The Athletic: KO Article

[willie99]

I reject the premise. The problem is that our men's basketball and football teams are underperforming and are both are cyclical lows. No matter what conference you are in, you need to have coaches that win. Winning begets more winning. It's that simple. If you look at the "G5", they have averaged ~ 3 teams in the AP Top 25 football and 5 teams in the AP Top 25 basketball polls over the past 4 years. If other schools are doing it, UConn should be able to as UConn is spending at the top of the G5.

I would agree that attendance is negatively impacted by the teams we are playing, but nobody is preventing the UConn home basketball schedule to be filled with old Big East rivals and attractive match ups instead of this year's Colgate, Stony Brook, BU, Columbia, Monmouth, and Coppin St.

The only way UConn is going to get a chance to move up during the next round of conference shakeups (and it will happen again) is to stay in the AAC and win at football.

It can be argued the AAC football conference is better than the old Big East. I think the next TV contract is going to be significantly better.

Although efforts to raid the Big East really took an uptick once they were about to land a significant TV package

 

[Chief00]

With all the negativity out there - a little fun!

 

[Huskybass]

If and when Geno retires, UCONN's women basketball may never win another Championship. I hope I am wrong but the top recruits don't come to Storrs Connecticut because of the location or the University. They come to UCONN to play for Geno.

That is complete bs. One of Geno's assistants will take over and they will still be one of the top teams in the country. You think Chris Dailey and Shea Ralph don't understand Geno's style and standards after decades with him? The women will still be a powerhouse after Geno leaves.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We want to associate with flagship publics... the Yankee Conference is calling...

The New England flagship publics are poorly regarded. They have low enrollment and minimal research or endowment. Football was a way for UConn to leave them behind and elevate to the next level. We’ve made a ton of progress. I believe Austin mentioned UVA and Michigan by name in describing the vision for UConn.

 

[superjohn]

Conventional wisdom is rarely wise, just another author picking the low hanging fruit when the timing seems right to them

The starting point? Our recruiting hasn't been bad in terms of kids' rankings, prior to this year it's been bad in terms of fit. Our recruiting this year was salvaged late, and out recruiting for next year is off to a good start. Since one very critical premise for all those arguments that are predicting the end is recruiting and conference affiliation, that nonsense is crumbling under it's own weight.

We're certainly going through growing pains after a legend retires, but that's only going to make us appreciate success even more when it returns.

I'm not impressed by simpleton arguments against entities when they're down, that's just too damn easy and idiots think it makes them look smart. In case anyone doesn't know this yet, I disrespect the media has much as I disrespect career politicians. Under the guise of objectivity, they peddle their inherently biased personal opinions. Often times mistakenly identifying their opinions as "facts"

We'll be fine, that's my opinion, and nothing I've seen in the past few months alters that

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[Hoophound]

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.

I didn't say there is a search for a new coach going on. I said they are working on solutions. They are. There are shortcomings in the program. Addressing them is a work in progress.

At this point, KO is part of the solution. If we look awful over the next month and get embarrassed multiple times, that may change. We are literally a few yards from a cliff. If we fall off, your view of the situation will quickly change. This team needs to show effort, passion and fundamental aptitude for the game pretty soon or the losses are going to pile up like firewood. At that point AD David Benedict will be ready to take a match to it.

If you think UConn is afraid to dismiss him, you are mistaken. They want him to succeed and they want him to be the coach. However, that's today, if things go south, look out. They are keenly aware there is no time to waste.

 

[willie99]

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Fake and false narrative

I bet you mockingly scream "take the stairs Ollie" at UConn games, proudly showing your support for our kids

I'm sure they love that stuff

 

[freescooter]

Your absolutes are as stupid now as they were in 2012.

Good coaches succeed in bad leagues. Ask Wichita State. Ask Gonzaga. Ask Brad Stevens about his college career. Two straight championship games, and not from the New Big East. Ollie would struggle in any conference. Name a stud he recruited. His specialty is landing lower level recruits and 5th year guys. And there is a reason that 5th year guys are still playing college basketball.

 

[BPT2Storrs]

I like the idea of AAC adding UMass and VCU as basketball only. I think Rhode Island and Dayton would be good adds as well as I see those programs getting stronger in the future.

It would be nice to get some geographic rivalries going as well.

 

[willie99]

Good coaches succeed in bad leagues. Ask Wichita State. Ask Gonzaga. Ask Brad Stevens about his college career. Two straight championship games, and not from the New Big East. Ollie would struggle in any conference. Name a stud he recruited. His specialty is landing lower level recruits and 5th year guys. And there is a reason that 5th year guys are still playing college basketball.

tomorrow, one of your dumpster fire allies will be telling us how bad a coach Ollie is because he can't win with great classes. Actually, they've already made that argument

hard to keep up with all the moving targets

 

[Paesano]

Never settle for mediocrity. Always strive for excellence. I would rather fail while reaching for the stars than live the comfort of mediocrity.

 

[FartMan69]

tomorrow, one of your dumpster fire allies will be telling us how bad a coach Ollie is because he can't win with great classes. Actually, they've already made that arguments

hard to keep up with all the moving targets

No he just either can’t develop or even hold on to the players in these classes. Behind the scenes is just as troubling as what we’ve seen on the court but you of course have your fingers in your ears.

 

[Marty Jackson]

That is a HUGE reach! Let's all face facts...Ollie has done to the Men's Hoops program what Hathaway did to the Athletic Department...ran it square into a tree at 120 mph! They both were handed something by their predecessors that was high functioning...they both did a number on what they were handed!

I think many thought Ollie would have sizable learning curve coming into Uconn. Winning the NC was a HUGE bonus and I think maybe set Ollie up for higher expectations from us fans. Especially the way in which he coached some of those games and put the right lineups on the court and seemed to outmatch the likes of Izzo and Calipari. Not taking that away from Ollie, but those were Calhoun's players and very much a Calhoun system. What we've seen since is a struggle by Ollie's program to field a complete team. Whether it's injuries, transfers, or lack of development this has been a huge issue as of late and created big holes in the line-up. It's also part of what being a coach entails and it's where Ollie has struggled.
Yes, it took Calhoun 13 seasons before getting his first NC. But it was a positive ride the entire way and I think as we fans loved it. And in many cases spoiled by it. Yes, there were some devastating blows along the way but anyone could see the trend and it was exciting. Right or wrong, Ollie is taking over at the absolute pinnacle. Maintaining that level is awfully difficult for any coach, let alone one that is relatively new with little coaching experience.
I like Ollie as coach. I like that he is a former Uconn player and extends the Uconn family. I want him to succeed in this role as I think that is a great storyline and would be great for both Uconn and Ollie. BUT, from what I'm seeing, I don't think Ollie is going to get us there anytime soon.
The only reason I think our conference affiliation hurts us in this matter is we no longer have the opportunity to languish with an under-performing coach. If we were in the ACC or BIG, Ollie might have a longer leash. We are now in a game of musical chairs, so to speak and when the next round of realignment happens, we need to be in the best shape possible. I think 5-6 seasons is long enough to develop a trend with which you can say it's working or it's not. Unless Ollie shows an uptick this year (and it needs to be more than a positive record)
like beating a ranked team, going on a long winni streak, or or making the NCAA's I think it's time for a change.


Turning this into a conference affiliation debate is a red herring.

 

[8893]

Good coaches succeed in bad leagues. Ask Wichita State. Ask Gonzaga. Ask Brad Stevens about his college career. Two straight championship games, and not from the New Big East. Ollie would struggle in any conference. Name a stud he recruited. His specialty is landing lower level recruits and 5th year guys. And there is a reason that 5th year guys are still playing college basketball.

You hated the hire from the start and have been dead set against Ollie from day one, waiting until you could gloat about being right. Funny how you never came around again until last season. Can terrible coaches win National Championships?

Most of Ollie’s detractors point to his coaching deficiencies, and I’ll admit he’s had me scratching my head more and more the past two years. But most acknowledge that he is a good recruiter and has generally brought in very good classes, all things considered. Others say he’s the same coach but we lack the talent to excel with his system so it’s hard to fully assess his performance.

You maintain your original absolute positions that he is both a terrible coach and a terrible recruiter, despite some historical facts to the contrary and internal inconsistency between the two absolutes. In other words, one of your absolutes makes it hard to value the other factor equally.

But you wouldn’t know that because you’ve been blindly against him from the start and you just can’t wait to bury him.

 

[willie99]

No he just either can’t develop or even hold on to the players in these classes. Behind the scenes is just as troubling as what we’ve seen on the court but you of course have your fingers in your ears.

fake narrative, he hit a reset last year and a few kids transferred because they didn't like what they were told, that's not some ongoing systematic problem you're suggesting it is

 

[FartMan69]

fake narrative, he hit a reset last year and a few kids transferred because they didn't like what they were told, that's not some ongoing systematic problem you're suggesting it is

Lol "hit reset" ... Ollie isn't what you think he is.

 

[willie99]

 

[willie99]

I'll waste my time and respond one more time. I think Ollie is the man people closest to him say he is, people like Bazz and Calhoun. I know Ollie has a tremendous work effort, that's how he survived in the NBA for so long. I think it's pretty darn funny when some fan on the internet tells me "LOL, Ollie is not the person you think he is".

I'll just have to leave it at that, don't want to get too disrespectful, not why I'm here

 

[Clockshop]

Fake and false narrative

I bet you mockingly scream "take the stairs Ollie" at UConn games, proudly showing your support for our kids

I'm sure they love that stuff

You think superjohn goes to games? He’s a keyboard warrior man. Half these critics on here don’t go to games and it’s probably more than half.

 

[FartMan69]

I'll waste my time and respond one more time. I think Ollie is the man people closest to him say it is, people like Bazz and Calhoun. I know Ollie has a tremendous work effort, that's how he survived in the NBA for long. I think it's pretty darn funny when some fan on the internet tells me "LOL, Ollie is not the person you think he is".

I'll just have to leave it at that, don't want to get too disrespectful, not why I'm here

Bazz and Calhoun are not the people closest to him but yeah his NBA survival has sure made him a great role model and mentor off the court..

 

[willie99]

Bazz and Calhoun are not the people closest to him but yeah his NBA survival has sure made him a great role model and mentor off the court..

fair points, maybe I should of said the people who worked with him in the trenches or something along those lines

 

[TRest]

Bazz and Calhoun are not the people closest to him but yeah his NBA survival has sure made him a great role model and mentor off the court..

People should consider what the off-court life is like for the average NBA player.

 

[TRest]

With all the negativity out there - a little fun!

Get help.

 

[Waquoit]

That is complete bs. One of Geno's assistants will take over and they will still be one of the top teams in the country. You think Chris Dailey and Shea Ralph don't understand Geno's style and standards after decades with him? The women will still be a powerhouse after Geno leaves.

For a time, maybe. But we saw this before with La. Tech. The crap league will kill it.

 

[imno1]

I was going to touch on this. Can this contribute to slow starts and some fatigue? I would hope that youth is on there side.

Yes the schlep from their dorm rooms to Gampel is pretty exhausting