Ollie Officially Fired

[Nostical]

Benedict isn’t stupid. In firing “for cause” he anticipated a lawsuit which will lead to a reduced buyout.
I’m happy today. Ollie needed to go. Dont cry for him. He’ll be fine as an NBA asst coach.The success of our BBall (and football) are too critical to whether UConn will become relevant again.
Forget Pikiel and Cooley. Cooley has a great recruiting class coming in. He's not leaving although every high profile program that needs a coach will be floating his name. He's already turned down attractive offers in the last few years.
While Edsall was a bargain, look for Benedict to pay a bigger number than expected to get a bigger name into the MBB job. It’s too important.

 

[uchusky32]

Yeah I'm sure he's really worried about coming back and celebrating his time here.

You'll be surprised how people feel about things over time. He spent a big part of his life at Uconn. When you get old perspectives change.

 

[SouthBayHusky]

I agree it had to happen. Now what follows is the mass exodus of players and recruits. It will be awhile before we are good again.

We haven’t been good the past four seasons, we can only improve from here. Being ranked #175 is a pretty low benchmark. There was going to be in exodus whether he was fired or not, it’ll be a breakeven at the end of the day on recruits, but a much better product next year and years to come..

 

[FartMan69]

Ed Cooley is a good coach for Providence. I hope he stays in Providence.

 

[gtcam]

Yeah it is. If you did something wrong it shouldn't matter if winning or losing. Just how everyone here was upset about UNC. Who you are, how the team is doing shouldn't matter. It is wrong to have 2 sets of standards. If Benedict would have used this to fire him when he was winning as well as losing I'd have no problem. To have a sense of right or wrong change to suit your purpose is immoral and unethical. Just my values.

GREAT post - couldn't agree with you more Kathy
I was/am now not caring if KO stays or KO goes but if this was done to avoid some type of payment then it is totally wrong if they cannot pin something specific on KO and make it stick without even a shred of doubt.
If the AD David Benedict is gambling that by doing this early and getting the best possible person with the knowledge that they then can negotiate with KO (while the replacement knows there is little in form of damage control) - that is wrong - not saying that it is not done in business as a tactic - but to do it to a loyal colleague - is just plain wrong - IF that is the case
I have no idea right now but I am close to some folks most likely to know specifics involved and it will be interesting to hear snippets as time goes on.

 

[uconnphil2016]

That’s what I took JJ’s statement to read.

How is that even possible?

 

[Dove]

Is horrific attendance and waning interest just cause?

 

[Chin Diesel]

For cause? Wow.

AD David Benedict is no joke

Puts Ollie's team on the defensive to prove why he shouldn't be fired for cause vice UConn trying to buy down a cost. Like any negotiating, you negotiate from the bottom up.

 

[rex33]

I don't think the YESSS's are appropriate but whatever, it's over.

YYYYYYYEEEEESSSS!!!!!

 

[#1 PA Husky Fan]

Seth Greenberg really loves to talk about UConn joining the Big East.

Every time that I hear this, I question whether there is an open invitation to the Big East. You have to be asked and our profile is very different than the teams in the Big East.

 

[TopDogs]

To treat one of your own like that... sucks. I hope he can eventually forgive the University of Connecticut

Yeah, ok. It's tough for Ollie. He was a good player for us and we'll always have #4, but this isn't a charity operation. What is UConn supposed to do? Allow him to continue to coach us into worse and worse seasons? Give me a break. UConn basketball is a big business. You don't allow your business to die in the market when the company's president demonstrates an inability to lead the company out of the dregs. The CEO would fire the guy.

 

[Ewekon]

Unless there's enough fire with that NCAA smoke

If there is fire we should have self imposed for this horrible year.

 

[Excalibur]

The school and KO both agreed to the contract that was signed. Pay KO the stipulated buyout and move on. No sense having this breakup turn ugly.

Hold on -- Ollie signed a contract that had a cause provision you can drive a truck through . . .

 

[tentoes4rings]

To treat one of your own like that... sucks. I hope he can eventually forgive the University of Connecticut

I guess money talks at the end of the day...

Forgive the school for paying him over $3 million per year the past two years for doing an awful job? Stop feeling bad for KO. The school has treated him great the past 5 years.

 

[KodiacKemba]

A few years from now we be saying the same thing for the next coach ... hopefully I’m wrong ... I just wanna see how KO bounces back, I think he’ll land another HC job ...

 

[awfuldan]

 

[JMick]

"Insiders"...

I'm so glad that all of the posters who were clearly just fans of or had personal relationships with Ollie will be gone. Some of them were so obvious.

 

[swami7774]

Ed Cooley needs a hat.

I believe he has alopecia, which affects millions of people. Villanueva had it as well.

 

[swami7774]

Seth Greenberg really loves to talk about UConn joining the Big East.

He’s right.

 

[Excalibur]

Benedict isn’t stupid. In firing “for cause” he anticipated a lawsuit which will lead to a reduced buyout.

If he pulled the trigger without trying to negotiate first, he's stupid. Given the quick turnaround, I doubt that it happened.

 

[Tuna]

No. Nay. Never. He has won like 1 NCAA tourney game in his coaching career. UConn can do so much better.

Like who?

 

[Excalibur]

He’s right.

The conference is an issue but was not the problem.

 

[Excalibur]

Like who?

Says the guy who thinks we can't do better than the guy we just fired for cause . . .

 

[JMick]

He’s right.

no he isn't. we cant just move basketball to the big east. it's an oversimplified solution that only sounds good to stupid people who don't understand how the world of college sports works

 

[Kathy]

If they can do this in this manner to KO, if I was a prospective coach I would wonder what tactics they would use to fire me. If he is being fired for losing, which we all know to be the case just say it and do it, you negociated the contract and now want to wiggle out. I actually would have more respect for Benedict if they didn't pull this crap. When they fired Perno at least they were honest and honorable doing it.