Ollie Officially Fired

[UConnNick]

If they had a winning record tnis would have been ignored. Just looking for a way to save 10 million

Litigating the contract for years will not be a good look for anybody, but that appears to be where we are headed.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Getting rid of KO for cause is like a colonoscopy. Once done we're the better for it but no one enjoys the process.

Well played! As little as most guys want to go for a colonoscopy, reluctantly or perhaps otherwise, they know it's the right thing. In the end, you just hope for the best results for all involved.

 

[2Infinity]

Agree with the move. I just question the timing.

Why release this on championship Saturday? There is so much media positioned to talk about college basketball today and tomorrow and it will be so easy for every single talking head/commentator to fill their air time with complaints about uconns handling of this.

We should have waited until Sunday night or Monday morning to release this. Then everyone would have been focused on the tournament and brackets and Ollie/UConn would have been an afterthought and secondary news.

Again, I agree with the move. I just think they chose the absolute worst possible time to release it to minimize public perception damage.

Think it might be just the opposite. The timing could actually be considered good due to all the conference semi-final and championship games being played today and Sunday. Then we have the selection show Sunday evening to focus on. Yes, it will get mentioned, but the talking heads will mainly be talking about the games, who's in, who's out, regional placement and tournament seeding. We also get the search going earlier than most of the rest.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

To all those celebrating the firing with cause: If it sticks there are some serious sanctions coming our way.

Speculation; facts?

 

[Jimdish255]

They wouldn't have fired him for cause if there wasn't a basis. This isn't complicated.

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume DB has met with at least one attorney and compliance personnel and gone over in detail whether any actions individually, or in total rose to the level of cause. A materially false statement about some impropriety would probably be enough by itself. Not suggesting anything like that occurred, but AD David Benedict would be extremely negligent not to have his ducks in line ahead of the announcement.

 

[auror]

Litigating the contract for years will not be a good look for anybody, but that appears to be where we are headed.

Nobody outside UConn will care about this. They understand it is business and they won't know if it's justified or not. If there's absolutely 0 behind it, maybe it will raise a few eyebrows from potential coaches. But there have been enough rumors on here to make this not an unreasonable reaction by the administration, and that is all other coaches will care about. Were they reasonable? Was the last guy so incompetent or ill-behaving they should act to defend the school?

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

I don't care to be in the same company as Al Davis.

Luckily for you, Al's dead and you're apparently still alive.

 

[UConnNick]

No, if he isn't negotiating then he doesn't care about UConn. If he wakes up and negotiates a deal, I will change how I see him.

Oh, c'mon now. If you legitimately thought you were owed 10.6 million, and he's already heard that from one or more attorneys, you're not going to just walk away, family or not. Once he was informed the school no longer wants him, it ceased being a family relationship from Ollie's standpoint. It's now a business negotiation, nothing more.

 

[whaler11]

So true - I was hoping this part of the negotiations could be done quickly and quietly in private. Like so much the last couple years with MBB on will be on display for all to see.

100% totally dead wrong.

What this athletic department needs is the brightest spotlight shone on it

We need real transparency.

This thing is a dumpster fire and all we get is nonsense from the leadership.

 

[rich1122]

We can’t shoot l; we can’t rebound and can only recruit 5th year seniors from D3 schools.

It was unwatchable. You just had to sit there and predict when we would be down by 20.

Our offense. Adams drives into 5 of them and loses it . Complains he was fouled. Or miraculously he dished and we miss the wide open 3.

Maybe Larrier and Adams will stay with anew coach??

God I miss Big Monday when we were on almost every week.

 

[Danzz]

Can't but neither can you ot anyone. My point is that what has been put out there isn't.

Sorry the personal attack comment was meant for Huskybass

Kathy you make a good point about UConn firing KO and using the investigation as an excuse to mitigate the buyout. I know it sounds unfair but Benedict would be derelict in his duties if he didn't try to save UConn as much money as possible.
If the investigation reveals minor NCAA infractions UConn would be hard pressed not to negotiate a buyout. If "cause" is something like harassment in this climate KO is screwed.

 

[polycom]

We can’t shoot l; we can’t rebound and can only recruit 5th year seniors from D3 schools.

It was unwatchable. You just had to sit there and predict when we would be down by 20.

Our offense. Adams drives into 5 of them and loses it . Complains he was fouled. Or miraculously he dished and we miss the wide open 3.

Maybe Larrier and Adams will stay with anew coach??

God I miss Big Monday when we were on almost every week.

You left the pool? This is bad news for everyone.

 

[CL82]

100% totally dead wrong.

What this athletic department needs is the brightest spotlight shone on it

Disagree, but you are going to get your wish here Whaler.

 

[Scrutineer]

I’ll try to go at least once this spring to make up for the business they’ll be losing.

Sorry, no longer live in CT so I'm wondering what Grants is? A bar? Restaurant?
As someone relatively new to this site I am not up on "the Blaze" and some other inside jokes.

 

[Stainmaster]

Sorry, no longer live in CT so I'm wondering what Grants is? A bar? Restaurant?
As someone relatively new to this site I am not up on "the Blaze" and some other inside jokes.

Swanky spot in WeHa Center that Ollie...”frequented.”

 

[businesslawyer]

In a sense we did when we went all in on Football

O.K., there's so much stupidity in this thread I've stayed silent, but that is absurd.

We committed to big time football at a time when Miami, West Virginia, Syracuse, BC, Pitt, Virginia Tech and Rutgers WERE ALL IN THE BIG EAST. And you want to say we walked away from the Big East when we decided to commit to big time football?

Do better please.

 

[Bezzz]

Swanky spot in WeHa Center that Ollie...”frequented.”

Reports are that his dates were smoking hot. He's not suffering in that respect.

 

[Tenspro2002]

It's only fair, considering that his maneuvering got us into this mess.

 

[polycom]

Swanky spot in WeHa Center that Ollie...”frequented.”

I wouldn't call it "swanky"

 

[2Infinity]

They should negotiate a buyout. It reflects badly on Ollie and AD Dave that it has gone this far. But, note that AD Dave has leaked to the press that the "just cause" was only Adams and Larrier having an impermissible practice -- a trivial offense. They are giving Ollie a chance to negotiate the buyout with no significant public accusations. More than likely, they have much more severe NCAA violations they can pull out if they need to win a lawsuit. That would poison the well at UConn, damage the next coach, and severely damage Ollie's reputation. Hopefully it won't come to that. With this move Ollie knows (a) he's out no matter what, it's only a matter of how much money and how bad a reputational hit he walks away with, and (b) fighting will cost him the negotiated buyout and more reputational damage. If he has sense, he'll come to the table and let everything be smoothed over with kind words.

Think you're right on target PJ! AD Dave obviously gave Ollie multiple chances to come to terms on a reduced buyout. Ollie refused, so now AD is playing hardball. Only question is, how far does Ollie let this go. Unfortunately, it's kind of a lose-lose going forward, perhaps more so for KO though and DB is counting on KO realizing that fairly quickly.

 

[junglehusky]

It would be great for Benedict to let Calhoun get the gang back together for a few years and stabilize things before handing it off again. Let Glenn Miller coach St. Joseph's. He has plenty of other competent former assistants out there to build his staff with. Instantaneously the team will be better strictly from the coaching they would get, it's doubtful anyone of consequence would leave or back out of their commitments, and maybe most importantly they will sell tickets again probably immediately after it was announced. He went that way for football and I see no reason why not to do it with basketball - none, if Calhoun is willing, which because he is planning on coaching again anyway why wouldn't he be? Calhoun, Calhoun, Calhoun, Calhoun, Calhoun, Calhoun!!!!!!!!!!

Love JC. But no.

Here's why. If we bring back JC it's clear it will be for a short period. Maybe not even 3 years. Think of the negative recruiting. "Oh you are visiting UConn? You know by the time you're a sophomore or junior they're going to hire another coach right? He's been out of the game since you were in 6th grade." That kind of thing.

Edsall still has a decade or more left of coaching in him. Calhoun might, but not at the the most competitive level. I think there's a reason he took a job at a DII I school instead of a high major or even a low major school. And I don't think he would back out of his commitment to St. Joe's, either.

 

[Mr. French]

Schmid's a mediocre at best coach whose recent run of success is solely due to lucking into Jaylen Adams. As soon as Adams graduates, that's a 14-15 win team again.

BTW, know who signed Adams' younger brother, who's supposed to be better? Danny Hurley.

You could be right about a lot of that, but I don’t see Schmidt as mediocre AT ALL.

If we knew he could recruit how we need, he’d be a great fit.

I know I’m a bit biased but I’ve seen many examples of how good a coach he is...the problem is the level up. I can’t answer that.

Buffalo area college hoops has been nothing really forever, and he has built a semi consistent winner that’s now getting more consistent as he gains traction. Oats down the street is a high major coach and UB ball needs major intervention for him to stay too long if he keeps producing, but it’s finally exciting in “big 4” basketball in WNY due in large part to both those guys.

And from here, I can say I notice Schmidt’s New England aura the millisecond you see or hear him.

 

[ZenConn]

Has his name been associated with any recent AD jobs?

Back to Auburn.

8 potential candidates for Auburn athletic director

Seven potential candidates for Auburn's next athletic director

Dave Benedict rumors

 

[djct1999]

does anyone really not think that DB and KO will settle the buyout? The for cause was thrown in there to simply lower the number. Here is my crazy bet: KO will get greater than 0 and less than 10 mil.

Shout out to the poster in Fairfield County who a while back wanted to do a business transaction with me because I suggested KO will take less.....

 

[Sonova]

Back to Auburn.

8 potential candidates for Auburn athletic director

Seven potential candidates for Auburn's next athletic director

Dave Benedict rumors

Well they’d have to fire the guy that was hired in Jan. 18th. Work a little harder....