan base, even if it is the right thing to do. I'm sure there is an active effort to protect Ollie's image here so that if this experiment ends horrifically that he and the university can save face.

 

[Excalibur]

The timing of JC's retirement makes it impossible to get out at this stage, so I think you have to at least give the appearance of being "all in".

 

[HuskyHawk]

A person who does not want Ollie as the coach said it best already in this thread. Either you go all in, or you get out. Half measures WILL result in failure.

Recruits can sniff this situation out from a mile away. The AD is not sold on the coach.

Good luck to UConn basketball.

So what option did JC leave them then? As I said, I would have made Hobbs the interim coach. He'd likely take it as a chance to showcase himself for a job elsewhere. I don't see how any intelligent person could be "sold" on Ollie, as he has no coaching history of any kind. What would your "out" look like? Who would be the coach? It's too late for a search. Somebody has to have a one year deal at this point, whoever it is.

 

[upstater]

So what option did JC leave them then? As I said, I would have made Hobbs the interim coach. He'd likely take it as a chance to showcase himself for a job elsewhere. I don't see how any intelligent person could be "sold" on Ollie, as he has no coaching history of any kind. What would your "out" look like? Who would be the coach? It's too late for a search. Somebody has to have a one year deal at this point, whoever it is.

1. JC knows more about basketball than Manuel.
2. He thinks Ollie is the man.
3. Making Hobbs the interim coach would go over like a lead balloon with the people you don't want to piss off.
4. Ollie has backers all over the USA who have seen what his advice, mentoring, impact on teaching the game to younger players, has brought over a span of 13 years in the NBA. You diminish that time he put in. People are making out as though this guy rolled off a beach chair and became a college coach 2 years ago, when one could easily argue that 13 years in the NBA on the back of your knowledge of the game (certainly not your athletic prowess) trumps sitting on the bench for more years. Billy Donovan, for instance, had 2 years at Marshall before taking the helm at Florida. Why do those two years (no tournaments, no conference championships, middling to bad record) trump 13 years being a heady player in the NBA?

I've only said this a number of times. The school is signalling to recruits that the coach is not supported and that they are not convinced he is good enough to coach.

 

[upstater]

Firing the coach costs $. Kevin Ollie didn't have issues recruiting under the issue of JC's possible retirement.

Also, you have to consider the fact that Kevin Ollie is a UConn hero. Firing him would really sour the fan base, even if it is the right thing to do. I'm sure there is an active effort to protect Ollie's image here so that if this experiment ends horrifically that he and the university can save face.

It costs $$ at other schools too. This is a bigtime basketball.

 

[uconnfan68]

1. JC knows more about basketball than Manuel.
2. He thinks Ollie is the man.
3. Making Hobbs the interim coach would go over like a lead balloon with the people you don't want to piss off.
4. Ollie has backers all over the USA who have seen what his advice, mentoring, impact on teaching the game to younger players, has brought over a span of 13 years in the NBA. You diminish that time he put in. People are making out as though this guy rolled off a beach chair and became a college coach 2 years ago, when one could easily argue that 13 years in the NBA on the back of your knowledge of the game (certainly not your athletic prowess) trumps sitting on the bench for more years. Billy Donovan, for instance, had 2 years at Marshall before taking the helm at Florida. Why do those two years (no tournaments, no conference championships, middling to bad record) trump 13 years being a heady player in the NBA?

I've only said this a number of times. The school is signalling to recruits that the coach is not supported and that they are not convinced he is good enough to coach.

I think the school is covering it's recent AD and President hires. Have to make it look like they are still in charge.

 

[Huskymaniac]

So what option did JC leave them then? As I said, I would have made Hobbs the interim coach. He'd likely take it as a chance to showcase himself for a job elsewhere. I don't see how any intelligent person could be "sold" on Ollie, as he has no coaching history of any kind. What would your "out" look like? Who would be the coach? It's too late for a search. Somebody has to have a one year deal at this point, whoever it is.

Forget it, these pinheads will NEVER get it. They think we should give a coach with zero head coaching experience a 4 year deal. What can you say to that? They live in dream world where the 1990 team had higher rated recruits and that this team is so devoid of talent it has no chance to succeed and, therfore, Ollie has no chance to succeed. I hope to god no players from our team or potential recruits are reading this crap. The 1990 team had decent talent and great team chemistry which, in part, was created by the coaching staff. Calhoun himself had to change his coaching approach as he got more talented teams but Calhoun circa 1990 absolutely could have won a ton of games with this collection of kids. We have a top 10 recruit surrounded by lots of other Top 100 and Top 50 recruits. We had great teams with the likes of Travis Knight as our center. Rod Sellers was 6'9" tall, had a bad knee and wasn't super talented. What were Chris Smith and Tate George rated coming out of high school?

I don't think anyone could coach this collection of players to a national championship but could a good coach win a lot of games with them? ABSOLUTELY! But because these whining cry babies didn't get their way, they feel like it is their duty to trash the team, trash the AD, trash the university president and make assumptions about the AD's confidence in the new coach. If any recruit is reading this board, THESE PINHEADS are doing more damage to our recruiting than a one year contract is. And we don't even know what Manuel or Herbst are saying to recruits. They could be telling them that they assume Ollie will do a great job and that their plan is to extend his contract to a long term one once he proves that they are right. They could be telling them that this is why he is not being termed as an interim coach.

Personally, I think this team will have a very good year. I honestly have no idea how good of a coach Ollie will be. He could be mediocre or he could be great. I hope he is great and, if he is, this team will surprise a lot of people. And he recruited a lot of these kids. He is not a stranger coming in so there is little chance of mutiny or resistance. They will rally around him. To say Ollie is being set up for failure is sour grapes to the point of being assinine. The decision has been made and the team will make the best of it. So why don't you guys shut the duck up and move the duck on already. This program needs positive energy and support, not this crap. I would be willing to bet that Ollie himself would tell you guys the same exact thing if he read what you are all writing.

 

[caw]

Firing the coach costs $. Kevin Ollie didn't have issues recruiting under the issue of JC's possible retirement.

Also, you have to consider the fact that Kevin Ollie is a UConn hero. Firing him would really sour the fan base, even if it is the right thing to do. I'm sure there is an active effort to protect Ollie's image here so that if this experiment ends horrifically that he and the university can save face.

I doubt the amount Ollie will be paid in two years (if the contract had been two years) would equal the amount Calhoun made in one. Money absolutely should not have been an issue.

If it ends up that Ollie truly only has 1 year on the contract, it is a huge mistake by Manuel, huge. I don't think a four year deal is warranted, but two surely is. A buyout is doable if Ollie sucks his first year, and I mean like DePaul level suckage.

I wonder what Ollie's record has to be to get an extension?

Either way if there is a national search, it has to be done as soon as the regular season ends and be completed within a few weeks of the national championship game, if not sooner.

If they don't have either Ollie extended for multiple years or a new coach by mid-April, or very early May at the latest, Manuel should be fired.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I think the school is covering it's recent AD and President hires. Have to make it look like they are still in charge.

I think there may be some truth to this. It's hard for me to see a scenario where Ollie doesn't justify getting an extention. We probably won't win 20 games, but how many would Calhoun win with this roster? But I'd be shocked if the team doesn't play hard for him, I'd be shocked if he is anything other than an incredibly positive face of the program in the media and community, I'd be shocked if recruits don't continue to gush over him, I'd be shocked if the current players don't fully support him, and I'd be shocked if Ollie's inexperience from a strategic coaching standpoint isn't at least partially offset by the fact that we have one of the most experienced stables of assistant coaches in the entire country.

If Warde wants Shaka or Sean Miller badly enough and those guys want to come here, then I can see going in that direction. But short of that, I don't see Ollie "failing" tragically enough in this one year scenario to warrant the axe.

 

[ShockedTheWorld]

Frankly we just don't know what we're getting with Kevin. But come on, how can we actually know? We had no idea how this would all turn out 26 years ago and everything worked out better than ANY of us hoped. Every coaching option out there comes with uncertainty whether it's Shaka or someone else from a larger program. There are no sure things today in CBB and we should know that. Kevin, while being the only viable option on 9/13, is a gamble just like anyone else. The one year contract is not ideal but if he has the support of the university, players, and fans and puts together a solid on court product, he will be rewarded with an extension during the season or at the end- I'm pretty sure Warde knows that.

If anyone can perform in a one-year pressure cooker, it's KO. Now let's do our job and support our new coach.

 

[NHUConnfan]

I doubt the amount Ollie will be paid in two years (if the contract had been two years) would equal the amount Calhoun made in one. Money absolutely should not have been an issue.

If it ends up that Ollie truly only has 1 year on the contract, it is a huge mistake by Manuel, huge. I don't think a four year deal is warranted, but two surely is. A buyout is doable if Ollie sucks his first year, and I mean like DePaul level suckage.

I wonder what Ollie's record has to be to get an extension?

Either way if there is a national search, it has to be done as soon as the regular season ends and be completed within a few weeks of the national championship game, if not sooner.

If they don't have either Ollie extended for multiple years or a new coach by mid-April, or very early May at the latest, Manuel should be fired.

Like many people said, it doesn't matter the record. It's going to matter more about if there are improvements made, if he can show that he can relate to the kids as a coach instead of an assistant (who are notoriously closer to kids, especially the ones they recruit), and if he can keep a positive outlook at this new challenge.