UConn AD David Benedict relishing men's basketball's return to relevance: 'In the national conversation' (Mike Anthony)

[huskymedic]

Assisted access <<

 

[Iluvsuebird]

Credit where credit is due. Hired the right guy. Return to the BE. Great job.

 

[djct1999]

kind of a weird (but not unexpected) article… but yeah, winning is good

Weird? How? I thought it was a great read. It shows how far the program and people involved have evolved over the past 5 years. I will say it again, Dan Hurley may not be the perfect coach, but he was 100% the perfect hire. The job he has done is what we had hoped and quite frankly, what we expected. Given where the program was, where the school is, our history, tradition, etc. I trully don't believe anyone was better suited to take that all on the way he has. Kudos to Dan and I hope he stays here a very long time.

 

[Kolumbo]

I hate the wording "return to relevance," it's misleading, inaccurate, egregious, preposterous! I'm sure those are Anthony's words and not Benedicts.

 

[Luna]

I also think hiring Dan Hurley and joining the big east were great moves… hiring Dan was expected … but joining the big east was a bold move that turned out to masterful… 3 teams in the ncaa tournament as I speak from the big east..if one of these teams win it all the big east will skyrocket into the national spotlight like the old big east did..Mr Benedict has his work cut out with the football team.. not sure what he can do with that.. me personally i think the best move if we have some success, and are asked..is to join the aac for football only

 

[NJHoops]

Weird? How? I thought it was a great read. It shows how far the program and people involved have evolved over the past 5 years. I will say it again, Dan Hurley may not be the perfect coach, but he was 100% the perfect hire. The job he has done is what we had hoped and quite frankly, what we expected. Given where the program was, where the school is, our history, tradition, etc. I trully don't believe anyone was better suited to take that all on the way he has. Kudos to Dan and I hope he stays here a very long time.

He’ll be at UConn until he’s fired or retires. Not getting into the rest now- good vibes only on game day!

 

[aburks41]

He’ll be at UConn until he’s fired or retires. Not getting into the rest now- good vibes only on game day!

Contract extension and a raise in the offseason?

 

[John]

Contract extension and a raise in the offseason?

We didn't learn with the last contract extension?

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Weird? How? I thought it was a great read. It shows how far the program and people involved have evolved over the past 5 years. I will say it again, Dan Hurley may not be the perfect coach, but he was 100% the perfect hire. The job he has done is what we had hoped and quite frankly, what we expected. Given where the program was, where the school is, our history, tradition, etc. I trully don't believe anyone was better suited to take that all on the way he has. Kudos to Dan and I hope he stays here a very long time.

Hurley was the best available coach when we needed one. That’s all you can ask from your AD . We had to pay to get him and that will probably increase by a number dependent on how far we go this year . But if you want to stay relevant it’s the price you pay.

 

[Storrs South]

He’ll be at UConn until he’s fired or retires. Not getting into the rest now- good vibes only on game day!

Good.

 

[Hoophound]

Thank Jim Calhoun for playing a lot of golf in Rhode Island the year before Dan was hired. Jim Calhoun forced KO on us and we won a title, then he went and recruited DH when he realized his error. JC and Dave Benedict have been excellent through all of the crap that started in 2011. They helped the athletic department survive and then thrive through a really bad period in our athletic history. JC gets his props for the most part, AD Dave deserves more credit. He’s a heck of an AD.

 

[Senor Blue]

We didn't learn with the last contract extension?

Ollie won with JC's team and dropped off after his players and methods left the building.

Hurley built this from the ground up. 2 different things.

One thing that's different from Ollie's title and this team though - how complete this team is.

There's no Shabazz who you just expect to take over the game and go win it. It comes from someone else every night. That's all Hurley's doing. You extend that man and give him whatever.

If Ed Cooley is making $5 mil at GT, Danny deserves a raise whether the season ends tonight or in 2 weeks.

 

[John]

Ollie won with JC's team and dropped off after his players and methods left the building.

Hurley built this from the ground up. 2 different things.

One thing that's different from Ollie's title and this team though - how complete this team is.

There's no Shabazz who you just expect to take over the game and go win it. It comes from someone else every night. That's all Hurley's doing. You extend that man and give him whatever.

If Ed Cooley is making $5 mil at GT, Danny deserves a raise whether the season ends tonight or in 2 weeks.

Raise, yes.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We didn't learn with the last contract extension?

If Dan were to go the Ollie route, I suspect we'd never find his body. I don't see the same risk in this case. I don't think we have to extend him this offseason, but probably next year. The fit is there. He thrives under the conditions that make it hard to be UConn's head coach. He's said as much many times.

I agree with Benedict, we've seen Dan adapt more this year, adjust and be more flexible. Next year is a bigger challenge, running a defense with Donovan at center for 25 minutes a game. Plus a huge turnover in players. That's going to push him out of his comfort zone.

 

[gtcam]

Ollie won with JC's team and dropped off after his players and methods left the building.

Hurley built this from the ground up. 2 different things.

One thing that's different from Ollie's title and this team though - how complete this team is.

There's no Shabazz who you just expect to take over the game and go win it. It comes from someone else every night. That's all Hurley's doing. You extend that man and give him whatever.

If Ed Cooley is making $5 mil at GT, Danny deserves a raise whether the season ends tonight or in 2 weeks.

That JCs team is complete BS Ollie did most all JCs recruiting. They were recruiting for the OBE when he got that team not the AAC. Hurley couldn’t recruit in the AAC. 2014 was a very stacked team and the beat how many one seeds and top rated coaches leading those teams? You don’t think KO had any influence on Bazz? Go ask him before you make ridiculous statements. Ask CV what KO meant to him.
Put those Hurley is God glasses away and do some homework
The UConn team this year is really good and Hurley has a play in it just as KO had a huge play on those last few JC teams as well as those he was coaching. JC wanted KO to take over because he knew how close those players were to KO and wanted them to stay at UConn.
KO had some bad years in the AAC not doubt and at the time he departed it was time for him to leave. In reality DH fared no better in the AAC than KO.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Thank Jim Calhoun for playing a lot of golf in Rhode Island the year before Dan was hired. Jim Calhoun forced KO on us and we won a title, then he went and recruited DH when he realized his error. JC and Dave Benedict have been excellent through all of the crap that started in 2011. They helped the athletic department survive and then thrive through a really bad period in our athletic history. JC gets his props for the most part, AD Dave deserves more credit. He’s a heck of an AD.

I had heard rumors of this, but I did hear last year JC felt personally responsible for KO. He wanted to help in any way he could.

 

[superjohn]

If Dan were to go the Ollie route, I suspect we'd never find his body. I don't see the same risk in this case. I don't think we have to extend him this offseason, but probably next year. The fit is there. He thrives under the conditions that make it hard to be UConn's head coach. He's said as much many times.

I agree with Benedict, we've seen Dan adapt more this year, adjust and be more flexible. Next year is a bigger challenge, running a defense with Donovan at center for 25 minutes a game. Plus a huge turnover in players. That's going to push him out of his comfort zone.

I don't think there will be a hug turnover, our core is going to be awesome next season and we'll be a destination for the couple of transfers we bring in.

 

[SubbaBub]

Ollie and Bazz had a bond that JC weren't going to have. Ollie was a huge part of that championship. Regardless of what followed, no sane UConn observer would think of taking that away from him.

 

[Skies2018]

I also think hiring Dan Hurley and joining the big east were great moves… hiring Dan was expected … but joining the big east was a bold move that turned out to masterful… 3 teams in the ncaa tournament as I speak from the big east..if one of these teams win it all the big east will skyrocket into the national spotlight like the old big east did..Mr Benedict has his work cut out with the football team.. not sure what he can do with that.. me personally i think the best move if we have some success, and are asked..is to join the aac for football only

ACC*

 

[Hoophound]

I had heard rumors of this, but I did hear last year JC felt personally responsible for KO. He wanted to help in any way he could.

He did. JC spent a lot of time with Tom Moore in Rhode Island when it became obvious we had a problem. He made sure we got our man.

 

[huskymedic]

Contract extension and a raise in the offseason?

Raise, yes.

To start…

 

[nomar]

That JCs team is complete BS Ollie did most all JCs recruiting. They were recruiting for the OBE when he got that team not the AAC. Hurley couldn’t recruit in the AAC. 2014 was a very stacked team and the beat how many one seeds and top rated coaches leading those teams? You don’t think KO had any influence on Bazz? Go ask him before you make ridiculous statements. Ask CV what KO meant to him.
Put those Hurley is God glasses away and do some homework
The UConn team this year is really good and Hurley has a play in it just as KO had a huge play on those last few JC teams as well as those he was coaching. JC wanted KO to take over because he knew how close those players were to KO and wanted them to stay at UConn.
KO had some bad years in the AAC not doubt and at the time he departed it was time for him to leave. In reality DH fared no better in the AAC than KO.

Hurley’s effort recruiting in the AAC would’ve been 100x as intense as Ollie’s. Beyond effort, Hurley hires assistants based on merit and connections not because they’re his buddies.

You can die on whatever hill you want, but boy have you picked a stupid one.

 

[Senor Blue]

That JCs team is complete BS Ollie did most all JCs recruiting. They were recruiting for the OBE when he got that team not the AAC. Hurley couldn’t recruit in the AAC. 2014 was a very stacked team and the beat how many one seeds and top rated coaches leading those teams? You don’t think KO had any influence on Bazz? Go ask him before you make ridiculous statements. Ask CV what KO meant to him.
Put those Hurley is God glasses away and do some homework
The UConn team this year is really good and Hurley has a play in it just as KO had a huge play on those last few JC teams as well as those he was coaching. JC wanted KO to take over because he knew how close those players were to KO and wanted them to stay at UConn.
KO had some bad years in the AAC not doubt and at the time he departed it was time for him to leave. In reality DH fared no better in the AAC than KO.

If it wasn’t all JC - why did it steadily decline after JC’s guys worked their way out? Was it all the Big East? So was Calhoun not a great coach or recruiter it was the Big East?

And not for nothing do you think Dan takes this job if there’s no plan to get back to the Big East? Benedict alluded to that in the article. If KO stays does he force us back to the Big East?

Year 3/4/5 is where you see who your coach is. Year 1/2 is where you see what you were left with and how good the guy before him was.

This is now 100% Hurleys team. His players. His culture. And now it’s back in the Elite 8. 40 mins from a final four. With a top 5 recruiting class on deck, and another couple player banners to hang in the practice facility

As Teddy KGB once said, “pay that man his money.”