KO - Miami Resident

[Hoophound]

Reading this thread sums up our fanbase in a nutshell. What a shallow, lazy, and sad bunch of responses take from a few of them. Ollie is, always has been, and should be a hallmark for an awesome bunch of years as a Husky fan. I’ve played golf with Ray Allen, I have a best friend who watched the Syracuse game in Hurleys first year with Ollie in San Diego and raved not only about Ollie but also about how cool it was to see him cheer like crazy for the team that day.
Speaking w Ray at length the conversation steered much more to pathetic leadership and sad state of affairs within athletic department. As he said the fact that a UConn home game doesn’t have the entire court full of rowdy student section, why do we watch garbage chamber of commerce crowds at Hartford? i suspect full of uneducated basketball fans; probably talking like some of these ridiculous commenters on here.
Ollie won a title as lead assistant, endured year w postseason ban, and then won another title. Read that again. Part of two NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.
I didn’t like the losing seasons and I didn’t like the way this ended but an athletic department with any dignity settles with Ollie, pays him, and respects the UConn way. Glen Miller getting in the middle of a lot of this speaks for some agony but if it was all Ollie where are all the legendary players been the last few years? Ray, Rip, Kemba, Rudy Gay? The administration dropped the ball and made it about money. Ollies biggest mistake was never hiring the right strength coach. Adams was never in shape the team was badly conditioned and it showed.
Dont get it twisted im not an Ollie homer and I love Hurley. I can pick apart some of his in game coaching too but like Ollie, he gives a too. I’d assume Ollie moved to Florida after his kids got out of college and the weather and no income tax makes plenty of Sense to me. ollie gets plenty of respect from the basketball world; i heard Iguadola yesterday credit Ollie on a podcast.
I usually just read these pathetic threads To gauge how awful and uneducated the fan base is when it comes to actual basketball IQ. Clown fest on here.

I’ve been very gracious in regard to Ollie. He was great at first. However, the program was soon dying under him. He didn’t recruit talent. Supposedly, he barely tried. KO and staff were the clown show in the end.

 

[HooperScooper]

Ollies biggest mistake was never hiring the right strength coach. Adams was never in shape the team was badly conditioned and it showed.

I don't think that was his biggest mistake. I'm not going to blast Ollie here but you know what he did the last few years as coach. We didn't see it but many people know what he was doing behind the scenes that caused the program to fall apart. I think that is the issue with many fans.

 

[Chief00]

I don't think that was his biggest mistake. I'm not going to blast Ollie here but you know what he did the last few years as coach. We didn't see it but many people know what he was doing behind the scenes that caused the program to fall apart. I think that is the issue with many fans.

A former NBA player told Chief once, when they retire its tough because they often create their NBA road trip at home and that can lead to various issues. I think moving to Miami and other stuff that happened solves that problem.

 

[Palatine]

It a nice place. But I would much rather be on Miami Beach than off Brickell downtown.

 

[CL82]

Reading this thread sums up our fanbase in a nutshell. What a shallow, lazy, and sad bunch of responses take from a few of them. Ollie is, always has been, and should be a hallmark for an awesome bunch of years as a Husky fan. I’ve played golf with Ray Allen, I have a best friend who watched the Syracuse game in Hurleys first year with Ollie in San Diego and raved not only about Ollie but also about how cool it was to see him cheer like crazy for the team that day.
Speaking w Ray at length the conversation steered much more to pathetic leadership and sad state of affairs within athletic department. As he said the fact that a UConn home game doesn’t have the entire court full of rowdy student section, why do we watch garbage chamber of commerce crowds at Hartford? i suspect full of uneducated basketball fans; probably talking like some of these ridiculous commenters on here.
Ollie won a title as lead assistant, endured year w postseason ban, and then won another title. Read that again. Part of two NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.
I didn’t like the losing seasons and I didn’t like the way this ended but an athletic department with any dignity settles with Ollie, pays him, and respects the UConn way. Glen Miller getting in the middle of a lot of this speaks for some agony but if it was all Ollie where are all the legendary players been the last few years? Ray, Rip, Kemba, Rudy Gay? The administration dropped the ball and made it about money. Ollies biggest mistake was never hiring the right strength coach. Adams was never in shape the team was badly conditioned and it showed.
Dont get it twisted im not an Ollie homer and I love Hurley. I can pick apart some of his in game coaching too but like Ollie, he gives a too. I’d assume Ollie moved to Florida after his kids got out of college and the weather and no income tax makes plenty of Sense to me. ollie gets plenty of respect from the basketball world; i heard Iguadola yesterday credit Ollie on a podcast.
I usually just read these pathetic threads To gauge how awful and uneducated the fan base is when it comes to actual basketball IQ. Clown fest on here.

Relax Kevin. Go out and enjoy the Miami sun.

 

[Pga1138]

I don't think that was his biggest mistake. I'm not going to blast Ollie here but you know what he did the last few years as coach. We didn't see it but many people know what he was doing behind the scenes that caused the program to fall apart. I think that is the issue with many fans.

What was he doing at the end of the his career? I’m being honest I haven’t heard what seems to be universal egregious issues.

 

[Pga1138]

I’ve been very gracious in regard to Ollie. He was great at first. However, the program was soon dying under him. He didn’t recruit talent. Supposedly, he barely tried. KO and staff were the clown show in the end.

For sure and I’m not disagreeing with the state of the program....but to be lazy and try to clown Ollie is a joke; I’m a passionate fan like most here and it’s lazy

 

[Pga1138]

In the opening post, Chief wished KO well. Chief attends games in both XL and Gampel as do many others. I have seen great crowds in both buildings but agree XL is a poorly run building by the CRDA and that contributes to the UConn AD deficit. I also wouldn’t equate rowdy fans with being educated fans.

There’s no getting around the fact that KO’s legal team wrongly analyzed the prospects of his case and took him down a 3 year rat hole. But, KO needs to take some responsibility too for things you know about, if you know him as well as you say you do.
I do agree with some of your observations. Chief is often criticized for being vague about sources and it’s not my style to recite what I assume to be a private conversation. However, Ray has said similar things publicly so perhaps you feel you have the green light?

What many have difficulty with, is after 2014 NC, KO shut Calhoun off from being part of the program. Calhoun fought hard to get KO hired and quite frankly provided very valuable insights the first 2 KO years by observing practices and games - it seemed liked disloyalty and not wanting to share the spotlight by KO?

I agree with your comments about J Adams and Travis the Strength Coach. As I recall he was a girls gymnastic SC at Alabama and his theories and area of focus had little connection to the men’s game. Wasn’t he KO’s first major hire though after having to retained Jim’s staff as a comfort level to get hired ? KO’s weakness was program management in my opinion

my post wasn’t sticking up for Ollie as a coach at the end...championships are hard as ...he won one.....he was also a great player, and to be fair how can he have any comment on his last few years or responsibility when he can’t talk due to lawsuit?

I don’t think rowdy and uneducated have to go together but conversation with RA was more about the college game day experience....if
Boosters and program supporters donated more in line with making sure college students (fans and players) benefit the atmosphere would be awesome.

 

[Chief00]

my post wasn’t sticking up for Ollie as a coach at the end...championships are hard as ...he won one.....he was also a great player, and to be fair how can he have any comment on his last few years or responsibility when he can’t talk due to lawsuit?

I don’t think rowdy and uneducated have to go together but conversation with RA was more about the college game day experience....if
Boosters and program supporters donated more in line with making sure college students (fans and players) benefit the atmosphere would be awesome.

Just curious, did RA discuss what he donated when that topic came up? Certain former players take the position they have already made their contribution by playing. Others donate. I don’t take a position on that, but when someone criticizes that others could donate more, it’s a fair question.