"Let's remember that Kevin Ollie #BleedsBlue" | Page 2 | The Boneyard

"Let's remember that Kevin Ollie #BleedsBlue"

Tenspro2002 said:
I would amend this slightly: when KO only had to focus on a small fraction of the job -- getting tough and coachable guards to develop and run the team -- he was fine.

When he had to manage the entirety of a major D-I program, he was exposed: horrible eye for talent, horrible eye for intangibles, couldn't earn the respect of his players, couldn't teach those players X's and O's, couldn't develop bigs, etc.

In other words, he would have made a great assistant coach, which is exactly what he was before JC foisted him upon the program.
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Spot on.
 
KO will be one of my top 3 favorite players of all time..with his coast to coast layup that beat PC in Providence one of if not my favorite plays of all time. He was a good coach who got his kids to win when they had nothing to play for (APR year) and pushed all the right buttons 4 years ago to win a national title. But he isn't the answer anymore and if this was a P-5 $$ situation he would be gone after this season no questions asked. There is always bitterness over a breakup like this...how long it lasts and to what level is really up to him.
 
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VAHuskyFan said:
Agree with the OP, but this street runs two ways. KO has said before that money is not as important to him as what’s best for UConn. Spoken like someone who truly bleeds blue.

If he backs that up by working out a mutual parting with a reduced buyout to allow the program to move forward, he will deserve an immense amount of respect for his maturity and willingness to put UConn first.

If, on the other hand, he insists on getting paid every dollar in his contract and essentially chooses to take the program hostage, he should not expect a lot of empathy from UConn fans.

The choice will be Kevin Ollie’s alone.

“But money don’t move me. I played in the NBA. That don’t make a man. . . . But I want the best for UConn.” -Kevin Ollie
NBA? Kevin Ollie Tells Gayle King, 'Not Now ... But Never Say Never'
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He’d have to be out of his mind to walk away from six million dollars, regardless of the reason.
 
I'm in complete wait mode. I mean it's been embarrassing to be a UConn fan especially this year. If they add to the embarrassment with some bans or losses after this investigation, whatever it is, I can't tell you how my reaction will be. He meant a lot to the program when he played here and when he coached earlier on, but none of that will matter if he forgot where it was he came from as a player. I means mentor wasn't perfect but he was one of the greats and gave us something we all thought we could only dream of in the 70's-80's. If he somehow manages to ruin the structure and it is too far gone to bring back, how could he even step foot back on the campus. I am surely jumping the gun but somehow with all that's going on, I am not expecting good news.
 
I apologize if anyone felt I was questioning their fandom or anything like that. It was not my intent. We're all going to handle this situation differently.

If you want to say KO failed as a head coach I agree with you. I'm ok being realistic about this. I'm not going to take offense at people speaking the truth.

Ollie has no one to blame but himself when he loses his job. No injury or transfer is an exuse for how bad we have been. The investigation will likely be the final straw, but if he had been winning they would defend him. I think the way he has handled things off the court this season has been less than stellar. His rat comment was stupid, but I'm sure he will regret it someday. He is definitely in bunker mentality mode right now, but I can see where he is coming from. If I were KO I would be very depressed knowing that I screwed up one of the best opportunities I ever had. I feel bad for him even if he did this to himself.

KO isn't the only one who created this situation though. Calhoun forced the schools hand. He wanted this to stay in the family but I don't think that is possible and more and that's partly his fault. It sucks.

Maybe I am defending the indefensible. Maybe I feel empathy for someone that doesn't deserve it. If that is the case so be it. If there is a valid reason, I will readjust my views and move on.
 
It ain't why, it just is.

I don't begrudge Calhoun for foisting Ollie on the school. I thank him for it because I still credit Ollie with that 2014 National Championship.

Ollie earned the extension he got after that, but he hasn't earned his keep since. I don't know why and I don't much care to know.

I just want to move on.
 
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8893 said:
It ain't why, it just is.

I don't begrudge Calhoun for foisting Ollie on the school. I thank him for it because I still credit Ollie with that 2014 National Championship.

Ollie earned the extension he got after that, but he hasn't earned his keep since. I don't know why and I don't much care to know.

I just want to move on.
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Eh, Calhoun does deserve some blame here.

It's not like JC's attitude was "well, I know KO can't run a program, but he'll at least win a championship with my recruits, and that's good enough".

He expected KO to be able to do the job well into the future. He was wrong.
 
No real person will walk away from $10 million. It should be again the law to do that. I will be pi$$ off at one of my colleagues if he decide to return the yr end bonus because it will negatively impact the profession. AROD tried to do that and his peers told him no.
 
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temery said:
He’d have to be out of his mind to walk away from six million dollars, regardless of the reason.
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Exactly!

So if anyone on this board was the coach, they would gracefully turn down 6 million dollars that's Guaranteed to them Per Contract when they get fired?

9Cfrqoq.png
 
Penfield said:
I apologize if anyone felt I was questioning their fandom or anything like that. It was not my intent. We're all going to handle this situation differently.

If you want to say KO failed as a head coach I agree with you. I'm ok being realistic about this. I'm not going to take offense at people speaking the truth.

Ollie has no one to blame but himself when he loses his job. No injury or transfer is an exuse for how bad we have been. The investigation will likely be the final straw, but if he had been winning they would defend him. I think the way he has handled things off the court this season has been less than stellar. His rat comment was stupid, but I'm sure he will regret it someday. He is definitely in bunker mentality mode right now, but I can see where he is coming from. If I were KO I would be very depressed knowing that I screwed up one of the best opportunities I ever had. I feel bad for him even if he did this to himself.

KO isn't the only one who created this situation though. Calhoun forced the schools hand. He wanted this to stay in the family but I don't think that is possible and more and that's partly his fault. It sucks.

Maybe I am defending the indefensible. Maybe I feel empathy for someone that doesn't deserve it. If that is the case so be it. If there is a valid reason, I will readjust my views and move on.
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You are being kind and human under trying circumstances. Commendable.
 
Tenspro2002 said:
Eh, Calhoun does deserve some blame here.

It's not like JC's attitude was "well, I know KO can't run a program, but he'll at least win a championship with my recruits, and that's good enough".

He expected KO to be able to do the job well into the future. He was wrong.
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Until the latest string of losses, I felt , meh but resigned to keeping KO around another year, given the circumstances. The Temple blow out was the last straw (and I called it on Twitter, too...just after KO's team gives you hope, they destroy your soul).

But given my support of him, this was a mistake from the getgo. I'm grateful he got us a title: 4 titles puts us in elite company, and it was KO who deserved all that credit. But JC put Warde Manuel in a terrible position. It should have been a nationwide search, not an untested but beloved assistant coach. KO did a good job for a while, and I still think he has what it takes to be a good coach.

But there's too much ill will now. If he had the same record, losing to the same teams, and only a blowout to Villanova, I wouldn't be saying this. But these blowouts are hard to come back from.
 
ConnHuskBask said:
If only KO has shown the same loyalty and dedication to the program the past couple years that the few of you remaining souls think he has.
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Pure BS statement - you have no idea what his work habits nor his level of loyalty is - it's these statements that make some folks pissed
Questioning KO's loyalty is beyond ridiculous - because someone isn't 'performing' up to expectations doesn't mean that the person is lacking in loyalty or dedication - question his experience or ability but not the heart or the desire
"you remaining souls" LOL
 
tzznandrew said:
Until the latest string of losses, I felt , meh but resigned to keeping KO around another year, given the circumstances. The Temple blow out was the last straw (and I called it on Twitter, too...just after KO's team gives you hope, they destroy your soul).

But given my support of him, this was a mistake from the getgo. I'm grateful he got us a title: 4 titles puts us in elite company, and it was KO who deserved all that credit. But JC put Warde Manuel in a terrible position. It should have been a nationwide search, not an untested but beloved assistant coach. KO did a good job for a while, and I still think he has what it takes to be a good coach.

But there's too much ill will now. If he had the same record, losing to the same teams, and only a blowout to Villanova, I wouldn't be saying this. But these blowouts are hard to come back from.
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Great post.
 
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Tenspro2002 said:
Eh, Calhoun does deserve some blame here.

It's not like JC's attitude was "well, I know KO can't run a program, but he'll at least win a championship with my recruits, and that's good enough".

He expected KO to be able to do the job well into the future. He was wrong.
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He predicted the future wrong, but I’m not convinced that he was wrong about Ollie’s potential to be a great coach. Something changed in terms of Ollie’s willingness and/or ability to do what was necessary to grow and adapt in the job.

The job changed a bit along the way and got more challenging; in the past few years he has not risen to the challenge. That’s what stings, because rising to the challenge and working hard previously seemed to be Ollie’s most defining characteristics.

So, if Calhoun got that wrong about Ollie, I don’t think he was alone.
 
UconnAlum04 said:
Exactly!

So if anyone on this board was the coach, they would gracefully turn down 6 million dollars that's Guaranteed to them Per Contract when they get fired?

9Cfrqoq.png
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You are correct with that.

Another thing to add to the equation:

Most coaches, even those who played for the school they now coach, believe enough in their abilities (even if that belief may be deluded) to think they can do better than someone new in righting the ship so to speak. I imagine that someone who had the belief in himself and determination to turn a start in the Continental Basketball Association into a decade in the NBA has enough belief in himself to think he can fix this.

I'm not saying he should get the chance, only that those thinking he'll say "It's best for the school if I bow out" may be mistaken.
 
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8893 said:
He predicted the future wrong, but I’m not convinced that he was wrong about Ollie’s potential to be a great coach. Something changed in terms of Ollie’s willingness and/or ability to do what was necessary to grow and adapt in the job.

The job changed a bit along the way and got more challenging; in the past few years he has not risen to the challenge. That’s what stings, because rising to the challenge and working hard previously seemed to be Ollie’s most defining characteristics.

So, if Calhoun got that wrong about Ollie, I don’t think he was alone.
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Quality post. JC did what he thought was best. And for 2012-14 it truly was. Nobody would have done better those 2 years.

After that, nearly everything seemed to be a struggle. Everything was "off". I hope it all unwinds itself gently and that the future brings us legit hope. That's all I can ask for.
 
WestHartHusk said:
I think we can dispense with the divorce stuff.
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I won't dispute that it's your thought and that others likely agree, but I don't count myself among your "we." That's not to offer a pass for poor performance or claim any kind of excuse, but I don't know that it's dispensed with such assurance. Resiliency varies among people, and this may be a deficiency that explains without excusing.
 
Hans Sprungfeld said:
I won't dispute that it's your thought and that others likely agree, but I don't count myself among your "we." That's not to offer a pass for poor performance or claim any kind of excuse, but I don't know that it's dispensed with such assurance. Resiliency varies among people, and this may be a deficiency that explains without excusing.
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I think I understand what you are saying. The word "sullen" comes to mind.
 
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