Team UConn

[Nostical]

Yesterday’s introductory press conference was an incredibly important moment. Listening to Hurley was the final proof that when it comes to UConn’s future we now have an incredibly able athletic department team in place. It’s taken some time and we’ve suffered through some abysmal lows but this outstanding leadership group led by Susan Herbst now gives us a fighting chance to lift the Huskies up to the level we must achieve if we ever hope to enjoy the fruits of a P-5 invite.
Given who made up this trio over the past few years, how incredible is that these are the folks in charge of our destiny......
David Benedict
Randy Edsall
Dan Hurley
.....instead of these guys:
Warde Manuel
Bob Diaco
Kevin Ollie
I challenge you not to smile. And with Geno Auriemma, Jim Penders, Nancy Stevens, Mike Cavanaugh, Ray Reid, etal already in place, optimism should reign once again in Storrs!

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Herbst must go.

 

[warbler1055]

Getting rid of Diaco and KO were acts of courage and guts by AD Dave. Anybody else would let us bleed to death!!!

 

[ConnHuskBask]

And Pesident Herbst, who was in charge for the ACC mess, hiring Warde, signing off on Diaco, Diaco's extension, and KO's buyout, etc. is still in charge.

Such courage? To what? Courage to cost the university millions to fix your mistakes and bring in people actually competent of doing a good job?

 

[cohenzone]

And Pesident Herbst, who was in charge for the ACC mess, hiring Warde, signing off on Diaco, Diaco's extension, and KO's buyout, etc. is still in charge.

Such courage? To what? Courage to cost the university millions to fix your mistakes and bring in people actually competent of doing a good job?

Geez. She’s only been in charge of the greatest rise in UConn’s academic reputation in the schools history. Some of you think the university world revolves around sports and especially football and men’s basketball.

 

[djct1999]

Its funny how quick people are able to criticize the hiring of Diaco and Ollie. Playing monday morning quaterback is easy. If I recall, at the time of both hires, most were excited. Only after the fact are people willing to criticize. I don't judge people on making mistakes, I judge them on how they act afterwards. In any case, my contention is Warde Manuel would not have been as proactive as AD DB was.

 

[nadav]

KO won a title, whatever you think of him, shouldn’t be lumped in with Bob Diaco.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Its funny how quick people are able to criticize the hiring of Diaco and Ollie. Playing monday morning quaterback is easy. If I recall, at the time of both hires, most were excited. Only after the fact are people willing to criticize. I don't judge people on making mistakes, I judge them on how they act afterwards. In any case, my contention is Warde Manuel would not have been as proactive as AD DB was.

I was excited for Diaco. Broyles award winner, came from Norte Dame with Iowa background. Seemed a good hire. Lots of high energy, which was great after P, who seemed like a living corpse.

I was not excited about Ollie. I was pissed that a school that was where UConn was at the time would hire a guy with zero head coaching experience and only 3 years as an assistant, all behind Calhoun. Somebody like that belonged at a school more like Central. You don’t learn the ropes at UConn. We can’t afford emotional, sentimental hires.

 

[HuskyBoi]

bob diaco to the pit of misery
dilly dilly

 

[4UConn]

Warde Manuel was a bad idea gone wrong. His "legacy" continues to haunt UConn, but glad to see Dave Benedict running the show. Trend UP again!

 

[tentoes4rings]

I was excited for Diaco. Broyles award winner, came from Norte Dame with Iowa background. Seemed a good hire. Lots of high energy, which was great after P, who seemed like a living corpse.

I was not excited about Ollie. I was pissed that a school that was where UConn was at the time would hire a guy with zero head coaching experience and only 3 years as an assistant, all behind Calhoun. Somebody like that belonged at a school more like Central. You don’t learn the ropes at UConn. We can’t afford emotional, sentimental hires.

This brings me back to the other thread, where I said I don’t think JC knew KO was a great long term solution. He had his health issues and decided so late that he wasn’t coming back that forcing KO on Warde gave KO a chance to prove himself. He came through with flying colors his first two years but his complete inexperience runnng a program really showed the next 4 years.

Hurley made comments yesterday about how he runs his program. He clearly understands the enormity of running a program and has a thorough process to do so. He’s developed this over 9 years and is ready for this opportunity. This is a perfect hire.

 

[August_West]

Herbst must go.

Jimmy Serrano is not about “ Love”

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

And Pesident Herbst, who was in charge for the ACC mess, hiring Warde, signing off on Diaco, Diaco's extension, and KO's buyout, etc. is still in charge.

Such courage? To what? Courage to cost the university millions to fix your mistakes and bring in people actually competent of doing a good job?

Herbst is the most overbashed person at UConn. It's pathetic. She's done a good service to the university. Is it really her fault we aren't in in a P5? Did she cause BC to block us from the ACC? Or prevent the Big 10 and Big 12 from expanding again?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Geez. She’s only been in charge of the greatest rise in UConn’s academic reputation in the schools history. Some of you think the university world revolves around sports and especially football and men’s basketball.

#HotTake I graduated over a decade ago and dont really care about academic rankings. The only connection I have to the school is athletics.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Getting rid of Diaco and KO were acts of courage and guts by AD Dave.

YES!

Anybody else would let us bleed to death!!!

NO!
So close.

 

[Rocktheworld]

#HotTake I graduated over a decade ago and dont really care about academic rankings. The only connection I have to the school is athletics.

What did you study?

You hold no pride in the quality of the school that you attended?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

#HotTake I graduated over a decade ago and dont really care about academic rankings. The only connection I have to the school is athletics.

Maybe we can get to the level of Wesleyan. Academically AND athletically.

Herbst has been a disaster for the athletic department.

 

[MadDogRevival]

KO won a title, whatever you think of him, shouldn’t be lumped in with Bob Diaco.

Truth be told, Ollie was a much worse hire than Diaco. Much worse. Diaco was a DC at one of the top football programs in history, and the DC-to-head coach career path is common. The guy looked the part, he said all the right things, he was the right age, and he was being hired for a program that had only been D-1 for a decade, had been ranked in the top 20 once, and was coming off 3 or 4 putrid years. Not a terrible hire by any stretch, and my recollection of the board was that we were all pretty happy with the hire. Sure, retrospectively, we got Diacoed and red-pantsed. But at the time, solid hire.
Ollie, on the other hand, was taking over THE hottest team in the country. 2 years removed from Kemba's NC, 3 titles in 13 years, replacing a HOF coach, receiving a team with a lot of talent . . . and all he had done to earn it was what? Played in NBA? Assisted for 3 years at UConn? That's it? Assistant for 3 years to hired as HC at top Blue Blood program? Unheard of.
Retrospectively, Ollie was a horrible hire. At the time of the hire, Ollie was a horrible hire, objectively, and many who were happy with the hire were happy because they let their emotions run away. Guy had no track record, had very little experience coaching at any level, and was half-nelsoned upon the program by a HOF coach who, as it turned out, wasn't a great judge of coaching talent. If Ollie had not been a UConn alum or had been hired out of another program, we'd all have thought the AD had lost his mind. If you're being honest.
The only defense of the Ollie hire - and I'm super glad it's available to his defenders - is that he won** a national championship. That's it. That's the only defense.


**With Calhoun's guys, trained under Calhoun, with Calhoun and Miller still in the picture.

 

[navery12]

#HotTake I graduated over a decade ago and dont really care about academic rankings. The only connection I have to the school is athletics.

You have every right to not care about the academic portion of the UConn brand. The president of a university does not have that luxury and that part can't be ignored

 

[8893]

Truth be told, Ollie was a much worse hire than Diaco. Much worse. Diaco was a DC at one of the top football programs in history. The guy looked the part, he said all the right things, he was the right age, and he was being hired for a program that had only been D-1 for a decade, had been ranked in the top 20 once, and was coming off 3 or 4 putrid years. Not a terrible hire by any stretch, and my recollection of the board was that we were all pretty happy with the hire. Sure, retrospectively, we got Diacoed and red-pantsed. But at the time, solid hire.
Ollie, on the other hand, was taking over THE hottest team in the country. 2 years removed from Kemba's NC, 3 titles in 13 years, replacing a HOF coach, receiving a team with a lot of talent . . . and all he had done to earn it was what? Played in NBA? Assisted for 3 years at UConn? That's it?
Retrospectively, Ollie was a horrible hire. At the time, Ollie was a horrible hire. Guy had no track record, had very little experience coaching at any level, and was half-nelsoned upon the program by a HOF coach who, as it turned out, wasn't a great judge of coaching talent.
The only defense of the Ollie hire - and I'm super glad it's available to his defenders - is that he won** a national championship. That's it. That's the only defense.


**With Calhoun's guys, trained under Calhoun, with Calhoun and Miller still in the picture.

Can't wait for your sixth or seventh handle when this shtick wears on everyone, Frank.

Terrible take.

 

[tjhusky]

[sarcasm alert] Herbst and WM should have sprung for the coke hookers and bribes needed to outbid Jurich to ensure we got the ACC bid.

 

[WestHartHusk]

#HotTake I graduated over a decade ago and dont really care about academic rankings. The only connection I have to the school is athletics.

The school's ranking amd perception does connect you.

 

[CL82]

Herbst must go.

Nancy Stevens for university president?

 

[MadDogRevival]

Can't wait for your sixth or seventh handle when this shtick wears on everyone, Frank.

So much to love here.
Way more than 6 or 7.
You can wait.
It isn't wearing yet? Lol.
You're actually imitating Stairmaster's pathetic shaming attempt with a Frank Ivy call out? You can do better!!

 

[whaler11]

If you really care if the school is ranked 35th or 20th in some dopey system that is easily gamed you’ve got way too much of your self-esteem tied up in what the faculty to student ratio is long after you’ve graduated.