That’s a wrap on the Ollie era

[Pudge]

Ollie as a former great player is one of the weirder tropes on this board. He was an adequate starter in college, and a scrub in the NBA who willed his way onto rosters (which is quite an achievement) but in no way was he a talented player.

Sheesh. Revisionist history

He was a critical Husky through a great period of our Programs rising. Beloved by teammates & all he touched. This has not been good on either side. Undisclosed payment - move on.

 

[jibsey]

Ollie is guilty of lying to the NCAA, so he has to pay a price but the infractions are minor. Can anyone honestly believe that in Calhoun’s long career here he never had that much or worse under his guidance? But there was no investigation or lying to the NCAA. The difference was that Calhoun was seen as a diety and KO was losing badly. Give KO 1 million if he will take it and move on. It would be in KO’s interest to make a statement so that he could someday be welcomed back to the flock. If he doesn’t take it he gets nothing. It’s peanuts but both sides can save face. Let’s go into the BE with no dark clouds hanging over us.

 

[BlueandOG]

Regarding fighting or paying, each case is unique. In this case, it is in everyone's interest to settle.
1. KO is an alum and a good man, so that is worth something.
2. It will cost UCONN to fight, better to give that money to KO than UCONN attorneys.
3. Both parties will benefit from this mess going away so both can move on.

In sum, make KO a low-fair offer, let him push back for a little bit more, then settle with an undisclosed amount.

 

[Husky25]

Ollie as a former great player is one of the weirder tropes on this board. He was an adequate starter in college, and a scrub in the NBA who willed his way onto rosters (which is quite an achievement) but in no way was he a talented player.

All or parts of 13 seasons among the the best players in the best league in the World does not only require will. Make no mistake that Ollie was a supremely talented player. I think he was an extremely talented coach as well...until his personal life got in the way.

 

[TRest]

Sheesh. Revisionist history

He was a critical Husky through a great period of our Programs rising. Beloved by teammates & all he touched. This has not been good on either side. Undisclosed payment - move on.

Were you his teammate? Go look up his college career stats, they match my recollections of his contributions.

 

[Husky25]

Were you his teammate? Go look up his college career stats, they match my recollections of his contributions.

Were you the last cut from the Connecticut Pride? Dude played in the NBA for over a decade.

 

[pj]

The university should not make a settlement offer. KO deserves nothing, he was rightly fired and doesn't deserve pay for work he never did. But what the university should do is offer him a job of some kind, post-settlement. He could work as some kind of evangelist for the university. If he can let bygones be bygones and become an advocate for the university, give him some money. He shouldn't get money for anything in the past, for going away -- he's already refused that opportunity and poisoned the pool. But if he's willing to do something positive and build a positive relationship, extend the olive branch.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Buckle up, it will be a long ride and in the end the university will have a smudge or two, but Kevin Ollie's reputation will be absolutely devastated. One wonders if that really is in their client's best interest.

At this point is it all worth it? The program has made it through relatively unscathed, now all that's left is the public perception - which from aside a few people in this corner of the internet - is essentially that UConn screwed over KO.

I guess the better question is, hypothetically, if he would accept $1M tomorrow, why are you so opposed to it? Is it worth burning bridges with prominent alumni, having this story linger in the news, and having an ongoing legal battle?

 

[3rdbass]

At this point is it all worth it? The program has made it through relatively unscathed, now all that's left is the public perception - which from aside a few people in this corner of the internet - is essentially that UConn screwed over KO.

I guess the better question is, hypothetically, if he would accept $1M tomorrow, why are you so opposed to it? Is it worth burning bridges with prominent alumni, having this story linger in the news, and having an ongoing legal battle?

I don't think he is going to settle for anything less than 2-3 Million considering his legal costs will eat into money received. I'm sure his legal cost are probably close to $500k or more at this point. I say pay him the 2-3 million if he will accept so we can move on from this saga and not accumulate more legal fees for Uconn. I mean that is one year of his salary. If he won't budge than and give him nothing.

I think people know my feelings about Ollie the coach as I wanted him gone 2 years before they fired him but it comes a point were battling on this much longer isn't good for UConn's image and increased legal costs. I just hope we can cut the ties one way or the other soon with some kind of settlement whether it is the school or KO who make the first move to compromise. We have the legal validations by the NCAA ruling on giving KO little or nothing so he is going to have to come off his pie in the sky dream of getting all his money. The problem is KO can still drag this on for as a time and I'm not sure that is good for anyone involved. I just want this nightmare to end.

 

[BFieldHusky]

At this point is it all worth it? The program has made it through relatively unscathed, now all that's left is the public perception - which from aside a few people in this corner of the internet - is essentially that UConn screwed over KO.

I guess the better question is, hypothetically, if he would accept $1M tomorrow, why are you so opposed to it? Is it worth burning bridges with prominent alumni, having this story linger in the news, and having an ongoing legal battle?

I think that narrative has really changed, especially with the guy getting a 3 year show penalty.

 

[superjohn]

Some of these takes are crazy, they aren't paying him. That ship sailed a while ago and it's just been Ollie and his team throwing s*** at the wall hoping something will stick.


They would be nuts to pay him after he just got a show cause. Ollie has absolutely nothing to stand on.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

Some of these takes are crazy, they aren't paying him. That ship sailed a while ago and it's just been Ollie and his team throwing s*** at the wall hoping something will stick.


They would be nuts to pay him after he just got a show cause. Ollie has absolutely nothing to stand on.

This.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I think that narrative has really changed, especially with the guy getting a 3 year show penalty.

Perhaps. I think people are still going view him as a sympathetic figure given that they don't know a lot of the whispers and outright accusations about him around program/state.

I think a lot of people see it as a former alum who won a title, had a few bad seasons, was fired, and screwed out his buyout by the NCAA (who everyone hates).

I was anti-KO more than most the last few years and wanted him gone - but we won the big battle (the $11M), I think at this point its well worth it just to make the whole thing go away.

 

[CL82]

At this point is it all worth it? The program has made it through relatively unscathed, now all that's left is the public perception - which from aside a few people in this corner of the internet - is essentially that UConn screwed over KO.

I guess the better question is, hypothetically, if he would accept $1M tomorrow, why are you so opposed to it? Is it worth burning bridges with prominent alumni, having this story linger in the news, and having an ongoing legal battle?

CHB I haven't said that I am opposed to settlement. I certainly would have been all in on $1M settlement right out of the gate. Now? Not as a lump sum, maybe if it were stretched enough. But here's the thing, this isn't monopoly money. UConn Pres and Board have a fiduciary duty to the university and today after the NCAA's epic beat down of Ollie, his case is essentially valueless. It is down to nuisance value, essentially the cost of the continuing litigation. That's not a million dollars.

 

[polycom]

If we pay him after the show cause, is there a way we get in trouble for this?

 

[CL82]

The university should not make a settlement offer. KO deserves nothing, he was rightly fired and doesn't deserve pay for work he never did. But what the university should do is offer him a job of some kind, post-settlement. He could work as some kind of evangelist for the university. If he can let bygones be bygones and become an advocate for the university, give him some money. He shouldn't get money for anything in the past, for going away -- he's already refused that opportunity and poisoned the pool. But if he's willing to do something positive and build a positive relationship, extend the olive branch.

Nope. That ship has sailed. Better to rip the bandaid, at least for the near term.

 

[Old blue]

I can't believe some of the posts on here ripping Ollie. He has always and will always bleed blue to me. Watching him as a player, an assistant to JC and then a coach he has always symbolized what UConn was and is as a program. I don't buy the belief he was handed a championship team in 2014. He still had to coach thru an incredibly tough field that year. I think his personal life fell apart after that and maybe the attention he received got to his head, but the way the university treated him after that and is still treating him is unforgivable. How do you think our basketball ( besides what we know Ray thinks) alum will look at this for years to come, as well as any future coaches looking at this job? Make reparations, allow ollie back in the fold and make Uconn Great again! It's a bloody no brainer!!

 

[Northbound]

Regarding fighting or paying, each case is unique. In this case, it is in everyone's interest to settle.
1. KO is an alum and a good man, so that is worth something.
2. It will cost UCONN to fight, better to give that money to KO than UCONN attorneys.
3. Both parties will benefit from this mess going away so both can move on.

In sum, make KO a low-fair offer, let him push back for a little bit more, then settle with an undisclosed amount.

For the love of me I can't see how people keep saying the KO is a "good man" when all the innuendo says otherwise. Could the innuendo be incorrect - that's possible, but not probable.

Even if you take all the personal stuff out of the conversation (which by saying "good man" you really can't do because you imply the sum of the man professionally and personally), he still fouled the program. No matter how large or small the transgressions they happened on his watch and he has to own that and whatever ramifications come from it. That's the thing he seems to have a hard time grasping - the head man ultimately gets whacked if the powers at be want him gone and he gives them reasons to cut him loose.

For anyone, be it KO or joe blow there comes a point in time where all the goodwill deposits put in the proverbial bank get used up. KO has overdrawn his account in that regard. Sadly, I'm no longer making the distinction between KO the player and coach - he's just persona non-grata.

At this point, I'd rather give money to UConn attorneys they are at least fighting for the University not against it.

 

[CL82]

Anyone else here getting the sense that "Ollie brigade" on the BY is just one person?

 

[Husky25]

I can't believe some of the posts on here ripping Ollie. He has always and will always bleed blue to me. Watching him as a player, an assistant to JC and then a coach he has always symbolized what UConn was and is as a program. I don't buy the belief he was handed a championship team in 2014. He still had to coach thru an incredibly tough field that year. I think his personal life fell apart after that and maybe the attention he received got to his head, but the way the university treated him after that and is still treating him is unforgivable. How do you think our basketball ( besides what we know Ray thinks) alum will look at this for years to come, as well as any future coaches looking at this job? Make reparations, allow ollie back in the fold and make Uconn Great again! It's a bloody no brainer!!

I was understanding your thinking up until the bold.

What's your indication the basketball Alumni have any thought on the matter? Conversely, my indication that they don't care is the number that transferred out of the program? As far as future basketball coaches, let's focus on the current one, who I hear is pretty decent. By the time his tenure is over, UConn will be sufficiently separated from this by time, hopefully with championships to spare.

I also don't see how allowing Ollie back into the fold would contribute to making UConn great again. He failed at that job. It's in Hurley's court now. And reparations for what? I had some sympathy at the beginning. It is dirty pool to fire someone for cause because they didn't live up to expectations doing exactly for what they are hired. Cause is specifically for rule breaking. Then the allegations surfaced. Once they were confirmed, cause is back in play. Unless you are saying that UConn drummed up allegations against themselves, worthy of probation and scholarship penalties, just to maintain a ruse to implicate Ollie. That's a heck of a conspiracy. Is this what you are suggesting?

 

[jibsey]

Does UCONN value it’s relationships with former alums? We know how Ray feels and I have talked to another with the same view. You had better believe that the large majority want KO to get paid something. These are the guys who played under Calhoun and absolutely KNOW that there would have been plenty to get Calhoun on when they played. Stuff like practices, alums talking to and working out with players, please. They think KO is getting the shaft even though we all know about his mistakes, they are looking past them. Settling with KO helps solve this issue and it’s not inconsequential.

 

[superjohn]

Does UCONN value it’s relationships with former alums? We know how Ray feels and I have talked to another with the same view. You had better believe that the large majority want KO to get paid something. These are the guys who played under Calhoun and absolutely KNOW that there would have been plenty to get Calhoun on when they played. Stuff like practices, alums talking to and working out with players, please. They think KO is getting the shaft even though we all know about his mistakes, they are looking past them. Settling with KO helps solve this issue and it’s not inconsequential.

If Ray feels so strongly about it he can certainly pay his buddy, Ray made 182 million dollars in nba contracts.

 

[mdkhusky]

I’d pay him 20 dollars and he’d probably use it to buy a few 20 year old chicks drinks

 

[UCONN in OKC]

Regarding fighting or paying, each case is unique. In this case, it is in everyone's interest to settle.
1. KO is an alum and a good man, so that is worth something.
2. It will cost UCONN to fight, better to give that money to KO than UCONN attorneys.
3. Both parties will benefit from this mess going away so both can move on.

In sum, make KO a low-fair offer, let him push back for a little bit more, then settle with an undisclosed amount.

I would agree with this a longtime ago.... I thought they did ask for a number and he came back with 100%, that is not a negotiation of good faith.... and again had many times to go to the table and negotiate, then came the charge of race into it.... that started to get out of hand and dirty tactics, and PR nightmare. Now this comes out from NCAA. This will throw a wrench into Kevin case and appeal, I mean a Huge wrench.

Now what will happen???? appeal, appeal and appeal.... here NCAA is it's own monster and out of control from court... I feel sorry for Kevin and what he is going thru and he is a Husky and always will.... but.... yes there is big BUT when it comes to this case and how it was played and all the minor mistakes he maid. He had a great job... but is still a job. If we do any of this with a job and not do our work, like any athlete you don't perform you get fired. I hope this get settle soon

 

[Adesmar123]

Has anyone started an Ollie settlement pool? If so, is the $3million square still open?

 

[Woof 101]

Look. He’s an alum and a great former player. Beloved by many. Give him dollars & move on.

@Pudge, absolutely no attack on you here, just yours was short and easy to quote for those that think like you on this one. GIVE HIM DOLLARS.....WHY ???
You hire a contractor to do home improvements while trying to sell your house and he does such a bad job to actually make it worth less..... You going to pay him?
MY HONEST OPINION... NOT A SINGLE DIME !!! (Hmm remids me of a famous quote.)

I get the loyalty thing for many, I go back way beyond the the days he was being recruited. Big debate between him or Travis Best being the best fit for UConn. There are times even family has to be set strait. He went astray and has to pay the price. This should not come at a cost of the school or the fan base. In my eyes he owes the school money for the zombie we saw on the bench while going through his divorce.
Save the attacks on the divorce sympathy, been there done it. Bottom line with management, "don't bring it to work".
Not putting KO in the same class as Tate George but to think he should be back in the fold anytime soon is simply mind boggling for me.


OT...Trivia, how many know KO was actually involved in a trade for Travis Best later in The NBA?
Travis Best - Wikipedia

 

[DefCONNOne]

Sheesh. Revisionist history

He was a critical Husky through a great period of our Programs rising. Beloved by teammates & all he touched. This has not been good on either side. Undisclosed payment - move on.

No. He'll get zero dollars and both of you will like it.

"Get to steppin', Fonzie!!"

 

[DefCONNOne]

Regarding fighting or paying, each case is unique. In this case, it is in everyone's interest to settle.
1. KO is an alum and a good man, so that is worth something.
2. It will cost UCONN to fight, better to give that money to KO than UCONN attorneys.
3. Both parties will benefit from this mess going away so both can move on.

In sum, make KO a low-fair offer, let him push back for a little bit more, then settle with an undisclosed amount.

Low-fair offer, you say? I agree...give him zero dollars and tell him, "Get to steppin', Fonzie!".

 

[DefCONNOne]

Never watched one and I don't watch espn unless UConn is playing. I heard the show about the Big East was mostly about Syracuse which was not surprising.

I call fabrics on this.

 

[browndog319]

The university should not make a settlement offer. KO deserves nothing, he was rightly fired and doesn't deserve pay for work he never did. But what the university should do is offer him a job of some kind, post-settlement. He could work as some kind of evangelist for the university. If he can let bygones be bygones and become an advocate for the university, give him some money. He shouldn't get money for anything in the past, for going away -- he's already refused that opportunity and poisoned the pool. But if he's willing to do something positive and build a positive relationship, extend the olive branch.

I don’t think he’d be a great evangelist. It’d be like trying to get your ex-wife who you cheated on with her sister and best friend to set you up with her younger, hotter sister.