Props to Warde Manuel

[Duncan Idaho]

Mike, we 'd all like to hear more facts from someone like Dog, especially to the extent he's an actual insider. But if he's actually an insider, highly unlikely he'll share too much, as his status will likely change rapidly to actual outsider.

I find it strange though that anyone would dismiss his perspective out of hand. I have no idea of the truth, though obviously the story he tells is plausible.

If asked, I would tell you that my boss is a knucklehead and doesn't have the necessary skills for the job and yet I realize it is not a universal POV.

 

[Gringo]

Nope, wrong again. I'm just a fan with high level access into the inner politics in Storrs and tired sick of people giving credit to average university administrators who sat on their hands during this CR disaster...and now that we have leverage again they continue to sit on their hands. If you don't like or can't handle the truth that's your choice.

It's nice that you post you have "high level access" on an anonymous forum.

If you really do have "high level access" than I suggest you stop wasting your time bashing the administration on a public forum and actually do something about it. Posting negatively about the current administration during final four week really isn't helping. This is a time for celebration, not criticizing.

Also, what you are posting are opinions. Just because you see something one way does not make it true. The majority posting disagree with your opinion and I haven't seen anything to corroborate what you call true.

Personally, I think Warde has done a great job. The former administration failed to get us into a major conference, but that should not be an indictment on Warde. I don't see it as Warde's fault the ACC took Louisville over UConn. Our football team was awful last year and our basketball team played a season where they were ineligible for postseason play. UConn was not attractive last year but things have changed very rapidly. He's re-energized the football fan base with his hiring of Diaco and kept our proud basketball tradition moving forward seamlessly with the Ollie hire. I highly doubt you know what is going on behind the scenes to help us get into a power conference, but I am sure they are working on it and we all know it is priority #1. The UConn brand is very strong and I think it is more a matter of "when" not "if" they get into a power conference.

 

[jostar1]

They are simple minded collegiate administrators that don't have a clue about business/media...and big business/media is what this conf realignment bs is built on.

Her brother, Steve Herbst, is the man who negotiated what is, according to the Sports Business Journal, $8.2 billion in television contracts for NASCAR. Prior to that he worked for CBS College Sports Network and NBA TV.

Steve Herbst, NASCAR, VP of Broadcasting and Global Media Strategy
Herbst, who is based in NASCAR’s New York City office, most recently held the position of executive vice president and general manger of CBS College Sports Network from 2008-2010. While there, he was responsible for managing all aspects of the 24-hour network. Under his leadership, the network’s subscriber base grew by 75 percent and advertising sales increased by 56 percent.
Prior to his stint at CBS-CSN, Herbst spent 19 years with the National Basketball Association in a number of broadcasting positions, including senior vice president of broadcast and general manager of NBA TV. He was responsible for managing the league’s relationships with ABC, ESPN and TNT; served as head of production, programming, marketing and scheduling for NBA TV after launching the network in 1999 and played a key leadership role in the NBA.com news operation, NBA’s video-on-demand productions and managed the league’s production and programming relationship with Sirius Satellite Radio.

 

[Excalibur]

I call bullsH!+ on any "high-level access", and I have reason to.

 

[UConn990411]

Nope, wrong again. I'm just a fan with high level access into the inner politics in Storrs and tired sick of people giving credit to average university administrators who sat on their hands during this CR disaster...and now that we have leverage again they continue to sit on their hands. If you don't like or can't handle the truth that's your choice.

You're a "fan" who chose to make one of his only appearances in a thread crediting Warde Manuel. Not after UConn hockey joined Hockey East, football hired Diaco or the men's basketball team earned a berth to the Final Four.

None of those things prompted you to make a post. But a thread titled "Props to Warde Manuel" did.

Forgive me if I don't take you at your word.

 

[RMoore1999]

When you find someone so dismissive of 2 people who, by all appearances, have things going in the right direction, and they are on the internet spewing total disdain, you have to believe there is something personal behind it.

That certainly could be the case. I was simply trying to point out that this place (and most other interactive internet forums) really excels at piling on to quash unpopular minority views.

The definitive story from the "inside" of why we currently reside in the aac still hasn't been written. Multiple theories abound. Hopefully in the aftermath of our eventual admittance into the B1G, that story will be written, and I won't be surprised if it contains components from most of the competing theories.

Someone in this thread reminds us that bashing the current administration this week is bad form, and I couldn't agree more.

Irrespective of everything else, I am grateful that the man responsible for creating the national power that is Connecticut basketball was able to orchestrate KO's hiring. For me, the ends most certainly justified the means.

Let's beat Florida.

 

[Alum86]

Seriously? You have a beef with our athletic director jetting between the men's and women's final four with our big time donors? God forbid we let them have an enjoyable experience on athletic department's dime (=not taxpayer's... Heck for all we know it might be the donors paying for it), they might be coaxed into donating more money (thus offsetting the cost of schmoozing them) for a hockey arena or expanding the Rent. Then we'd have to say something else positive about Warde, and that would make the energy vampire crowd even more miserable, and we wouldn't want that now would we?

He is a party boy fluff no substance AD my friend. Your rant defending him is hard to comprehend.

 

[junglehusky]

He is a party boy fluff no substance AD my friend. Your rant defending him is hard to comprehend.

 

[tcf15]

"Oh, wow, check it out. 82 posts in a thread titled 'Props to Warde Manuel'. Could it be?"

*clicks on thread*

"Nope"

 

[junglehusky]

Mike DiMauro: Manuel's earning his "Rock Star" status.

He left out the "party boy" angle, so BC grad DiMauro must be slipping. Good thing our "fan" Alum86 is clever enough to see the real story that our athletic department has no substance! Here's a cookie for you, sporto.

 

[GlastonTim]

Mike DiMauro: Manuel's earning his "Rock Star" status.

He left out the "party boy" angle, so BC grad DiMauro must be slipping. Good thing our "fan" Alum86 is clever enough to see the real story that our athletic department has no substance! Here's a cookie for you, sporto.

I guess Mike DiMauro doesn't have insider knowledge.

 

[Husky25]

+1. No AD should be forced to accept a retiring coach's suggestion for a new hire to the flagship sports program at a major university. Many ADs would have been pissed, told Calhoun to go to hell and refused to consider his suggestion. Warde did the right thing, and decided to give Ollie a chance while engaging in some first hand observation. It became clear early on why he was the right guy, and Warde acted promptly to lock him up.

The think I appreciate about Warde is that he's former athlete and a fan. He now bleeds Husky blue the way he bleeds Michigan blue. He feels our pain. He's not just another guy in a suit pushing paper around.

First, many ADs would not have told Calhoun to go screw. Second, Warde Manuel had no choice. There is no doubt that Calhoun "Dean-Smithed" Warde Manuel. He retired too close to the start of the season and a national search really couldn't have happened within three week prior to Midnight Madness. It's not because a search firm wouldn't be able to identify candidates, it's because any potential candidate worth their salt were already entrenched in preparing their own teams and were no going to agree to take over a team barred from the post season as UConn was. The coach for the 2012 season was going to be someone from Calhoun's staff minus George Blaney.

Warde Manuel handled the situation as well as he could minus one aspect. I think he Ollie should have been given a 2-year contract initially with a buyout provision at a nominal amount AND a coaches option to renegotiate after year one. That way there would be no perceived interim tag (He was not interim in reality. He was a lame duck. T.J. Weist was an interim coach, Hank Hughes was an Interim coach.) and Ollie could recruit more "effectively." In hindsight however, I don't think UConn really missed out on a lot of recruits that panned out.

 

[RMoore1999]

I guess Mike DiMauro doesn't have insider knowledge.

First, many ADs would not have told Calhoun to go screw. Second, Warde Manuel had no choice. There is no doubt that Calhoun "Dean-Smithed" Warde Manuel. He retired too close to the start of the season and a national search really couldn't have happened within three week prior to Midnight Madness. It's not because a search firm wouldn't be able to identify candidates, it's because any potential candidate worth their salt were already entrenched in preparing their own teams and were no going to agree to take over a team barred from the post season as UConn was. The coach for the 2012 season was going to be someone from Calhoun's staff minus George Blaney.

Warde Manuel handled the situation as well as he could minus one aspect. I think he Ollie should have been given a 2-year contract initially with a buyout provision at a nominal amount AND a coaches option to renegotiate after year one. That way there would be no perceived interim tag (He was not interim in reality. He was a lame duck. T.J. Weist was an interim coach, Hank Hughes was an Interim coach.) and Ollie could recruit more "effectively." In hindsight however, I don't think UConn really missed out on a lot of recruits that panned out.

Warde certainly deserves much credit for avoiding a pissing contest with JC and instead partnering with him to leverage everything great JC offers.

 

[IMind]

First, many ADs would not have told Calhoun to go screw. Second, Warde Manuel had no choice. There is no doubt that Calhoun "Dean-Smithed" Warde Manuel. He retired too close to the start of the season and a national search really couldn't have happened within three week prior to Midnight Madness. It's not because a search firm wouldn't be able to identify candidates, it's because any potential candidate worth their salt were already entrenched in preparing their own teams and were no going to agree to take over a team barred from the post season as UConn was. The coach for the 2012 season was going to be someone from Calhoun's staff minus George Blaney.

Warde Manuel handled the situation as well as he could minus one aspect. I think he Ollie should have been given a 2-year contract initially with a buyout provision at a nominal amount AND a coaches option to renegotiate after year one. That way there would be no perceived interim tag (He was not interim in reality. He was a lame duck. T.J. Weist was an interim coach, Hank Hughes was an Interim coach.) and Ollie could recruit more "effectively." In hindsight however, I don't think UConn really missed out on a lot of recruits that panned out.

I guess Calhoun must have fallen off that bike and broke his hip for show. Or maybe he didn't! He might have gotten the UConn Health Center to falsify his injury just so he could install Ollie right before the season started!

 

[8893]

I guess Calhoun must have fallen off that bike and broke his hip for show. Or maybe he didn't! He might have gotten the UConn Health Center to falsify his injury just so he could install Ollie right before the season started!

I don't think he's doubting the legitimacy of the injury, but rather pointing out that the timing forced the situation.

 

[Husky25]

I guess Calhoun must have fallen off that bike and broke his hip for show. Or maybe he didn't! He might have gotten the UConn Health Center to falsify his injury just so he could install Ollie right before the season started!

See 8893 above.

I think Calhoun had every intention of coaching in 2012, when he fell off his bike. This guy is well passed "typical" retirement age, a 3 time cancer survivor, had just gone through an NCAA Investigation, and found guilty of having no institutional control over his program. On top of that, he was being openly opined upon about the position passing him by a mere 2 years earlier. UConn had not won a regular season title since 2006 and had not won a Big East Tournament title since 2004.

I also think he Ollie was in the perfect position to succeed him at that point.

 

[Alum86]

The Warde Manuel Admiration Society. Are you kidding me? He is riding off our success despite of himself. Toes in sand, d@ck in hand, watch where the Cardinals land. Yeah I went there. And what's with the cookie junglehusky? I lived there for two years btw. I am no insider, just know a charlatan when I see one, and WM is a poser

 

[sportsart]

The Warde Manuel Admiration Society. Are you kidding me? He is riding off our success despite of himself. Toes in sand, d@ck in hand, watch where the Cardinals land. Yeah I went there. And what's with the cookie junglehusky? I lived there for two years btw. I am no insider, just know a charlatan when I see one, and WM is a poser

You are such a bore. Why do you even bother with UConn athletics? We are going no where and we are only succeeding due to luck. Eventually we will end up like Rutgers and never win another championship.

Please just stop. No one really cares.

 

[Alum86]

I think they do Art. Mr Rah Rah for WM. And tacitly for PP as well. I am no bore, just do not think this AD is any good. He is mot in the forefront explaining where he thinks we are going. Don't tell me to go away or bother , you sanctimonious s.o.b.

 

[MattMang23]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Waquoit]

Ignore

 

[Rico444]

Anyone see him go full-on crazy after Nolan's dunk?

That is a whole lotta enthusiastic athletic director right there.

He's a Michigan guy, right? The fact that we beat State to get to the Final Four must have been the cherry on top.

 

[SAMCRO]

It's laughable to read from posters that UConn employees complaining about Herbst/Manuel. With a little inside scoop from time to time, I know the people pissing the most are the ones who've had a free ride for the last 7+/- years before SH and WM arrived. The ones who sat on their hands NOT building/marketing ' out of a NC generating BB machine for both M&W, and capitalizing on FB when it was actually winning BE titles and consistently going to Bowl games, and a BCS game, not growing our endowmnet or donations to the Athl Dept. Over the past 2 years the current administration has gotten more mileage with worse on field/court results than the previous administration did with huge athletic success (comparatively speaking). Herbst and Manuel inherited a sandwich in a lot of ways, and have done solid work in righting a wayward ship. Our current fate was written years before either arrived on campus, and at the least they are working on creating a better fate.

So, to all the whining UConn employees who are now being asked to actually earn their keep, STFU and raise your game, or feel free to leave (don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya).

 

[Waquoit]

So, to all the whining UConn employees who are now being asked to actually earn their keep, STFU and raise your game, or feel free to leave (don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya).

And not just in the Athletic Department, there is ton of entreched suck in UConn admin. Herbst had her work cut out for her.

 

[dante]

It's laughable to read from posters that UConn employees complaining about Herbst/Manuel. With a little inside scoop from time to time, I know the people pissing the most are the ones who've had a free ride for the last 7+/- years before SH and WM arrived. The ones who sat on their hands NOT building/marketing ' out of a NC generating BB machine for both M&W, and capitalizing on FB when it was actually winning BE titles and consistently going to Bowl games, and a BCS game, not growing our endowmnet or donations to the Athl Dept. Over the past 2 years the current administration has gotten more mileage with worse on field/court results than the previous administration did with huge athletic success (comparatively speaking). Herbst and Manuel inherited a sandwich in a lot of ways, and have done solid work in righting a wayward ship. Our current fate was written years before either arrived on campus, and at the least they are working on creating a better fate.

So, to all the whining UConn employees who are now being asked to actually earn their keep, STFU and raise your game, or feel free to leave (don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya).

Ok calm down there buddy, the Success of the women's and men's has nothing to do with Warde, do you remember Geno's contract? how it wasnt a priority and took his sweet time to make it happen.. where was he? China! I like how you go on about UConn's athletics and blah blah when the only thing you follow is men's basketball. Tell me how Warde had a problem with giving Kevin Ollie a contract be cause of lack of head coach experience and so on and yet has no problem in hiring a football coach with no head coach experience? you dont think thats hypocrite?
You go on saying the old administration did nothing to promote UConn and blah blah, Ok what has Warde done to promote UConn? the uconnhuskies videos on youtube? give me a break