Two choices for the coaching situation

[nelsonmuntz]

This. Calhoun's track record is terrible, which is better than the blank page of the current AD. Nelson loses.

I love how the same people are arguing that Calhoun should be able to stay as long as he wants also don't trust his judgment on what is best for the program.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Point #1 - As many have pointed out JC has earned the right to go out on his own terms.

To a point!

Look, it can be argued (and it has, many times) that JC is primarily responsible for every UCONN athletic, academic and perceptual improvement over the last 20-years. That includes UCONN becoming a top 20 public university, the football upgrade; hell, damn near everything. He has earned a ton of consideration; including the right to stay as HC as long as he remains lucid, upright and reasonable.

But, JC's earned "considerations" do not include holding a program, and university, hostage while he decides what he wants to do, or uses his legacy and achievements as a nuke hovering over a decision on his replacement. This is especially true as UCONN deals with NCAA actions, warranted or not, and the ultra-importance of near-term recruiting classes.

So, JC, stay if you wish and help stabilize things. You have earned the right. But, if you are going, go. Let your replacement (the amount of your impact on the decision to be decided by the AD) and UCONN handle the problems as best they/it can.

 

[freescooter]

Coaching at GW is very different than coaching at UConn. There's no telling how good a guy like Hobbs would be elsewhere. Besides, we're not talking about Hobbs--we're talking about Ollie. Two different people.

My point here was that Calhoun's coaching tree is not exactly filled with Hall of Famers. Hobbs, in case you missed it, spent 8 years as a UCONN assistant before taking the GW job. Leitao, Miller, Moore, Woodward, Pikel...none of them has exactly over-achieved as a head coach. Some have been pretty good. Some have been not so good and some have had mixed results. Given that, why would you assume, as the Olliepologists seem to, that Ollie will do what no other UCONN Assistant has been capable of doing? A couple of years ago everyone was ready to hand the job to Tom Moore. then he got a head coaching job and turned out to be fine but nothing special at Quinnipiac. Leitao was fine but nothing special at DePaul and a disaster at Virginia (he was a disaster at Northeastern too, FWIW). Hobbs was pretty good for a while at GW then everything collapsed (though I have read that it wasat least partly due to a change in policy at the Athletic Department level that made recruiting much tougher, I don't know for sure). Pikiell looks to maybe be building something at Stony Brook, but he hasn't gotten there yet and may never do so. And it is Stony Brook...But the fact is that Jim Calhoun's proteges have been nothing special as head coaches. Somehow kevin Ollie, according to many, is going to break the mold, despite having almost no experience as a coach. Can he recruit? Maybe. But its way different saying "I'm form UCONN and I want you to come play for Jim Calhoun", than saying "I want you to play for Kevin Ollie".

 

[upstater]

My point here was that Calhoun's coaching tree is not exactly filled with Hall of Famers. Hobbs, in case you missed it, spent 8 years as a UCONN assistant before taking the GW job. Leitao, Miller, Moore, Woodward, Pikel...none of them has exactly over-achieved as a head coach. Some have been pretty good. Some have been not so good and some have had mixed results. Given that, why would you assume, as the Olliepologists seem to, that Ollie will do what no other UCONN Assistant has been capable of doing? A couple of years ago everyone was ready to hand the job to Tom Moore. then he got a head coaching job and turned out to be fine but nothing special at Quinnipiac. Leitao was fine but nothing special at DePaul and a disaster at Virginia (he was a disaster at Northeastern too, FWIW). Hobbs was pretty good for a while at GW then everything collapsed (though I have read that it wasat least partly due to a change in policy at the Athletic Department level that made recruiting much tougher, I don't know for sure). Pikiell looks to maybe be building something at Stony Brook, but he hasn't gotten there yet and may never do so. And it is Stony Brook...But the fact is that Jim Calhoun's proteges have been nothing special as head coaches. Somehow kevin Ollie, according to many, is going to break the mold, despite having almost no experience as a coach. Can he recruit? Maybe. But its way different saying "I'm form UCONN and I want you to come play for Jim Calhoun", than saying "I want you to play for Kevin Ollie".

So much wrong in this post. Lots of hearsay. People were ready to hand the job to Tom Moore? Really? Almost no one was ready to do that. Leitao went to a program that kills coaches. Big deal. nothing good has ever come out of Virginia. Can you name the last coach to leave there on good terms? Come on, let's get real here. No one is bashing your binky, Shaka Smart, but you are way too enamored with him, to the point that you totally detract from a guy like Ollie without crediting him at least for what he already brings to the table.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

I love how the same people are arguing that Calhoun should be able to stay as long as he wants also don't trust his judgment on what is best for the program.

Look, it can be argued (and it has, many times) that JC is primarily responsible for every UCONN athletic, academic and perceptual improvement over the last 20-years. That includes UCONN becoming a top 20 public university, the football upgrade; hell, damn near everything. He has earned a ton of consideration; including the right to stay as HC as long as he remains lucid, upright and reasonable.

But, JC's earned "considerations" do not include holding a program, and university, hostage while he decides what he wants to do, or uses his legacy and achievements as a nuke hovering over a decision on his replacement. This is especially true as UCONN deals with NCAA actions, warranted or not, and the ultra-importance of near-term recruiting classes.

So, JC, stay if you wish and help stabilize things. You have earned the right. But, if you are going, go. Let your replacement (the amount of your impact on the decision to be decided by the AD It might be considerable. It might be less so.) and UCONN handle the problems as best they/it can.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I stared at that for the longest time wondering how to respond.

Here's someone who wants to replace a 69-year old coach with a 67-year old coach as part of a youth movement. How do you respond to that? Making fun of him almost seems cruel in a stick-through-the-bars sort of way. Debating it with him is completely pointless, and yet not debating it just feels so completely wrong. So it can't be mocked or argued or ignored - it is the most perfectly imperfect post I have ever seen.

It's broken my spirit - I'm throwing my computer in the pool.

Clicking Like wouldn't do this response justice. It deserves a Thank You note.