The Athletic: KO Article

[Hoophound]

Actually the AD and President aren’t working on a solution, but you wouldn’t know because you have zero connections to the program or any inside info, unlike others on this board.

Confused. They are working on solutions. It doesn’t mean one will work out, but they are certainly working on it.

 

[Hurleyman216]

If you think they are working on a KO replacement right now, you are wrong, they aren’t. Much to the dismay of many here I’m sure.

 

[UCDaveD]

If you think they are working on a KO replacement right now, you are wrong, they aren’t. Much to the dismay of many here I’m sure.

Sorry dude, but the AD and President aren’t going to sit on their hands as Ollie pilots a once storied program directly into the ground. Things are being set in motion whether you choose to believe it or not.

 

[Hurleyman216]

It’s not what I choose to believe it’s what I know. There have been discussions about team performance between the AD and KO, but the president is still 100% behind Ollie and there is not anything being done at that level. You can believe whatever narrative you’ve made up in your head. If you want to believe that the AD and president are conducting a national search to replace KO, then feel free. I’m just letting you know that it isn’t true and trust me when I say I know this for a fact.

 

[8893]

It’s not what I choose to believe it’s what I know. There have been discussions about team performance between the AD and KO, but the president is still 100% behind Ollie and there is not anything being done at that level. You can believe whatever narrative you’ve made up in your head. If you want to believe that the AD and president are conducting a national search to replace KO, then feel free. I’m just letting you know that it isn’t true and trust me when I say I know this for a fact.

But what are they saying about Chief?

 

[UCDaveD]

It’s not what I choose to believe it’s what I know. There have been discussions about team performance between the AD and KO, but the president is still 100% behind Ollie and there is not anything being done at that level. You can believe whatever narrative you’ve made up in your head. If you want to believe that the AD and president are conducting a national search to replace KO, then feel free. I’m just letting you know that it isn’t true and trust me when I say I know this for a fact.

The President is 100% behind her AD. And the AD is not asleep at the wheel. I’ll just leave it at that.

 

[HuskyHawk]

It’s not what I choose to believe it’s what I know. There have been discussions about team performance between the AD and KO, but the president is still 100% behind Ollie and there is not anything being done at that level. You can believe whatever narrative you’ve made up in your head. If you want to believe that the AD and president are conducting a national search to replace KO, then feel free. I’m just letting you know that it isn’t true and trust me when I say I know this for a fact.

@UCDaveD nailed it. Of course there is no search. There was no search to replace Diaco midway through the 2016 season either. I believe that the AD has talked to Ollie about what is expected. On the court and off. I am quite sure they already know what coaches they’d target if they decided to make a move. The season will play out and decisions will be made. I agree it is unlikely that any move is made barring some catastrophe.

 

[whaler11]

You guys found that 10 million? Awesome.

 

[Stainmaster]

You guys found that 10 million? Awesome.

GoFundMe coming in clutch

 

[August_West]

You guys found that 10 million? Awesome.

This whole board shoulda bought bitcoin

 

[UCDaveD]

You guys found that 10 million? Awesome.

There’s a way around that. It wouldn’t be pretty, but the option is there should AD David Benedict wish to pursue it.

 

[Stainmaster]

There’s a way around that. It wouldn’t be pretty, but the option is there should AD David Benedict wish to pursue it.

You can't even even fathom how much negative press that would bring, and how much tougher that would make the coaching search.

 

[UCDaveD]

You can't even even fathom how much negative press that would bring, and how much tougher that would make the coaching search.

For sure. To be clear, I don’t think that scenario plays out. But it’s there. Let’s just call it the nuclear option.

 

[whaler11]

There’s a way around that. It wouldn’t be pretty, but the option is there should AD David Benedict wish to pursue it.

Are the lawyers telling you it will work?

 

[Banta55]

There’s a way around that. It wouldn’t be pretty, but the option is there should AD David Benedict wish to pursue it.

Yes their is, and it would be ugly..

 

[FDNY99]

It’s not critical of Ollie really at all.

Funny for those who want to talk Big East in this thread:

And despite the wishful whispers for UConn to rejoin the Big East, that is easy to say and nearly impossible to do.

It's like everyone thinks going to the NBE will cure all that ill's the MBB program. At the end of the day the guy who is in charge of that program is directly responsible for the problems it's having. Cincy seems to be making out OK even though they have that insane runt running things...and SMU isn doing good as well. But hey..that MBB clan still bangs away at that NBE drum..LOL.

 

[Banta55]

It's like everyone thinks going to the NBE will cure all that ill's the MBB program. At the end of the day the guy who is in charge of that program is directly responsible for the problems it's having. Cincy seems to be making out OK even though they have that insane runt running things...and SMU isn doing good as well. But hey..that MBB clan still bangs away at that NBE drum..LOL.

I agree with you, they had a top 10 recruiting class two years ago in the AAC....The league isn't ideal, but the NBE will not solve the program's issues.

 

[8893]

You can't even even fathom how much negative press that would bring, and how much tougher that would make the coaching search.

Especially when whatever the purported cause is has obviously been tolerated until now that the performance has been deemed unacceptable.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I was telling people years ago that UConn needed to join the new Big East. UConn is a basketball school. In my mind, so are Kansas, Indiana, and Kentucky. While I understand those schools are in big conferences (Big 12, Big 10, SEC), their football teams have been traditionally abysmal. What is the attendance at a Kansas football game? Have they been a contender at all? What's the pressing issue with UConn moving to a P5 if your football team is going to be bad? Does any UConn fan actually think that we will join a P5 and ultimately land top level football talent over places they already have tradition? Has that happened for Rutgers? On the flip side, did moving to the ACC make BC a football or basketball powerhouse as they thought would happen? I don't think so.

The fact of the matter is, we don't have any history as a football program, yet we are trying to align ourselves with schools that do. Why? Football players want to go to a football program. Basketball players want to go to a basketball program. Our success has been basketball and we are throwing it away for the "possibility" that we can turn UConn into both a basketball and football school.

UConn Football has been rushed since moving to D1. We set these high expectations and have been unable to achieve. I'll admit it was great seeing UConn play at the Fiesta Bowl on New Years Day, but it was terrible watching Oklahoma wax us all over the field all while we had little to no fan base supporting us at the game. It was disrespectful to watch Edsall bolt for Maryland, a team that had no great football success either. That should have told you everything about UConn Football. We had a coach bring little UConn to a major bowl game and then run for the hills. Edsall thought he could have more success at Maryland, being an ACC program and all. How'd that work out for them?

Maryland is everything I don't want to see UConn become. They were a basketball powerhouse at one point and thought they could do the same with football.

Stick with what you know best and what works best. The new Big East has amazing basketball talent, still plays in the Garden and is looked at favorably come March. It would help with recruiting, branding, and matchups. As bad as we are playing against Columbia, Arkansas, etc. We typically play up to better opponents (see MSU game earlier this year). Playing against the likes of the new Big East teams would give our players some more confidence, at least I think it will.

You want football to succeed? Do it the same way basketball did. Let is happen organically. At this point, I would ask the Administration look into if we football could go Independent, stay in the AAC or work out some other arrangement. Schedule tough non-conference games, put the best product you can on the field and coach them to compete. At the end of the day, see what happens.

I don't want to see UConn's basketball tradition and success go down the drain because high-level people can't clearly articulate that a P5 move is not in our future and most likely not the best option for us.

There was a lot of UConn fan support at the Fiesta Bowl.

 

[Whtdmd]

The President is 100% behind her AD. And the AD is not asleep at the wheel. I’ll just leave it at that.

I know Susan but I don't know AD David Benedict. Susan is preoccupied with raising money and save the state funding. She is trying to preserve the UCONN health system. Jackson labs, Farmington research hub and UCONN health are much more important to her then hiring/firing Ollie. Big decision like a basketball coach change has not been discussed. The football program will died with Edsel. We have 3 coach since Edsel and if it does not work in 2-3 yrs. Big East is a real option. I think Ollie will still be around then. There is no appetite in the administration for any major change in the basketball coaches. If there is a change and it involve 10 million dollar while the rest of the state is in austerity mode. UCONN funding will be toast, the republican legislature viewed UCONN as a major source of inefficiency. Firing Ollie while getting him an extension 2 yrs before will only give them ammo for several hundred million dollar in budget cuts. The best road going forward is with coach Ollie. Any nuclear option that I'm not aware of will also lead to 200 million a yr in cuts

 

[Duncan Idaho]

A comparison of ranking for Big East and AAC:
AAC:
Tulane (private)-40
SMU (private)-61
Tulsa (private)-87
Temple-11
Cincy-133
USF-140
UCF-171
Houston-192
ECU-207
Navy- 21 (Liberal Arts)
Memphis-231-300
Wichita State-231-300

Big East:
Georgetown-20
Villanova-46
Marquette-90
DePaul-120
Seton Hall-124
St. John's-165
Creighton-1 (Midwest Region)
Providence-1 (North Region)
Butler-2 (Midwest Region)
Xavier-5 (Midwest Region)

The regional schools can't be compared to the national schools because they don't offer many Ph.D.s and research. However, if they could be compared, I would bet most of them would be ahead of the middle-tier AAC schools. Keep in my for those who say we should be with like minded public flagships, there are no other flaghips in this conference, and the only schools academically in the AAC we would want to be associated with are all private.

Seems Bball is the signature sport for each member of the BE.

 

[dennismenace]

So...if we were winning, people wouldn't be complaining about the fact that program isn't winning?

Agreed.

Now is the time to stay the course and hope, against all reason, that will get a P5 invite. If nothing happens after the end of the current TV deals for the B1G, the ACC and the Big 12, we are done and will have to adapt our program expenditures to that reality.

Until then stay the course. Oh and enjoy what we have now, because things will get worse before the stabilize.

When are the TV renewals?

 

[jibsey]

If a good young coach can be found who can recruit and teach offense it may be that he can take the job for a reasonable salary. That would take the sting out of saying goodbye to KO. I think hiring a $3.5 million a year new coach is a non starter. KO has about 3-4 weeks to work some magic or I think he writes his own fate, especially if we eventually lose 15 games. Is that unreasonable? I don’t think so. They’ll keep him until year end, just a guess.

 

[JMick]

I know Susan but I don't know AD David Benedict. Susan is preoccupied with raising money and save the state funding. She is trying to preserve the UCONN health system. Jackson labs, Farmington research hub and UCONN health are much more important to her then hiring/firing Ollie. Big decision like a basketball coach change has not been discussed. The football program will died with Edsel. We have 3 coach since Edsel and if it does not work in 2-3 yrs. Big East is a real option. I think Ollie will still be around then. There is no appetite in the administration for any major change in the basketball coaches. If there is a change and it involve 10 million dollar while the rest of the state is in austerity mode. UCONN funding will be toast, the republican legislature viewed UCONN as a major source of inefficiency. Firing Ollie while getting him an extension 2 yrs before will only give them ammo for several hundred million dollar in budget cuts. The best road going forward is with coach Ollie. Any nuclear option that I'm not aware of will also lead to 200 million a yr in cuts

I can't take anyone's opinion seriously that spells Edsall "Edsel"

 

[UCDaveD]

I know Susan but I don't know AD David Benedict. Susan is preoccupied with raising money and save the state funding. She is trying to preserve the UCONN health system. Jackson labs, Farmington research hub and UCONN health are much more important to her then hiring/firing Ollie. Big decision like a basketball coach change has not been discussed. The football program will died with Edsel. We have 3 coach since Edsel and if it does not work in 2-3 yrs. Big East is a real option. I think Ollie will still be around then. There is no appetite in the administration for any major change in the basketball coaches. If there is a change and it involve 10 million dollar while the rest of the state is in austerity mode. UCONN funding will be toast, the republican legislature viewed UCONN as a major source of inefficiency. Firing Ollie while getting him an extension 2 yrs before will only give them ammo for several hundred million dollar in budget cuts. The best road going forward is with coach Ollie. Any nuclear option that I'm not aware of will also lead to 200 million a yr in cuts

Mid-terms are less than 12 months away