Our Fanbase Is Still Conflicted

[jibsey]

So I’ve been reading through the threads and am surprised to realize that a significant % are not yet convinced that KO must go. It’s going to take more 20-30 point blowouts to drag over those keep KO’ers. Cincy, Temple and Wichita are all possibilities for those. What’s more important is what our AD and school president need to be convinced? Will there still be a question by season end or is this pretty much a done deal now? After our win the other day I thought Tim Welch was President of the KO fan club which I do not understand.

 

[John]

So I’ve been reading through the threads and am surprised to realize that a significant % are not yet convinced that KO must go. It’s going to take more 20-30 point blowouts to drag over those keep KO’ers. Cincy, Temple and Wichita are all possibilities for those. What’s more important is what our AD and school president need to be convinced? Will there still be a question by season end or is this pretty much a done deal now? After our win the other day I thought Tim Welch was President of the KO fan club which I do not understand.

It's all well and good if you think he should be shown the exit, but you do realize that there's a financial reality here right? That the University will take a bath getting rid of him?

 

[Penfield]

I think I know what I would do if I was in charge, but what does that matter? I'm not in charge, and I am not donating butt loads of money to the Athletic Department. I just get to wait and see what they decide to do.

Why do you care if everyone is in agreement about his job status? If you are 100% sure it's time for him to go there are only a handful of people you need to worry about.

 

[Kemba429]

Im convinced were the weirdest team in the country. Great players, terrible play but for whatever reason some games they play good. Its Ollies fault but not 100% His players still need to put up on their end

 

[Caronimo]

I think the athletic department is more conflicted honestly. Large buyout that it can't afford without full donations from big boosters and it's especially tough seeing how he is a UConn guy fully brought in by JC. How does the basketball alum react to something like that? It's a messy situation that has to be dealt with somehow.

 

[BugsyCT]

Well, if not everyone here is convinced yet, you guys can feel free to start another 3,000+ threads about it to hammer the point home. (Not that the topic hasn't been beaten to death yet - Lord know the Boneyard just HATES to pile on.)

In the meantime we have the rest of the season to play out and at least hope these current players can improve. They looked better the last 4 games but last night was another step back. Losing TL didn't help but there's no excuse for getting curb-stomped by Memphis like that.

 

[SouthBayHusky]

It's all well and good if you think he should be shown the exit, but you do realize that there's a financial reality here right? That the University will take a bath getting rid of him?

Will take a bigger bath with empty seats; diminished tv ratings, and will make it harder to recover when the plug is pulled potentially causing irreparable damage.

 

[The Funster]

There are two types of fans: those who were pre Calhoun and those who have only experienced the successes of the program. I suspect that while each can have similar opinions they come from vastly different perspectives. The 90's were a giddy time for any UConn fan as we went the the thrills and pains of rising up the ladder of prominence. After 98-99 we were there. Calhoun was not only no longer "the best coach who never got to a Final Four" he got his first championship and off we went. As a Mets and Jets fan having UConn and 4 championships has been a blessing to fall back on. Ollie got some slack but it has become very clear that for whatever reason he is no longer up to the task.

 

[UConnNick]

So I’ve been reading through the threads and am surprised to realize that a significant % are not yet convinced that KO must go. It’s going to take more 20-30 point blowouts to drag over those keep KO’ers. Cincy, Temple and Wichita are all possibilities for those. What’s more important is what our AD and school president need to be convinced? Will there still be a question by season end or is this pretty much a done deal now? After our win the other day I thought Tim Welch was President of the KO fan club which I do not understand.

I don't think it's necessarily true that everyone who's not convinced yet wants him to stay. I think some of us would like to see a change, but this is all about the $$$ it will take to buyout his contract. It's not there as of yet because there are apparently enough major donors still in Ollie's corner. Until that changes, he's not going anywhere, because that's where the buyout $$$ has to come from. If enough of them change their minds between now and the end of the season, then maybe something happens. If not, be prepared for another year with Ollie.

 

[jibsey]

I think I know what I would do if I was in charge, but what does that matter? I'm not in charge, and I am not donating butt loads of money to the Athletic Department. I just get to wait and see what they decide to do.

Why do you care if everyone is in agreement about his job status? If you are 100% sure it's time for him to go there are only a handful of people you need to worry about.

It’s snowing out there and my option was to rewatch last nights game or start a semi useless thread. My intestines couldn’t handle the former. Maybe I was conflicted myself because of the recent wins and Welch’s full throated endorsement the other night. I started thinking that maybe These losses aren’t KO’s responsibility. Welch basically said we were lucky to have KO as coach. But I decided that even if I give KO every benefit of the doubt these multiple 20-30 point losses are unacceptable to our program. There’s always a way around the money, especially if it means trying to save the program.

 

[Hoophound]

It seems that the team is inconsistent and lacks urgency. Just when I’m 99% on the fire KO bus, they play better. I don’t think the talent is as bad as others do and I think it is set to improve next year, especially if Jalen returns. But either way, I think our roster will show more balance and basketball IQ.

My dilemma:
1. KO should be a recruiting juggernaut.
2. As a PG, KO should know all about X’s and O’s.
3. KO should know how to motivate given his story.

For the first few years, he did these things. Something changed. I want them to change back. So, I guess the reason some people are on the fence is because of past performance. The KO of 2012-2015 is the best coach imaginable for UConn. This version is not, but the, “What changed and can he fix it?” question always lurks.

 

[Penfield]

It’s snowing out there and my option was to rewatch last nights game or start a semi useless thread. My intestines couldn’t handle the former. Maybe I was conflicted myself because of the recent wins and Welch’s full throated endorsement the other night. I started thinking that maybe These losses aren’t KO’s responsibility. Welch basically said we were lucky to have KO as coach. But I decided that even if I give KO every benefit of the doubt these multiple 20-30 point losses are unacceptable to our program. There’s always a way around the money, especially if it means trying to save the program.

I hear you. I have gone back and forth myself, even though deep down I think I know what needs to happen.
What made it easier for me is to accept that my personal opinion doesn't matter much. No matter what happens at the end of this season I am going to be disappointed in a way. Either I watch our fan base run a former hero out of town (not saying he doesn't deserve it), or I have to spend another year listening to friends and family fight over what needs to be done (new coach, move back to the Big East, etc.) As a fan I kinda just have to accept that these are things I can't control. The only thing I can really control is how much I allow this to impact my enjoyment of life. I promised myself before the season is that I wasn't going to make excuses on Ollie's behalf (even if he has some legit ones), and I wasn't going to get so upset after loses. I've only kept one of those promises.

The other thing I've realized is that in the end it wont matter if the reason we keep losing is because Ollie is a bad game coach, a bad practice coach, or because he doesn't have the right players. He is responsible for all of those things and the buck stops with him. We can go back and forth about what the root problem is, but if they don't start winning he wont be here forever.

 

[nms233]

I'm torn. We need better players. Does another coach come in here and automatically start landing better players? I'm not 100% convinced of it. I'm also not convinced that firing Ollie mid-year and bringing someone else in turns this year or next year around. Our players are our players at the end of the day. Vital and Anderson are not good and were never recruited to play the minutes they play, but that's the situation we are in given our injuries and defections. Maybe a new coach does a better job of Ollie with player retention but I don't know. Can we blame him for player development? Maybe, but you can't expect 3* players to become superstars just because they spend an extra year or two in school given they aren't NBA flight candidates. Are we having this conversation if Gilbert and Larrier are/were 100% healthy (this year and last)? I really don't know what the solution is. I just know I feel bad for JA.

 

[Bonehead]

I'm torn. We need better players. Does another coach come in here and automatically start landing better players?

Ollie out recruits Gonzaga and Wichita State consistently but his teams play nowhere near their level of basketball.

 

[John]

Will take a bigger bath with empty seats; diminished tv ratings, and will make it harder to recover when the plug is pulled potentially causing irreparable damage.

no, no it won't.

 

[Guapo]

The problem with "we need better players" argument is that we have just as much, if not more, talent than anyone else in the AAC (and Arkansas and Auburn too).

The recruiting rankings, though not a perfect measure, bare this out.

KO is not only getting outcoached, opposing coaches are mopping the floor with him.

 

[UConnStats]

Benedict likely isn’t as conflicted as he is frantically running around looking for $10M.

 

[80shusky]

I'm an admitted flip flopper on this one. I wanted him to stay and be successful. Then, a few weeks ago after one of the brutal losses, I gave up on him. Then, after a few wins I said what the heck. Then last night I wanted him gone. I have a feeling my flip flopping will continue and ultimately it doesn't matter what I want.
I would rather he was successful, turned this around, recruited a little better, coached better and got better results. Less roster turnover, that is what is really killing the team. They can't build any cohesion at all. The reason I would rather this happen is the alternative is pretty scary also.
Fire him. Find a new coach. Even a good one will have to deal with kids possibly transferring and possibly decommitting. It will take several seasons to get his troops lined up. There could very easily be several seasons just like we are having before he gets his roster straight.
After two more bad seasons will this board be lit up with threads to fire new coach? How much rope you going to give him? We never should have hired this guy. I always knew he was a bum! (will say the folks trumpeting his wonderfulness beforehand)
Flip flopping and nothing I can do about it either way, so I guess I'll just cheer and hope to see some development out of Carlton, Whaley and Polley and a few wins here and there. Whatever happens with the rest will happen whether I complain about it, defend it, post about it, whine about it, write the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over again in 60 threads about it anyway.

 

[my2cents]

I just hope things improve, I hate watching games with a paper bag on my head!

 

[Dogdeacon]

Its not that nuanced. Attendance numbers are way down and they keep reducing ticket prices. This is the #1 way the fan base at large communicates and the message is crystal clear - not excited or willing to pay for the product.

 

[WallStreetHusky]

no, no it won't.

Have you seen the crowds over the past 2 seasons? Do you tune in to watch on TV like you used to? I know me and my buddies dont.

SouthBay is right, and it's happening now. He has already done $10m worth of damage to the brand.

 

[nms233]

The problem with "we need better players" argument is that we have just as much, if not more, talent than anyone else in the AAC (and Arkansas and Auburn too).

The recruiting rankings, though not a perfect measure, bare this out.

KO is not only getting outcoached, opposing coaches are mopping the floor with him.

I don't think another coach makes Antoine Anderson a better ball-handler or shooter. We have no one other than JA that can handle the ball but he's also expected to score all our points and make his teammates better. I don't think another coach solves our spacing issues from last night given the personnel we have. Gilbert, Larrier, and Sid Wilson are on the bench. They have talent but they aren't playing. If they were playing, Vital doesn't get as many minutes and comes off the bench for 10-15 minutes like he should be doing.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Ollie out recruits Gonzaga and Wichita State consistently but his teams play nowhere near their level of basketball.

This is the problem. He has to own it. It would be wonderful if the team got on a roll, so that maybe somebody would take him off our hands. The buyout is the problem. We need him gone by some other means than firing him.

 

[methodology]

Benedict likely isn’t as conflicted as he is frantically running around looking for $10M.

It was reported that the big boosters are still in Ollie corner. So I don't think AD David Benedict is going to alienate them to satisfy those who don't donate want Ollie gone. Not to mention the financial situation of the state

 

[RJScootin]

It's all well and good if you think he should be shown the exit, but you do realize that there's a financial reality here right? That the University will take a bath getting rid of him?

You see the attendance this year? There's a bigger financial reality if UConn keeps him.

They'll be renting out sections at XL games to local high schools for archery practice next year if Ollie is still the coach.

 

[John]

Have you seen the crowds over the past 2 seasons? Do you tune in to watch on TV like you used to? I know me and my buddies dont.

SouthBay is right, and it's happening now. He has already done $10m worth of damage to the brand.

I'm IN those crowds, and you're high if you think we've lost 10M worth of value.

 

[John]

You see the attendance this year? There's a bigger finical reality if UConn keeps him.

They'll be renting out sections at XL games to local high schools for archery practice next year if Ollie is still the coach.

that decrease was happening before Ollie.

 

[UConnDan97]

I'm still on the Ollie train. Sorry. And I'm on the train because of the same reason that I was on it last year. Last night, there was exactly 1 UConn-trained upperclassman (Adams), and it showed. I'm not going to include Anderson and Onuorah in that list, because they are stop-gap players to fill a void.

Yes, we can go on and on about how the void is Ollie's fault. But the void is the void. Whaley is playing much better now. Carlton is playing much better now. Vital as a sophomore has sporadic games where he can rattle off 20 points. But we have no UConn-trained seniors and only 2 UConn-trained juniors, one of whom couldn't play last night. And again, it showed. And my opinion is that it would be difficult to squeeze out a lot more from this group as constructed with any other coach.

So I hope to see continued growth and hopefully things come together for post-season play. And next year, if Jalen stays especially, we will have a much different looking team than the one we have today...

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

I'm still on the Ollie train. Sorry. And I'm on the train because of the same reason that I was on it last year. Last night, there was exactly 1 UConn-trained upperclassman (Adams), and it showed. I'm not going to include Anderson and Onuorah in that list, because they are stop-gap players to fill a void.

Yes, we can go on and on about how the void is Ollie's fault. But the void is the void. Whaley is playing much better now. Carlton is playing much better now. Vital as a sophomore has sporadic games where he can rattle off 20 points. But we have no UConn-trained seniors and only 2 UConn-trained juniors, one of whom couldn't play last night. And again, it showed. And my opinion is that it would be difficult to squeeze out a lot more from this group as constructed with any other coach.

So I hope to see continued growth and hopefully things come together for post-season play. And next year, if Jalen stays especially, we will have a much different looking team than the one we have today...

Anyone on this team is “Uconn trained”

 

[nms233]

"And my opinion is that it would be difficult to squeeze out a lot more from this group as constructed with any other coach."

100% Agree.