"UConn Trying to Snatch $10 Million for a Phone Call with Ray Allen"

[amory]

I sincerely don't understand why people feel bad for him. He quit on UConn and on his players, pocketed huge paychecks while paying lip service to doing his job, and reportedly failing to exercise much self discretion or control. That's without any NCAA violations. On that alone, I certainly don't think he deserves any buyout money.

We are not talking about the guy who spent 30 years in a coal mine or on an assembly line and was screwed out of his pension on some technicality. When did a pampered, overpaid ex-jock making millions become the symbol of oppression?

I didn't say he was the symbol of oppression. I even explicitly said UConn is doing the right thing here.

But Ollie is one of us. He didn't turn out to be the right guy to lead the program long term, but he's a UConn guy. He's been an ambassador for our brand for decades. He was fired because he was not winning basketball games. Not for a few minor violations. This is undeniable. And when a coach is fired for not being successful, generally they get the money contractually due to them.

I'm glad he's not our coach anymore, but I'm not going to applaud the school for weasling out of paying him based on technicalities.

 

[Pudge]

I didn't say he was the symbol of oppression. I even explicitly said UConn is doing the right thing here.

But Ollie is one of us. He didn't turn out to be the right guy to lead the program long term, but he's a UConn guy. He's been an ambassador for our brand for decades. He was fired because he was not winning basketball games. Not for a few minor violations. This is undeniable. And when a coach is fired for not being successful, generally they get the money contractually due to them.

I'm glad he's not our coach anymore, but I'm not going to applaud the school for weasling out of paying him based on technicalities.

I agree

 

[Padutch5]

He signed a contract and he expected UConn to honor it. He clearly made a bad decision there.

Yes he signed a contract and then quit on UCONN. In the real world you actually have to fulfill a contract after you sign it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I didn't say he was the symbol of oppression. I even explicitly said UConn is doing the right thing here.

But Ollie is one of us. He didn't turn out to be the right guy to lead the program long term, but he's a UConn guy. He's been an ambassador for our brand for decades. He was fired because he was not winning basketball games. Not for a few minor violations. This is undeniable. And when a coach is fired for not being successful, generally they get the money contractually due to them.

I'm glad he's not our coach anymore, but I'm not going to applaud the school for weasling out of paying him based on technicalities.

I tend to think it's more than "not winning games". I understand that some may feel that way. I think it goes way beyond simply not being successful, to not working hard, not putting forth the effort needed to recruit, not spending the time to teach the kids and develop them, the time to scout the opponents, and design systems and plays that allow them to succeed. To not holding the players accountable. Add to that various reported off court behaviors and, yes, the violations. He decided he wasn't going to do his job. That's why he was fired. If he had done his job to the best of his abilities, the team would have won more games.

Since I believe that we could not have afforded to fire him if we had to pay him, I do applaud the school doing all it can to avoid paying him.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

@CL82, I beg the differ. This is going to get uglier and uglier for UConn. This negative publicity will kill UConn basketball. We were at a very fragile stage before this. Who knows what is going to come out next about Coach Calhoun and Geno. What infractions and violations did they commit and what were the consequences? I hate to see what is happening but the truth is Ollie has nothing to loose and his statement today indicates that. I pray before I die I get to see UConn dominate again. Settle with Ollie, fire Herbst and Benedict, settle with Miller and let's get the season going.

"We"?

I beg to differ.

Show me your Sheep & Reverse Sheep answers before you start flinging around pronouns.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Yes he signed a contract and then quit on UCONN. In the real world you actually have to fulfill a contract after you sign it.

He didn't win enough games means he quit on UConn? That just means he didn't win enough games. The main purpose of the head coach's contract is to determine what he is owed if he is fired for not winning enough games.

 

[amory]

I tend to think it's more than "not winning games". I understand that some may feel that way. I think it goes way beyond simply not being successful, to not working hard, not putting forth the effort needed to recruit, not spending the time to teach the kids and develop them, the time to scout the opponents, and design systems and plays that allow them to succeed. To not holding the players accountable. Add to that various reported off court behaviors and, yes, the violations. He decided he wasn't going to do his job. That's why he was fired. If he had done his job to the best of his abilities, the team would have won more games.

This is semantics, though. Losses are the output, poor effort or preparation is the input. It's still a performance related firing at the end of the day.

Ultimately I'm a hypocrite anyway because the only way he was getting the boot is if we didn't have to pay him, or at least not the full amount. So for me the ends justify the means.

But you can't say "oh we fired him for lack of effort, not for the losses". It's two sides of the same coin.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This is semantics, though. Losses are the output, poor effort or preparation is the input. It's still a performance related firing at the end of the day.

Ultimately I'm a hypocrite anyway because the only way he was getting the boot is if we didn't have to pay him, or at least not the full amount. So for me the ends justify the means.

But you can't say "oh we fired him for lack of effort, not for the losses". It's two sides of the same coin.

I think there is a big difference between a guy who gives everything, and tries his best, and just isn't good enough and a guy who takes the money once he lands the big extension, and treats it as an extended holiday.

As much as has been made about Kevin never getting a multi year contract in the NBA, maybe there's a reason for that? He had to bust his butt to get minutes at UConn, and then for each contract in the NBA, and arguably had similar drive in replacing Calhoun. Then he reached the top of his profession in 2014, was paid as a top ten coach, and decided to coast.

 

[CL82]

@CL82, I beg the differ. This is going to get uglier and uglier for UConn. This negative publicity will kill UConn basketball. We were at a very fragile stage before this. Who knows what is going to come out next about Coach Calhoun and Geno. What infractions and violations did they commit and what were the consequences? I hate to see what is happening but the truth is Ollie has nothing to loose and his statement today indicates that. I pray before I die I get to see UConn dominate again. Settle with Ollie, fire Herbst and Benedict, settle with Miller and let's get the season going.

I see it just the opposite. The longer this drags on the more Kevin will be a pariah in the coaching industry and the UConn family. Any violations that they had are long a part of the public record. Kevin's attempt to leverage air them out again will give any potential employers pause in deciding whether they want that kind of scorched earth mentality a part of their organizations. I don't blame Ollie, I think he's been given bad advice. Kevin would be wise to approach with hat and hand and ask how they can resolve this. It won't undue the damage he has done to his professional reputation, but it will be a start.

 

[Stainmaster]

I see it just the opposite. The longer this drags on the more Kevin will be a pariah in the coaching industry and the UConn family. Any violations that they had are long a part of the public record. Kevin's attempt to leverage air them out again will give any potential employers pause in deciding whether they want that kind of scorched earth mentality a part of their organizations. I don't blame Ollie, I think he's been given bad advice. Kevin would be wise to approach with hat and hand and ask how they can resolve this. It won't undue the damage he has done to his professional reputation, but it will be a start.

KO's professional reputation was shot before this process started. He knows he is not getting full-time employment anywhere in the basketball world, and his prospects are not good in general long-term. This is his absolute last chance to acquire significant money, hence the "scorched earth" strategy.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

KO's professional reputation was shot before this process started. He knows he is not getting full-time employment anywhere in the basketball world, and his prospects are not good in general long-term. This is his absolute last chance to acquire significant money, hence the "scorched earth" strategy.

Well, that's one opinion. College hoops perhaps not, but entirely ruling out an assistant opportunity at some level in the States or world may be a stretch. As much as the departed coach apparently cluster things post-2014 on and off the court, he may still have some contacts in the basketball world and know enough about hoops to be hired by some team. Multi million dollar contracts any time soon, perhaps not so much ...

 

[Hogoff]

Can’t “for cause” just mean they fired Ollie, because he failed at his job. I’ve fired people “for cause”, because they were bad at their job.

 

[CL82]

Well, that's one opinion. College hoops perhaps not, but entirely ruling out an assistant opportunity at some level in the States or world may be a stretch. As much as the departed coach apparently cluster things post-2014 on and off the court, he may still have some contacts in the basketball world and know enough about hoops to be hired by some team. Multi million dollar contracts any time soon, perhaps not so much ...

The problem is that doing your best to crap all over your former employer usually isn't the strategy to get a job. A whole lot of life happens in the margins.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

The problem is that doing your best to crap all over your former employer usually isn't the strategy to get a job. A whole lot of life happens in the margins.

Sure, yet it's a big world in which "A whole lot of life happens in the margins."

 

[nelsonmuntz]

KO's professional reputation was shot before this process started. He knows he is not getting full-time employment anywhere in the basketball world, and his prospects are not good in general long-term. This is his absolute last chance to acquire significant money, hence the "scorched earth" strategy.

We better hope so. If he is successful somewhere else, it will be quite a bit of egg on UConn's face.

 

[ASweet3781]

Well now that Deadspin has weighed in I'm moved.

 

[Huskybass]

The question is,
Does the $10 million that you may still have to pay Ollie worth the stain and possible downward spiral of the program?

Drama Queen much?

 

[Stainmaster]

Well, that's one opinion. College hoops perhaps not, but entirely ruling out an assistant opportunity at some level in the States or world may be a stretch. As much as the departed coach apparently cluster things post-2014 on and off the court, he may still have some contacts in the basketball world and know enough about hoops to be hired by some team. Multi million dollar contracts any time soon, perhaps not so much ...

Whichever contacts he still has want to hire people who can execute the day-to-day duties of being a basketball coach. It's an open secret in the basketball world that KO was doing other things instead of gameplanning and recruiting the way he should've been, and showed an inability to change his behavior.

 

[Huskybass]

We better hope so. If he is successful somewhere else, it will be quite a bit of egg on UConn's face.

You do realize the odds of him being a successful head coach somewhere else are pretty much slim to none, dont you?

 

[Pudge]

I think Kevin Ollie has talent in coaching. I do not accept the notion that he lucked into a National Championship. It was NOT Shabazz coaching; Ollie did mold 8 guys into a great rotation.

However, he showed he lacked fundamental core skills to run a college Program ... and Calhoun should have known. Program means, with 30 years of prep (like a Jay Wright) means you see all the pieces. You go to HS games and even AAU of 13 year olds. You are a lifer ... and have that passion. When you are coaching day to day, you push every damn day. You understand how to develop a kid over 4/5 years; as well as evaluating talent at that early age. JC was great at identifying his kind of player; there's little evidence that Ollie had that. The scheduling and interacting with the Admin. and doing the PR work to sell the Program ... and build the fanbase. Work the Media.

I have opined before ... the divorce. I leave that alone.

He did not follow up the NC with good decisions and solid recruiting. His last two years on-court performance was woeful. His offense? Yuck. And now that we have Danny Hurley with the same kids: WE CAN SEE. The individual attention score is in.

BTW ... he can get a Assistant job in the NBA when he wants. That isn't $1m though.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Whichever contacts he still has want to hire people who can execute the day-to-day duties of being a basketball coach. It's an open secret in the basketball world that KO was doing other things instead of gameplanning and recruiting the way he should've been, and showed an inability to change his behavior.

Well, there you go ... grasshopper's looped in to all secrets of the basketball world. Not for big dinero perhaps any time soon, but I'll be more surprised if the departed coach does not end up coaching somewhere than if he pops up somewhere in the big world. Now, if he continues dragging things out versus settling and moving on with his life ...

 

[Stainmaster]

Well, there you go ... grasshopper's looped in to all secrets of the basketball world. Not for big dinero perhaps any time soon, but I'll be more surprised if the departed coach does not end up coaching somewhere than if he pops up somewhere in the big world. Now, if he continues dragging things out versus settling and moving on with his life ...

He will need to make a lot of lifestyle changes and tough choices before that happens. I do not think that will be a quick process.

 

[Stainmaster]

I think Kevin Ollie has talent in coaching. I do not accept the notion that he lucked into a National Championship. It was NOT Shabazz coaching; Ollie did mold 8 guys into a great rotation.

However, he showed he lacked fundamental core skills to run a college Program ... and Calhoun should have known. Program means, with 30 years of prep (like a Jay Wright) means you see all the pieces. You go to HS games and even AAU of 13 year olds. You are a lifer ... and have that passion. When you are coaching day to day, you push every damn day. You understand how to develop a kid over 4/5 years; as well as evaluating talent at that early age. JC was great at identifying his kind of player; there's little evidence that Ollie had that. The scheduling and interacting with the Admin. and doing the PR work to sell the Program ... and build the fanbase. Work the Media.

I have opined before ... the divorce. I leave that alone.

He did not follow up the NC with good decisions and solid recruiting. His last two years on-court performance was woeful. His offense? Yuck. And now that we have Danny Hurley with the same kids: WE CAN SEE. The individual attention score is in.

BTW ... he can get a Assistant job in the NBA when he wants. That isn't $1m though.

His inability to get a job has much less to do with coaching acumen and knowledge of the game than it does work ethic and ability to handle responsibility.

 

[Fishy]

Let’s write a check for $10,000,000 because Twitter and Deadspin are saying mean things.

Some of you were born without even the hint of a spine.

 

[QDOG5]

There is plenty of blame to go around. I blame myself for trying to defeat tequila last weekend. Remember people tequila ALWAYS wins. I digress, all parties involved deserve a share of the blame. The administration should have been able to negotiate a settlement (half what KO was owed is fair) and KO the self-described Blue Bleeder should have taken it. Miller looks the worst of everyone and should have stayed out of process. Reading his testimony gave me the same feeling I got every time I saw him on the bench. Like, wtf is this guy here for? Also, what does he need immunity from anyway? Coaching ability? If this drags on it will be slow torture for us but this is not a program killer. I can see coach Hurley through the haze of despair. So, sit back, SIP your tequila and wait this out. Lastly, I will bet that KO is coaching basketball at the D1 level or above in 2019-20. He's natch for some ESPN analysis this year, too.