Ollie fighting to keep his job..Link from ESPN

[8893]

Probably not, would be my guess.

Well it looks like "just cause" is defined the same for him as it is for the other union members, whether they appreciate it or not; but his contract also adds additional definitions specific to his job, including, as you suspected, a broad provision pertaining to NCAA violations by him or his staff (to his knowledge). See Sec. 10.1(d):

http://www.rep-am.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Kevin-Ollie-Contract-1-18-2018.pdf

 

[HuskyHawk]

Did anyone see this today? Legislators Say More Money Isn't There If UConn Is Forced To Pay Ollie
Legislature saying no extra money to UConn to pay Ollie. No surprise.

 

[UCDaveD]



Justice > UConn for me. Maybe where you're from it's acceptable to cheat people of their money to solve budget issues, but I don't want to root for a school like that and I won't root for a school like that.

You see, to folks like you, this is about us choosing the coach over the school. It's not. This is about rejecting the idea that such a choice is even possible in the first place. Kevin Ollie played four years here, represented the school for 12 years in the NBA, won a title here as an assistant coach, and then won a title as a head coach. If he's not UConn, then who is? Is it Susan Herbst? Is it Dave Benenedict? Dan Hurley? Tell me, because to my eye, this looks less and less like the school I grew up rooting for every time we alienate an alum in the name of managing deficits that we created. We bet big on Ollie and lost. The choice is to either cross your fingers for another year and hope that changes or swallow the buyout.

Perhaps there is language in the agreement that allows you to terminate the contract, but there is no such language stating I have to like it. #NotMyUConn

The former head coach violated the terms of his contract. He is owed nothing. He will likely get a settlement. It's more than he deserves. He wasn't cheated.

College basketball is business. Sometimes that leads to hurt feeling. Boohoo, get over it.

"Life isn't some candy mountain with forests full of steaks prepared just the way you like them and meadows full of models who think your story about the time you ran a car over your own foot makes you the most interesting man they ever desperately wanted to sleep with. Life is a struggle. You get out there and fight for what you get. No one is going to give it to you." -MakersMuppet

 

[UCDaveD]

Did anyone see this today? Legislators Say More Money Isn't There If UConn Is Forced To Pay Ollie
Legislature saying no extra money to UConn to pay Ollie. No surprise.

Good thing that a donor is already lined up, per our prophet @Chief00

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Forget sympathy for Ollie do you think how we handle this business will effect the hiring of a new coach?

Acknowledging limited facts available to very few to no Boneyarders, sure hope nothing prevents effecting the hiring of a coach. If the end result is no coach, that could be quite a conundrum.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Justice > UConn for me. Maybe where you're from it's acceptable to cheat people of their money to solve budget issues, but I don't want to root for a school like that and I won't root for a school like that.

You see, to folks like you, this is about us choosing the coach over the school. It's not. This is about rejecting the idea that such a choice is even possible in the first place. Kevin Ollie played four years here, represented the school for 12 years in the NBA, won a title here as an assistant coach, and then won a title as a head coach. If he's not UConn, then who is? Is it Susan Herbst? Is it Dave Benenedict? Dan Hurley? Tell me, because to my eye, this looks less and less like the school I grew up rooting for every time we alienate an alum in the name of managing deficits that we created. We bet big on Ollie and lost. The choice is to either cross your fingers for another year and hope that changes or swallow the buyout.

Perhaps there is language in the agreement that allows you to terminate the contract, but there is no such language stating I have to like it. #NotMyUConn

The alumn was incompetent in every respect. He effectively didn't do the job we paid him $6+ million to do the last couple of years. So you think "justice" demands that we pay him not to do the job for the next three years? Kevin has cheated the university, which expected an exceptional basketball coach and didn't even get a competent one. He was a top ten paid coach, and may been a bottom 300 performer. I don't care about his history. It's irrelevant. It's another reason I don't want anybody connected to the program to replace him.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]


College basketball is business. Sometimes that leads to hurt feeling. Boohoo, get over it.

The people crying about justice and telling Ollie he should not contest the termination for cause would do well to understand this.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Did anyone see this today? Legislators Say More Money Isn't There If UConn Is Forced To Pay Ollie Legislature saying no extra money to UConn to pay Ollie. No surprise.

No worries, just reallocate some of the $10 million CT's state bond commission inexplicably allocated to renovate Dillon Stadium for a lowly nth division, non-existent world beater soccer team. Yeah, yeah, I know things don't work that way ... and said in jest as a soccer fan, but much bigger UConn fan. Onward and upward, go Huskies!

 

[UCDaveD]

The people crying about justice and telling Ollie he should not contest the termination for cause would do well to understand this.

The former coach should absolutely go for every dime he can. I agree, people who think that he should give the University a "Bleed Blue" Discount are just as misguided as the people who think the University should give him a "Bleed Blue" Parachute.

 

[Bonehead]

No worries, just reallocate some of the $10 million CT's state bond commission inexplicably allocated to renovate Dillon Stadium for a lowly nth division, non-existent world beater soccer team. Yeah, yeah, I know things don't work that way ... and said in jest as a soccer fan, but much bigger UConn fan. Onward and upward, go Huskies!

Or add tolls on the road to Storrs off 84.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The people crying about justice and telling Ollie he should not contest the termination for cause would do well to understand this.

I expected him to contest it. It's his right. I just hope he loses.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Or add tolls on the road to Storrs off 84.

Sounds good. 395 to boot!

 

[whaler11]

SuzieLax and DB better hope their lawyers win... DB will be packing his own box and SuzieLax will get destroyed by the faculty and legislature.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Well it looks like "just cause" is defined the same for him as it is for the other union members, whether they appreciate it or not; but his contract also adds additional definitions specific to his job, including, as you suspected, a broad provision pertaining to NCAA violations by him or his staff (to his knowledge). See Sec. 10.1(d)

As if all high-level D-1 coaches and assistants fully comply with any and all NCAA laws, rules, regs, policies, by-laws, bathroom pass rules, text message protocols, etc., you mean Sandy Psycho prof and her Union rep Ullyses may not need to comply with such stuff? Kind of a double edged sword for UConn's ongoing friendly NCAA relationship, but good luck to Ollie and his attorneys arguing absolute NCAA compliance with UConn's CT Attorney General's office legal counsel, affiliated attorneys (2 of 3 labor/CBA-focused), etc.

 

[Fishy]

Forget sympathy for Ollie do you think how we handle this business will effect the hiring of a new coach?

No.

Do you want to hire a coach who’s afraid he might not get his buyout if he lands us in an NCAA investigation?

 

[TJT]

It seems to me that many here are conflating the issue. No one is denying that UConn has the right to fire him for not getting the job done. The issue is just cause reasoning and its context in his contract. I think most would agree that the real reason KO was fired was that his program was under performing expectations. Unfortunately the school foolishly game him a contract with an outrageous buyout. It does not want to pay that and is now trying to find ways to get out of honoring its commitment. The just cause argument is specious. What serious breach was KO guilty of? The NCAA has made no finding public. How does UConn reconcile the treatment of Ollie with that of former Coach Jim Calhoun who actually oversaw a program the NCAA did find guilty of infractions? If NCAA infractions are such a breach of contract, how does the school explain not taking action against JC? I therefore really think KO has some leverage here. UConn is taking a big risk and PR gamble. Ollie being part of a union with arbitration makes it even worse for the school. I would think it best to get this resolved asap. I however think that UConn is going to have to come much closer to the 10M plus buyout figure than it had hoped to make this all go away.

 

[auggie22]

It seems to me that many here are conflating the issue. No one is denying that UConn has the right to fire him for not getting the job done. The issue is just cause reasoning and its context in his contract. I think most would agree that the real reason KO was fired was that his program was under performing expectations. Unfortunately the school foolishly game him a contract with an outrageous buyout. It does not want to pay that and is now trying to find ways to get out of honoring its commitment. The just cause argument is specious. What serious breach was KO guilty of? The NCAA has made no finding public. How does UConn reconcile the treatment of Ollie with that of former Coach Jim Calhoun who actually oversaw a program the NCAA did find guilty of infractions? If NCAA infractions are such a breach of contract, how does the school explain not taking action against JC? I therefore really think KO has some leverage here. UConn is taking a big risk and PR gamble. Ollie being part of a union with arbitration makes it even worse for the school. I would think it best to get this resolved asap. I however think that UConn is going to have come much closer to the 10M plus buyout figure than it had hoped to make this all go away.

Nope, I think everyone gets that point. What you are missing is that UCONN does not need to try to find an out - Ollie gave them one, presumably by putting UCONN in the NCAA’s crosshairs. They are executing the option that Ollie gave them.

 

[TJT]

Nope, I think everyone gets that point. What you are missing is that UCONN does not need to try to find an out - Ollie gave them one, presumably by putting UCONN in the NCAA’s crosshairs. They are executing the option that Ollie gave them.

If that is the case, you must then believe that UConn should have fired Jim Calhoun right after the NCAA released its report of infractions while he was coach. You just can't have it both ways. Ollie is going to cite the handling of Calhoun by UConn as precedence. He may even throw out the race card which would then make this situation even uglier. The real reason Calhoun was treated differently was that he was still winning games and Ollie no longer did.

 

[dennismenace]

Acknowledging limited facts available to very few to no Boneyarders, sure hope nothing prevents effecting the hiring of a coach. If the end result is no coach, that could be quite a conundrum.

Don't worry there will be a coach. BB is the only real revenue producer in the athletic budget and if BB went down so would most of the athletic dept. Imagine the howling over that. It would make for interesting debate. If the governmental entities including the state were run like private institutions they would have been bankrupt long ago.
In fact, this state is pretty much bankrupt when you look at the deficits.

 

[CL82]

I expected him to contest it. It's his right. I just hope he loses.

Actually I hope for a negotiated settlement, so we move on as painlessly as possible. If not, then I hope KO loses as well.

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

Depending on the nature of the current NCAA investigation and potential sanctions i assume this could cost us more than just the Coaches buyout. i.e. lost potential tournament revenue?, post season bans, etc..

 

[UCDaveD]

Depending on the nature of the current NCAA investigation and potential sanctions i assume this could cost us more than just the Coaches buyout. i.e. lost potential tournament revenue?, post season bans, etc..

Which is why if there was any doubt, the University had no choice but the exercise the "Cause" provision of the former coach's contract. Could you imagine if they just paid him the $10 Million and then we get hammered down the line for violations that he committed? There's no recouping that money.

 

[UConnNick]

Depending on the nature of the current NCAA investigation and potential sanctions i assume this could cost us more than just the Coaches buyout. i.e. lost potential tournament revenue?, post season bans, etc..

That's right. Even if the university skates the contract without having to pay Ollie a dime, we're in the strange position of almost helping the NCAA prove an enforcement case against us. If we lose scholarships or get hit with other serious penalties it won't much matter who the new coach and staff is. They'll be screwed.

 

[Deadrody]

This is what kills me.

The day before Ollie was fired we have a thread on this board laughing at the way Pittsburgh is trying to apply the cause firing to Stallings. About how transparent and pathetic it looks.
Then the next day we come out and top it, but it ain’t so funny anymore.
All of this is absolutely conjecture for now until we know exactly what UConn is hitting him with and we see what shakes out.

There are two recent cases of cause.

No one in the country thinks Louisville was playing dirty by doing Pitino. It made sense. He screwed up and didn’t deserve a dime.

In the media right now Pittsburgh and UConn are getting questioned as trying to pull an end around. It has the potential to be a mess

Let’s see what UConns cards are.


Sympathy for Ollie?

None. I’m the guy who says don’t give him ONE DIME if we are justified to apply cause.

Is Pitt under NCAA investigation that I'm not aware of ?

I want to say I'm shocked that I have to repeat this, especially since Fishy said the exact same thing in a way only Fishy can, but I guess I should stop being shocked by the willful ignorance of people to the real world. And I realize you're not arguing our situation IS the same as Pitt, but plenty of people either don't care or are assuming it's the same.

95% of the job = win basketball games
5% of the job = follow the rules

If you ain't doing the first 95%, you damn well better be doing the other 5%. And if not ? You very well may not get paid your buyout when you are fired for not doing the first 95% of the job.

 

[August_West]

Is Pitt under NCAA investigation that I'm not aware of ?

I want to say I'm shocked that I have to repeat this, especially since Fishy said the exact same thing in a way only Fishy can, but I guess I should stop being shocked by the willful ignorance of people to the real world.

95% of the job = win basketball games
5% of the job = follow the rules

If you ain't doing the first 95%, you damn well better be doing the other 5%. And if not ? You very well may not get paid your buyout when you are fired for not doing the first 95% of the job.

That's fine.

So UConn should not settle and give KO one dime if that is the case.