Ollie Officially Fired

[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.

 

[ZenConn]

AD David Benedict is no joke

Until he takes another job ... Wonder if those rumors are true as well. If he leaves without a coach, we haven't seen rock bottom..

 

[JMick]

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

If Tuna, whtdmd and bazzketball all stop posting here once this is finalized it would be worth the $10mm

 

[WestHartHusk]

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...

You understand that he had obligations to UConn too, and, as of right now, he left us a program that is under NCAA investigation, can't sniff the NIT bubble and has a blah recruiting class, right?

 

[JMick]

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.

get over yourself. it's a business. if we had it your way we'd still be in the yankee conference. you have to take risks

 

[BugsyCT]

Since it keeps getting brought up, what happens to the football program if basketball goes back to the Big East 2.0? Stay in the AAC as football only? MAC? Independent? Back to FCS? Fold up the tent? Guess they can use that $100 million stadium on Silver Lane for high school games. Whatever - the hoop-only fans have the luxury of not caring.

 

[gtcam]

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

AD David Benedict may prove to be the stupidest person in this whole situation. Not smart to implicate someone for "just cause" and then to find out that the "just cause" was anything but that and did so only to gain leverage in finding the best replacement at the quickest amount of time (DHurley at UConn vs Pitt). Knowing that there will be some type of negotiated buyout while not caring if they throw egg on someone in doing so is wrong. I hope they know what they are doing - I have little faith in the decision making of L McHugh and the BoT.

 

[noeynox]

Count me in the bittersweet camp. KO was a Husky through and through. He led us on a magic carpet ride, the best kind of championship ride in a prodigal son returns type moment.

On the other hand, you see the mass transfers last year. You see the recruiting. You see the in game coaching where we struggle with the inbounds. You see the head scratching rotations. You see the lack of development of the big men and this absolutely had to happen. Everything was trending on the wrong direction.

 

[CardiffGiant]

Until he takes another job ... Wonder if those rumors are true as well. If he leaves without a coach, we haven't seen rock bottom..

What rumors?

 

[DefCONNOne]

What do you know about the investigation? Probably nothing as I expected, he's clean it has nothing to do with that at all or even close.

Oh goody. Another insider who knows everything but can't say what that 'everything' is. It's a funny thing all these supposed insider matriculating to the Boneyard. Makes me think they know nothing, probably less than nothing. Yet they show up here, dangle a carrot or two and see if anyone is gullible enough to bite.

 

[Tuna]

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

What exactly are you trying to say?