Multi-year Extension for Ollie

[ChrisSmithsPart]

http://assets0..com/images/GifGuide/clapping/citizen_cane.gif

 

[UConnDan97]

I guess I fundamentally disagree Dan. Won't go line by line but given the public perception of UConn outside of our state's borders - fair or unfair, APR or Calhoun looming over the program or whatever - I think this was the right way to go. Especially if we want to be considered for B1G admission in the future. I have to think that WM knew what he was asking KO to do, KO knew what WM was asking him to do, so what's the need to tell the world in a press conference??? That's not how people handle their biz, at least in well-run institutions. The athletic director can't think exclusively short term (in the long run losing 1 or 2 recruits does not hurt UConn because we are bigger and better than that) and also shouldn't be worried exclusively about what the fans think / say. I do think the athletic department can do better PR-wise as has been discussed ad nauseum. But the grades / APR thing is a HUGE part of UConn's perception, even if it's been years since it was really a problem... so it's absolutely essential that KO had to prove himself as a leader in this department. And I disagree that that's unfair to KO... he's a man (he's 40!) and he knew exactly what he was getting into when he signed up for the job.

But the thing that gets me is that people reacting to the KO situation are behaving as if the MBB program can't handle a few months of public uncertainty (and we now know there wasn't as much uncertainty in the athletic department about KO - looking back at some of Jacob's pieces). I mean... uncertainty about the conference situation hurts us for sure, and I admit I had days where I wondered how UConn was going to get through it. But 99% of the angst in regards to the contract situation is, IMHO, fan-generated. I think we should look to how KO reacted and carried himself through this semester as a model for how UConn is going to persevere and stay positive.

PS - you can still have a bone to pick with Warde on other issues. I just feel some folks are trying to use the contract as a wedge issue, and now that it's been sorted out I don't think it's too productive. If you want to ding Warde on the other stuff then by all means make the case on the other stuff...

First, we both agree that Ollie handled the entire situation with class. No doubt about it.

Secondly, if you believe that this was about academics, and it seems based on what you wrote that you do, then I would have follow-up questions for you.

1) If he was going to put a provision into the contract for APR performance, why would he need to wait for the first semester's grades to be released?
2) Did he believe that players like Olander, Boatright, Napier, Giffey, Wolf, Evans (H.C.), Daniels, and everyone else that's back from last year would not continue their adequate academic performance without Calhoun there? If so, why?

Finally, I disagree with you that losing 1 or 2 recruits doesn't affect a program. Of course it affects a program. Especially a program with an extremely uncertain conference future. Let's just hope that we are good enough to make our way through it...

 

[aceboon]

Don't understand this thread. We've had thread after thread pleading for WM to step up and give KO his deal, now he's got a very lucrative 5 year deal that should give the program stability and some of ya'll are still going nuts. I wanted KO signed long term from jump but I understood WM's position on holding out. I don't think the affect on recruiting was that substantial, we were not in great position for any bigs and that is where the team needs the most help anyway. Guys like XRM(who i don't think was coming anyway) and Austin play the same position as guys we have now who are expected to be back, they are not make or break recruits and we are in position to get elite guys at those positions in '14. The program is in good hands with KO in charge, no use in arguing about the events of the past few months, lets move forward.

 

[UConnDan97]

I'm with you until the part about academics. We may all think it's a farce, it may be a farce, but PR does matter. UConn's image on this issue is terrible right now (unfairly, I know), and letting people think that grades played a part in this decision isn't the worst thing.

You don't believe that the PR would have been properly taken care of through the provision in the contract on APR standards which is reported to be in there anyway?

 

[Dann]

I guess I fundamentally disagree Dan. Won't go line by linei will for fun but given the public perception of UConn outside of our state's borders - fair or unfair, APR or Calhoun looming over the program or whatever - I think this was the right way to go. Especially if we want to be considered for B1G admission ok and unc is still a easy add considering what happened there and psu didn't get kicked out for what happened there and nebraska was voted out why and so on... in the future. I have to think that WM knew what he was asking KO to do, KO knew what WM was asking him to do, if thats the case then u come out on day 1 and define that to the fanbase, u also then dont have players questioning it(bazz) and getting torn apart every night by media during games-thats a idiot aproach media wise, just unreal to think. so what's the need to tell the world in a press conference??? That's not how people handle their biz, at least in well-run institutions. we are not a well run ad right now, thats for sureThe athletic director can't think exclusively short term when the league around u is dying and your fball is gross u have to think both long and short, warde was thinking neither. the recruits we missed on aren't just short term, they could be here potentiall for the next 4 years. thats not short term. (in the long run losing 1 or 2 recruits does not hurt UConn because we are bigger and better than that) and also shouldn't be worried exclusively about what the fans think / say. I do think the athletic department can do better PR-wise as has been discussed ad nauseum. yuuuuppppBut the grades / APR thing is a HUGE part of UConn's perception, even if it's been years since it was really a problem... so it's absolutely essential that KO had to prove himself as a leader in this department. this is where we split off, ko is a bball coach, not the bball coach, tutor and teacher. And I disagree that that's unfair to KO... he's a man (he's 40!) and he knew exactly what he was getting into when he signed up for the job.

But the thing that gets me is that people reacting to the KO situation are behaving as if the MBB program can't handle a few months of public uncertainty (and we now know there wasn't as much uncertainty in the athletic department about KO - looking back at some of Jacob's pieces) its not about the mbball for a few months, its that everyhting things else literally everything else is a fire, so ppl will look to the bread and butter of a school in hard times. to add to thatright now we have a pot season ban so its hard to look at bball either, so for those who still do just hoping for anything sunny, then then see warde around with the ko contract. another dagger simple as that. . I mean... uncertainty about the conference situation hurts us for sure, and I admit I had days where I wondered how UConn was going to get through it. But 99% of the angst in regards to the contract situation is, IMHO, fan-generated. when clown asses like dickie v rip your school about a contract in front of millions on tv, its not just the fanbase with a issue.I think we should look to how KO reacted and carried himself through this semester as a model for how UConn is going to persevere and stay positive. i wish ko chocked him to death with donuts.

PS - you can still have a bone to pick with Warde on other issues. I just feel some folks are trying to use the contract as a wedge issue, and now that it's been sorted out I don't think it's too productive. If you want to ding Warde on the other stuff then by all means make the case on the other stuff...

thumbs up

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Warde played this perfectly. Congrats to KO!

 

[uconNYC]

For those who say KO had no head coaching experience - neither did most assistant coaches who were upgraded, which would probably include 90% of D1 head coaches at the start of their head coaching careers.

Glad this is resolved, but WM handled it very poorly. Hopefully this will be a turning point for WM and he'll start delivering results on the scheduling, marketing and conference realignment fronts.

 

[61cygni]

Didn't read the whole thread, but did the grades play a large role in this? How did the team do academically?

 

[huskymedic]

You don't believe that the PR would have been properly taken care of through the provision in the contract on APR standards which is reported to be in there anyway?

“@DaveBorges: Two straight years of APR of 930 or less could get Kevin Ollie fired, or have pay suspended. #UConn”

 

[UConnDan97]

“@DaveBorges: Two straight years of APR of 930 or less could get Kevin Ollie fired, or have pay suspended. #UConn”

Exactly! So then there was absolutely no academic reason to wait for the semester's end...

 

[UConnDan97]

Anyways, I'll stop at this point. I'm extremely happy for Kevin Ollie, and I want to echo UConNYC's comment that hopefully this is the turning point for WM, and more importantly, for the future of UConn. Well done, Kevin!!!

 

[Inyatkin]

You don't believe that the PR would have been properly taken care of through the provision in the contract on APR standards which is reported to be in there anyway?

Not if we had three guys (theoretically) flunk out first semester after the extension was made.

 

[junglehusky]

First, we both agree that Ollie handled the entire situation with class. No doubt about it.

Secondly, if you believe that this was about academics, and it seems based on what you wrote that you do, then I would have follow-up questions for you.

1) If he was going to put a provision into the contract for APR performance, why would he need to wait for the first semester's grades to be released?

Apparently this is issue is important enough to WM (and possibly higher up the chain) that WM wanted to see how KO would handle the team's academics in the first semester, and going forward the issue will continue to be of central importance, hence the provision in the contract for future performance.

2) Did he believe that players like Olander, Boatright, Napier, Giffey, Wolf, Evans (H.C.), Daniels, and everyone else that's back from last year would not continue their adequate academic performance without Calhoun there? If so, why?

I don't know what he believed or not, but again, I think he wanted to see how KO would handle all aspects of the program including academics. It's one thing to be an assistant, it's another to be responsible for running the whole show.

Finally, I disagree with you that losing 1 or 2 recruits doesn't affect a program. Of course it affects a program. Especially a program with an extremely uncertain conference future. Let's just hope that we are good enough to make our way through it...

I didn't quite say it's won't affect the program, I said it wouldn't affect us long term. The short term loss of 1-2 recruits can be offset by the long term benefit of taking the time to make the right decision, as confidently as possible with as much information as possible, with the right priorities. That's my feeling, though I understand fans wanted a resolution the day after Calhoun retired.

 

[UConnDan97]

Not if we had three guys (theoretically) flunk out first semester after the extension was made.

Again, if that were the case then based on what Huskymedic just posted, Kevin could have been fired anyway. So no, it didn't matter. Again, I'll wrap it up by saying it is a great day for Kevin and for UConn. Here's to hoping for many more great days to come...

 

[huskymedic]

Neill Ostrout (@NeillOstrout)
12/29/12, 5:03 PM
Manuel: "Briefly he’s shown that he can coach, lead this team on the court and academically."

These were the metrics that were set in the beginning and he passed with flying colors...

 

[Adios]

The wait was all about seeing how well Ollie can coach. He's proving himself.

 

[Dann]

ko nailed the press conf. i missed the begining if warde or some 1 spoke tho. ko was great. its not about 1 or 5 years. hes our guy the next 30 and its a dam crime warde handled it like he did. its about the family and warde bein g a outsider can go himself imho.

 

[UConn990411]

Exactly! So then there was absolutely no academic reason to wait for the semester's end...

I think you've made your opinion clear. Enough already.

Like ace, I wanted Ollie to get an extension from the get-go, but I think Warde handled it reasonably well. He wanted to see how Ollie - who had 0 head coaching experience and was an assistant for just two years - would perform at the helm, which includes everything from practices and games to players' grades. Warde felt that if losing a couple recruits in the short-term was what it cost to make the right long-term decision, then it was a price he'd be willing to pay.

Again, I was in favor in Ollie getting locked up immediately, but I appreciate that he never gets rushed into a decision. (Although I don't agree with holding onto PP.)

 

[suzyq]

The one to the left is how I earned my BS in chemistry. The one to the right is where I did post-graduate work. I was using it as a way to show people who were down on the current state of UConn that things are continuing to get better....much better....and that the dark cloud will soon be on its way somewhere else.

What year did you get your BS?

 

[Dann]

I think you've made your opinion clear. Enough already.

Like ace, I wanted Ollie to get an extension from the get-go, but I think Warde handled it reasonably well. He wanted to see how Ollie - who had 0 head coaching experience and was an assistant for just two years - would perform at the helm, which includes everything from practices and games to players' grades. Warde felt that if losing a couple recruits in the short-term was what it cost to make the right long-term decision, then it was a price he'd be willing to pay.

Again, I was in favor in Ollie getting locked up immediately, but I appreciate that he never gets rushed into a decision. (Although I don't agree with holding onto PP.)

so u dont see the trend then? he plays it safe or just wrong and as result we take hit after hit prmedia/games wise? hes everthing up. BLINDERS

 

[huskyharry]

Great news. Congratulations Coach Ollie!

 

[DogMania]

How many recruits did we lose or have a huge impact on?

Uconn's future, great to hear

First off congrats, KO! I wish you a long and successful career coaching our Huskies.

secoundly, I'm sure we missed out on one or two recruits, but it's time to turn the page. Nothing anyone can do about that. Let's hope KO and his staff pull in some talented 2013 recruits this spring and begin to build toward a great 2014 class.

 

[whaler11]

just wait to the press conf. i really want to know why the process went the way it did. i honestly can't imagine a answert that would be acceptable. i can't.

Obviously they aren't going to show up and say that they had a pissing match with Calhoun. You know why the process went the way it did. It was about who is in charge and they didn't like the way that Calhoun manipulated the situation so they penalized Ollie for it.

 

[whaler11]

Look at the brightside for Ollie. He ended up with 5 years instead of 2 or 3 based on how he handled it.

 

[Dann]

after watching that.....WOW.......

 

[aceboon]

Look at the brightside for Ollie. He ended up with 5 years instead of 2 or 3 based on how he handled it.

good point, even more stability than a 2-3 year deal with a buyout like many of us initially wanted.

 

[whaler11]

after watching that.....WOW.......

I can't believe I'm going to ask this but... can you expand on your thoughts?

 

[junglehusky]

this is where we split off, ko is a bball coach, not the bball coach, tutor and teacher.

Yes I think this is the main point of disagreement... the MBB coach isn't there just to recruit, isn't there just to win games and diagram plays, he is there to Run. The. Program. Academics and compliance not part of the job? It's in the freakin' job description (assuming the job description is like the posting for the FB coach that someone linked to after RE went to maryland). The MBB head coach is the leader, and the leader is responsible for the whole program. No excuses.


Is it unfair that Memphis or Louisville doesn't have to meet the academic standards that UConn does? Perhaps. But that's the kind of institution we are and will be. Especially if we want to be taken seriously as a B1G candidate. And some people on the Boneyard don't care about this and that's their right. But I bet there are many times more people who are UConn alums who don't post on the Boneyard who do care.

The other point that comes out... I guess I think what the fanbase thinks / says is not as important as what's happening behind closed doors. Yes perception is important... but even if part of perception is shaped by ESPN or whoever, the main source of perception should come from how the university is being run and how the teams are being run. IMHO it's just not the structure of UConn sports that everything is being done out in public, that the athletic director has to submit everything for the public's stamp of approval. Maybe that's how things are run at some places but to me that's not a sign of strong leadership. Strong leadership is establishing core values, then setting high standards and making sure you have the people to meet and exceed those standards. And... don't talk about it, be about it.

Most of the complaining I saw on this board, the football board or the CR board was about not winning enough (valid) or not talking publicly about business (not valid, but many disagree here). I thought it was kind of strange that fans really pilloried WM and SH for saying we want to win more, I guess they thought it was empty promises but if MBB and FB get back to winning conference championships (and WBB continues) then UConn's mojo will be going in the right direction again. That's worth a million times more than any reassuring press conference where Warde "defines his vision" or whatever. Apart from improving PR, I just think words don't matter as much as action.

 

[Dann]

I can't believe I'm going to ask this but... can you expand on your thoughts?

all of his excuses for waiting were exactly all the bs we have talked about. guys not a rock star, hes a chump. at one point he said something like he wasn't over ko's shoulder all the time he had other stuff to do. if we had a actual horde i would have jumped all over that. like what else were u doing warde? certainly not anything in marketing, football, puck or anything that matters these days. ahhhhh!!!

to his credit he didn't come out and say we waited for grades this semester becuase as i said and others have also, is a freaking asinine idea to claim that some posters here like to do. he said they were important but ot the reason or w/e. still to much for me but...he did stress academics and the arp overall which is fine considering where we are right now. the horde will play the midterm grades up becuase they are idiots. i have no probelm with the apr contract langauge either, i think that was actualy the first positive idea i have sene from him media wise. but the whole thing still in the end stinks of his ego vs jc/thefamily and every other fan/alum who saw this for what it was. and for that alone i want him away from this school. when u pile on all the other things, i don't understand how ppl here are so ok with things. its disgusting.

 

[huskymedic]

I can't believe I'm going to ask this but... can you expand on your thoughts?

Let me paraphrase what he will say... #%^*# Warde #die %#** clown #firedumb$hit $***#%!!!!!