Vested

[Pudge]

One of the things that has been in my brain as the Kevin Ollie NBA inquiries rise is one word (phrase) ... that hasn't been articulated.

Vested. Everything about this UConn Program, that I believe in ... and 10000s of others, is sunk into Kevin Ollie as well. Sure, he will take care of his self-interest. But, he is absolutely transparent into what this UConn Program and that campus means to him. And, it is the same parallel that we (alums, fans, stakeholders) have. This is not like MAYBE John Calipari or Tom Izzo.

When Kevin Ollie drives his car up the hill on 195 and first sees that Blue sign - the University of Connecticut - and the Towers (with the new Logo) and Horsebarn Hill to his left, he has the same emotional tug that we have. That pride and emotion lets me know that HE is going to take care of our Program. His path may be going back to the NBA (I don't think it will be ... I can't imagine that nomadic unstable life (which he knows well) has that pull for him). But, I also have faith that our University knows how to take care of a talented coach - except for that blip of the Jeff HATHAWAY era.

 

[mauconnfan]

+1,000,000 Pudge…….Hear Hear

 

[alexd]

awesome Pudge.

 

[8893]

I agree with everything except your last line. They have not demonstrated that yet.

 

[Pudge]

I agree with everything except your last line. They have not demonstrated that yet.

hmmmm ....

On the one hand, I give you Rutgers. On the other, I point to the University of Connecticut. And NOT just Jim Calhoun for 27 years ... and Geno Auriemma for 30 years. It also is Ray Reid rising to a high level with the Soccer program. It is Stevens in Field Hockey. And, Jim Penders in Baseball. I think we have done a great job of hiring solid candidates and letting them build a Program. That, I think is something Bob Diaco has been told as he entered the zip code. Again ... JH was a caretaker office-holder. When given the penultimate chance to put his mark on a Program, he used a Search Firm ... and chose Paul Pasqualoni.

I rest my case.

 

[8893]

hmmmm ....

On the one hand, I give you Rutgers. On the other, I point to the University of Connecticut. And NOT just Jim Calhoun for 27 years ... and Geno Auriemma for 30 years. It also is Ray Reid rising to a high level with the Soccer program. It is Stevens in Field Hockey. And, Jim Penders in Baseball. I think we have done a great job of hiring solid candidates and letting them build a Program. That, I think is something Bob Diaco has been told as he entered the zip code. Again ... JH was a caretaker office-holder. When given the penultimate chance to put his mark on a Program, he used a Search Firm ... and chose Paul Pasqualoni.

I rest my case.

I'm saying that the University in this specific instance is the present AD. The track record of Hathaway or anyone else is irrelevant now imo. I don't know much about college football so I can't say whether Diaco was a good hire or not; I like what I hear though and I'll wait and see what the results are to say whether that was an example of knowing how to take care of a talented coach. That is definitely a test of how well Manuel is doing his job, but we don't know the results yet.

As for KO, we know enough now to say that he's a talented coach--to put it mildly--who needs to be taken care of. This is the biggest event of Manuel's career here to date imo. He was given a pass by many on conference realignment, PP and the interim coach situation with KO because he inherited situations that could be fairly characterized as problems for which those who came before him were largely responsible. This is not. This is 100% Manuel. And imo he does not look nearly as comfortable as I would have hoped he would look in this situation. Just my gut feeling, nothing more. I keep wanting him to make me feel confident and he does not. Hathaway never did, either, and in retrospect that was apparently telling of the fact that he was incompetent.

All I'm saying is that the jury is still out on Manuel imo and this is a huge test. And it doesn't make me feel comfortable that he seems to be sweating something that I thought should have been a slam dunk.

 

[Pudge]

Well ... I agree with you that this is a HUGE test for Warde Manuel.

HOWEVER ... I think far too many Boneyard posters have acted like they understand what bigtime Athletic Department's are doing when they haven't a clue. For instance, the fallacy perpetrated by many that Warde lost the ACC bid because he went to the watch our BB team play in the Caribbean and didn't make the phone calls. While I grant you Tom Jurich was a large part of that story, Manuel was not in a position to impact that decision differently. We can opine on Hathaway ... and PP (FAIL!!!). We can speculate on Bob Diaco and/or Mike Cavanaugh (both prospectively solid ... IMHO). My read on the Kevin Ollie contract back&forth is that we have no handle on why this has taken a month. It's frustrating. But, I am used to major executions of contractual agreements ALWAYS taking far longer than I'd like.

Manuel's leadership in CR? It is Football. It is expansion of the Rentschler seating. It is a continued progress in our Academic standing. With Student Athletes in step. I think WE had a great stage to prove our Value ... just 6+ weeks ago. Few Universities could have shown NYC and northeast Value like UConn did. That should count for something. I don't think WE ever push our stature in New England enough. We aren't just from a little town in the woods ... we are New England's finest Public University Athletic Program. (and it is the region people think of when they think Educational institutions in this country) Better than the 4th Program in NC; or the 2 in Mississippi. I just don't get why we aren't instantly in.

 

[whaler11]

Ollie is taking a long time because he has all the leverage. When UConn had the leverage they used it. Now it's Kevin's turn.

Right or wrong he was forced to prove himself. That the exit money in his next deal sounds like a sticking point is hardly a surprise.

Personally, if I'm UConn I don't get too hung up on it - if he chooses to go to the NBA someone will make it work for him so to me it seems like something UConn would negotiate hard on for perception more than reality.

As for why UConn isn't 'in', they weren't ready in 2003 and once Boston College got to the ACC they had the ability to have just enough allies to keep UConn out. Geographically prior to Rutgers joining the Big 10 UConn didn't make any sense to any other leagues.