Low Point for UConn athletics

[nelsonmuntz]

The decision to join a southern mid major conference is looking brilliant.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Whether we stay in the AAC or kill football to "save hoops" and move back to the "Big East", UConn athletics is done. Finished. Both scenarios are death knells for the whole department.

P5 is the only way out and that lifeboat just left port and won't be back for another 5-10 years. By that time the budget will be shrunk, Ollie will have been fired, and we will go through 3 more football coaches.

People need to stop touting the Olympic sports because nobody cares.

 

[UCFBfan]

If you don't think UConn is close to being irrelevant on a national scene you're being willingly obtuse.

The saddest thing about this comment is that if it wasn't for the women's basketball team and Geno being Geno, UConn would be no different then any other G5 school in terms of relevance. Of all the sports that we have been known for, it's Women's basketball that's keeping us in the conversation......

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Whether we stay in the AAC or kill football to "save hoops" and move back to the "Big East", UConn athletics is done. Finished. Both scenarios are death knells for the whole department.

P5 is the only way out and that lifeboat just left port and won't be back for another 5-10 years. By that time the budget will be shrunk, Ollie will have been fired, and we will go through 3 more football coaches.

People need to stop touting the Olympic sports because nobody cares.

We know that staying in the AAC is a death knell (wasn't there a poster telling us that for the last 3 years?).

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

We know that staying in the AAC is a death knell (wasn't there a poster telling us that for the last 3 years?).

Your solution of dropping football and moving to the Big East is also a death knell.

It's just that your option also eliminates us from P5 consideration.

 

[Ldandy]

The decision to join a southern mid major conference is looking brilliant.

3 things:

1)Uconn didn't join anything. They remained in the conference that they were already a part of and added new members. The Catholic Basketball Schools decided to leave.

2)Going independent in football is nearly impossible. Even ND had to agree to 5 "conference" games in order to fill out a reasonable schedule. Otherwise they would have next to no one to play when everyone else was playing their conference slates. A few years of New Mexico State, Umass, and Army at home in October and November and their fans would have been begging to join any conference. Who would Uconn Schedule? More important, what media outlet is showing these games?

3)There are no guarantees that joining The Big East would be a long term solution. The plan is to do this to save basketball correct? What happens if the day comes where the current P5 gets fed up with The NCAA controlling the lion's share of the basketball tournament money? What if they break away and decide to stage their own tournament with the ability to control the media rights? Will The Big East be invited to compete in that scenario, or will it be with lumped in with all the rest of the current G5 Schools playing in a secondary tournament akin to the current FCS Football Playoff?

The reality is that The AAC didn't destroy Uconn's Football Program. Bad coaches did. Losing and playing a brand of football that is painful to watch is what's keeping the fans away. Honestly if Uconn were in The ACC right now, but saddled with the same group of coaches, how much better would your attendance be? You played two ACC Schools at home this year, were they sell outs? Sure maybe a Clemson, Miami, or FSU might put 10,000 more buts in the seats, but the majority of its current members wouldn't mean squat.

What the school needs to do is can Diaco's sorry ass. If Uconn can hire a coach that doesn't speak in riddles and knows that the object of the game is to score touchdowns not gain experience they will be halfway back to relevance. You can be a good program and compete for New Years Day Bowl Games in The AAC. Houston has proven that. The main difference is that the margin of error is far less than at other places. Still it can be done. Step one starts the minute Fish Cakes is handed his pink slip.

 

[UConnDan97]

Whether we stay in the AAC or kill football to "save hoops" and move back to the "Big East", UConn athletics is done. Finished. Both scenarios are death knells for the whole department.

P5 is the only way out and that lifeboat just left port and won't be back for another 5-10 years. By that time the budget will be shrunk, Ollie will have been fired, and we will go through 3 more football coaches.

People need to stop touting the Olympic sports because nobody cares.

I wish you would tell us how you really feel, Jimmy.

The current money model is unsustainable over the long term. The difference between the P5 and everyone else is too big. We need some of the moving parts to break in our favor. If not a P5 invite, at least a much better AAC contract or better yet, a way to monetize our rights separately from the AAC since we are their most valuable property.

As for the doom and gloom of the men's basketball team, I can't take it anymore. Yes, horrible start and a bunch of injuries, but it doesn't change the fact that we got a top 10 recruiting class after 5 years in the AAC. It doesn't change the fact that we have already landed top 150 recruits for next year as well. And football is one right coaching hire away from 40,000 in the stadium again.

My God, with this 'we're dead' talk...

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I used to believe that all of the premature tossing of dirt on our graves was initiated by outsiders (pundits, fans of opponents on message boards) and that those who believed it either resented our success or were overreacting fans. I still remember the supposed abyss we had fallen into during the 2009-2010 season and how we were then dead as a program.

Is there a chance that we won't run our streak of above .500 seasons to thirty? Yes and personally I think it sucks. I can only think of two schools (Arizona & Kansas) that have longer streaks and I could be wrong on either. That said, if there is one sport where I doubt we will ever be too far in the dumps to ever being able to return to the elite it is men's hoops (keep in mind we have no idea how things will evolve once Geno is retired and many other schools throw money into women's hoops).

This men's basketball season is looking like it will be an enormous disappointment; many of us saw the possibility of a deep tournament run this year, now making the tournament looks like a pipedream. That does not mean the program is dead.

 

[Adios]

Bigger government is the future. UConn will be fine, it is going nowhere. However, on some squads other than those under Geno, Nancy Stevens, and maybe Jim Penders, our athletes could use an attitude adjustment and actually appreciate what they are getting. Rather than be mentally weak.

Sacred Heart's hockey coach amazes me. He gets his teams to always compete. Pretty cohesively and coherently, too.

 

[whaler11]

I wish you would tell us how you really feel, Jimmy.

The current money model is unsustainable over the long term. The difference between the P5 and everyone else is too big. We need some of the moving parts to break in our favor. If not a P5 invite, at least a much better AAC contract or better yet, a way to monetize our rights separately from the AAC since we are their most valuable property.

As for the doom and gloom of the men's basketball team, I can't take it anymore. Yes, horrible start and a bunch of injuries, but it doesn't change the fact that we got a top 10 recruiting class after 5 years in the AAC. It doesn't change the fact that we have already landed top 150 recruits for next year as well. And football is one right coaching hire away from 40,000 in the stadium again.

My God, with this 'we're dead' talk...

The injuries might be an excuse going forward. They don't explain Wagner and Northeastern.

Ollie has shown he can recruit. Post Shabazz he hasn't shown anything else. You can assume he'll develop and everything will be fine - but you are probably looking at the longest 11 months in UConn history. If he doesn't get that program fixed by next November then what?

 

[CTBasketball]

UConn men's bball fans are the worst. I prefer the balance and fairness and open mindedness we have on the football side of things.

Seriously though, they will regret it when Ollie is gone.

I'm guessing you don't know much about basketball?

There are much better coaches, cheaper coaches, out there than Ollie. If you can't fix a problem in 5 years, how much longer do you need?

 

[Stainmaster]

I'm guessing you don't know much about basketball?

There are much better coaches, cheaper coaches, out there than Ollie. If you can't fix a problem in 5 years, how much longer do you need?

They're not coming to UConn.

 

[huskyrob1]

Is this the lowest point for UConn athletics since JC walked on campus for the first time?

Football is a complete mess. The PP years look like the new normal.

Men's BB is off to the worst start in years... and Ollie isn't JC and it seems like the fan base won't accept that fact and will likely drive him off to the NBA

Conference RA and the Big12 have crapped on us and there isn't a sliver of sunshine.

We still have Geno!!!!! This was supposed to be a down year for the women, and so far things have been quite different.

 

[jrazz12]

I'm guessing you don't know much about basketball?

There are much better coaches, cheaper coaches, out there than Ollie. If you can't fix a problem in 5 years, how much longer do you need?

Yeah winning that national championship was a real problem

 

[UConnDan97]

Yeah winning that national championship was a real problem

THIS!

How quickly people forget. And of course you'll get the "they were Calhoun's recruits" line from the haters. Well, the best comeback I have for them is that this guy just happens to be the one that Calhoun endorsed for the job. If you trust Calhoun, you should trust Ollie by extension...

 

[whaler11]

THIS!

How quickly people forget. And of course you'll get the "they were Calhoun's recruits" line from the haters. Well, the best comeback I have for them is that this guy just happens to be the one that Calhoun endorsed for the job. If you trust Calhoun, you should trust Ollie by extension...

There are only a couple of 'haters'. When was the last time UConn had a year that was dead in November?

 

[UConnDan97]

There are only a couple of 'haters'. When was the last time UConn had a year that was dead in November?

Only a couple?? Every thread on the hoops tab seems to call for his head.

As for this year, it's pretty dire. But it's still not done. With the first two horrible losses, we probably can't take on more than 4 more losses the rest of the way. However, they have finally figured out how to score, even against top 25 teams.

I expect this team to get better over the course of the year, hopefully sooner rather than later. If the defensive end comes together, particularly rebounding, I could see this team finishing the regular season with 8 or 9 losses, which I think would be good enough for an at large bid. Double digits losses would mean we'd have to win the AAC tourney, which I think we're also capable of doing. The season's not lost yet...

 

[whaler11]

Only a couple?? Every thread on the hoops tab seems to call for his head.

As for this year, it's pretty dire. But it's still not done. With the first two horrible losses, we probably can't take on more than 4 more losses the rest of the way. However, they have finally figured out how to score, even against top 25 teams.

I expect this team to get better over the course of the year, hopefully sooner rather than later. If the defensive end comes together, particularly rebounding, I could see this team finishing the regular season with 8 or 9 losses, which I think would be good enough for an at large bid. Double digits losses would mean we'd have to win the AAC tourney, which I think we're also capable of doing. The season's not lost yet...

There aren't too many legitimate people calling for Ollie's head.

Until they play defense it's not even worth discussing.

They would need to win like 20 of 22 to be an at-large candidate. That's just silly based on what we've seen.

Only hope is to improve and get good matchups in AAC tourney.

 

[CTBasketball]

Yeah winning that national championship was a real problem

THIS!

How quickly people forget. And of course you'll get the "they were Calhoun's recruits" line from the haters. Well, the best comeback I have for them is that this guy just happens to be the one that Calhoun endorsed for the job. If you trust Calhoun, you should trust Ollie by extension...

There are only a couple of 'haters'. When was the last time UConn had a year that was dead in November?

I'm not calling for his head.

After 5 years coaching a D1 basketball team, you'd hope to learn how to call timeouts, run offensive sets, draw up inbounds plays, and most importantly develop players. Without Napier's 25 foot heaves late in the shot clock, the 2013-2014 season was a first weekend exit from the NCAAT. But I'm done discussing hoops here, we have a board for that!

 

[UCFBfan]

You can't judge Ollie too much this season with all the injuries. It started off ugly and there are still glaring weaknesses with this team in terms of big men but if everyone stayed healthy, they would have gelled and gotten better. Unfortunately, that won't happen this year so it's a lost season. The best we can hope for is having Enoch get more experience and get better. We desperately need a big man to emerge.

If Ollie keeps up his recruiting like this class, things will look up for this team.....

 

[Redding Husky]

GREAT post @Pudge! Thank you! Those of us who remember the years of Dom Perno will disagree with the OP.

I remember as an undergrad in 1983, B.C. (before Calhoun) we would pray for a .500 record in the Big East.

 

[willie99]

Is this the lowest point for UConn athletics since JC walked on campus for the first time?

Football is a complete mess. The PP years look like the new normal.

Men's BB is off to the worst start in years... and Ollie isn't JC and it seems like the fan base won't accept that fact and will likely drive him off to the NBA

Conference RA and the Big12 have crapped on us and there isn't a sliver of sunshine.

why, at this point in time, does anyone think the NBA is hot for Ollie?

I think KO needs to define himself as a coach, that takes a few years, even JC wasn't very good in his first few years at Northeastern

and he's an awesome recruiter, my biggest problem with him is slow starts and rebounding (malpractice). The starts can be blamed on roster turnover 3 straight years


As for football, we can compete in our league, but I don't believe BD is our guy. His decisions and calls are just head scratching, as are his red pants. Something's amiss

 

[FDNY99]

why, at this point in time, does anyone think the NBA is hot for Ollie?

I think KO needs to define himself as a coach, that takes a few years, even JC wasn't very good in his first few years at Northeastern

and he's an awesome recruiter, my biggest problem with him is slow starts and rebounding (malpractice). The starts can be blamed on roster turnover 3 straight years


As for football, we can compete in our league, but I don't believe BD is our guy. His decisions and calls are just head scratching, as are his red pants. Something's amiss

KO needs to build his "own" staff. IMHO eventually he will replace Glen Miller with someone who is more of a big man coach. He will be fine. One thing he also needs to do is get a new S&C guy...this season is gonna go down as a win for the injury bug.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I remember as an undergrad in 1983, B.C. (before Calhoun) we would pray for a .500 record in the Big East.

With Bailey (while he was still eligible), Kuzenski (nothing special but somewhat useful) and Kelly ( either spectacular or out of control as a freshman) we could look competent at times. Finishing .500 in the BE was asking a bit much however.

Once we got to 83-84, a .500 BE record was out and out delusional and even a .500 overall record was a pipedream.

 

[Alum86]

There aren't too many legitimate people calling for Ollie's head.

Until they play defense it's not even worth discussing.

They would need to win like 20 of 22 to be an at-large candidate. That's just silly based on what we've seen.

Only hope is to improve and get good matchups in AAC tourney.

Yep. We're setting up for a must win AAC tourney and the regular season has yet to begin.
Throw in zero points in November for FB......yeah, good times.....