What’s your solution?

[uconnphil2016]

It could turn out to be the wrong move.

Doing nothing could also turn out to be the wrong move.

I look around and see how ugly things are. Then I look at the football roster and the Ollie buy-out and I’m 90% sure we still have some distance between here and rock-bottom.

And so what if it's the wrong move? Then in ten years we just go to the NBE with our tail between our legs and they still accept us. It's not like we need to beg to get in the door there...it should be an absolute last resort destination

 

[whaler11]

just wait until a booster says "sure, I'll pay Ollie's buyout - as long as you promise we'll be back in the big east by year 20xx"

That’s my working assumption on every conversation that AD David Benedict has on the topic.

 

[whaler11]

And so what if it's the wrong move? Then in ten years we just go to the NBE with our tail between our legs and they still accept us. It's not like we need to beg to get in the door there...it should be an absolute last resort destination

I don’t agree that it’s a guarantee that the Big East will accept UConn whenever we ask.

Especially not after a decade wondering the country as a DePaul like ghost.

 

[RipCity]

Dan Hurley is legit. I really want to see what he can do with a major program at his disposal.

His team this year is a lot of fun. Terrell and Matthews are a great backcourt and URI just does not quit.

 

[uconnphil2016]

I don’t agree that it’s a guarantee that the Big East will accept UConn whenever we ask.

Especially not after a decade wondering the country as a DePaul like ghost.

They accepted St. John's...isn't that basically the basketball equivalent of the walking dead?

 

[Jaybird65]

Address the least common denominator. The AAC isn’t to blame for the men’s basketball teams situation.

I can say that I was a KO fan going into this year. The way things are going, it seems that a complete rebuild of MBB needs to happen; not sure if KO can lead that. We can still be successful in MBB being in the AAC. Not sure what our recruiting strategy is but I'd suggest that we take a look at what Wichita State, Gonzaga & Cincinnati do..... they are staying relevant on the. national stage in MBB regardless of football.

The AAC is getting better as a whole in MBB; it's also getting better as a football conference. Until this whole P5 thing plays out, the AAC is the best place for us. The AAC is a really good conference for baseball, softball, the 2 soccer programs & other non-revenue sports; ice hockey is where it needs to be.

The AAC isn't to blame for the MBB situation - our ability to adapt to being in the AAC rather than the Big East as we loved it is more of the cause; the AAC is not as ""sexy" to top 50 recruits as the P5 conferences which impacts recruiting. Our legacy is only meaningful to us right now; 4 NC's since 99 don't really mean as much to recruits since the landscape has changed.

 

[superjohn]

Dan Hurley is legit. I really want to see what he can do with a major program at his disposal.

His team this year is a lot of fun. Terrell and Matthews are a great backcourt and URI just does not quit.

There is mutual interest.

 

[whaler11]

They accepted St. John's...isn't that basically the basketball equivalent of the walking dead?

Here I though St John’s had been in the league since 1979.

 

[superjohn]

Here I though St John’s had been in the league since 1979.

My only conclusion is UConn Phil was actually born in 2016.

 

[FartMan69]

College sports deserve to die a slow death. They've been bastardized to the point where only a handful of football teams and one month of basketball matter. I really hope the pro leagues one day swallow this mess and develop players themselves.

 

[Jaybird65]

Dan Hurley is legit. I really want to see what he can do with a major program at his disposal.

His team this year is a lot of fun. Terrell and Matthews are a great backcourt and URI just does not quit.

I agree that Hurley is legit if a move is made. However, if a move is made, I'd suggest that we need a total rebuild in terms of commitment, direction, expectations, character, etc. to get to where we all want to be. That being the case, I would hope that we take the time to really search for the right guy to lead the program. We would really need to get this right; we don't want to be searching for a new head coach every five years.....

 

[superjohn]

College sports deserve to die a slow death. They've been bastardized to the point where only a handful of football teams and one month of basketball matter. I really hope the pro leagues one day swallow this mess and develop players themselves.

It's so sad because college sports were amazing, greed has destroyed it.

 

[gampelcrazies]

I'll hire a witch doctor to curse the MBB program

Someone hasn't already done this to us???

 

[whaler11]

College sports deserve to die a slow death. They've been bastardized to the point where only a handful of football teams and one month of basketball matter. I really hope the pro leagues one day swallow this mess and develop players themselves.

They have milked a lot of cash but it does look like the gravy train is going to get a lot harder to sustain.

 

[GotNets?]

A certain measure of improvement will have to derive from the state’s fiscal situation. If the state doesn’t turn things around, UConn’s football program may have difficulty turning it around as well.

The one thing that stood out from the in depth reporting on Louisville was the degree to which to school colluded to rip the taxpayers. We certainly don’t need that, but if we don’t want to change things, we need to find ways for the state to cost share on facilities and other prized resources.

I don’t accurately understand the role of Foundations, boosters, et al to the degree to make highly specific recommendations, but if it’s an arms race per se, and prestige comes from commodities, we may have to invoke the taxpayers to assist. It’s a tough sell in our current climate though.

Someone tell me: could we pay the type of obscene salary that a really high end football coach would require? If so, to what degree would that help?

 

[Fishy]

That might be the best answer but it is one that feels less possible each passing week.

Right now, I think it’s the only answer.

It speaks to just how bad a job Ollie is doing that we’re actually thinking about changing conferences to mitigate the damage he’s caused.

 

[jdb50]

BB could still be our calling card and there is no reason it isn't based on the conference. We should be dominating this conference and not looking up at other schools that have not won any National MBB championships. This is on the man in charge of the program and no one else. If we were drubbing teams at the low end of the AAC , beating the top four, and winning half our strong OOC opponents there would be no problem making the NCAA's. We play unwatchable basketball yet fans still show up because they care and are hoping it changes. Fix the problem.

 

[DonaldDraper]

I'm not fancy enough to post a screenshot, but as I looked at the post list on the main bb board it seems to answer the question.....

What's your solution?
----------------------------------
Drop Football

 

[FartMan69]

They have milked a lot of cash but it does look like the gravy train is going to get a lot harder to sustain.

Good. I used to be a college basketball only fan but the NBA has gotten so good that watching a primetime conference game of Clemson Vs Syracuse or Maryland Vs Purdue just doesn't do it for me. Heck, I've watched more MLB network during this dead Hot Stove season than college basketball outside of this UConn clown show and I don't think I'm alone.

 

[upstater]

Te only viable solution is to set a deadline to 2024 for any shakeup in college football (they all say it's coming). Dropping down to MAC level is practically like dropping to 1AA. UBuffalo -- UMass -- UConn. That's the level.

 

[whaler11]

Good. I used to be a college basketball only fan but the NBA has gotten so good that watching a primetime conference game of Clemson Vs Syracuse or Maryland Vs Purdue just doesn't do it for me. I've watched more MLB network during this dead Hot Stove season than college basketball outside of this UConn clown show and I don't think I'm alone.

Based on the ratings and coverage college basketball in a niche sport 11 months a year.

 

[whaler11]

Right now, I think it’s the only answer.

It speaks to just how bad a job Ollie is doing that we’re actually thinking about changing conferences to mitigate the damage he’s caused.

Maybe that’s the answer today.

Make the move on Ollie. Then we can see who actually is in on the job and then how much of the rot is KO and how much is something more foundational.

 

[Fishy]

Te only viable solution is to set a deadline to 2024 for any shakeup in college football (they all say it's coming). Dropping down to MAC level is practically like dropping to 1AA. UBuffalo -- UMass -- UConn. That's the level.

This.

Going independent or dropping to the MAC ends things for all times.

 

[UConnStats]

Right now, I think it’s the only answer.

It speaks to just how bad a job Ollie is doing that we’re actually thinking about changing conferences to mitigate the damage he’s caused.

It really is unbelievable. If we were doing as well as Cincy has the last few years, this board would probably like the AAC as an up and comer. Instead it’s used as a scapegoat, when in reality, it’s the coach digging the basketball program into a hole.

 

[UConnJim]

I still come back to the fact that we blew up the basketball roster after last season. We lost 3 top 100 recruits and a fourth with MAL being released from his commitment. Somehow, people wanted to believe UConn could have a very good team after replacing 4 top 100 recruits with grad transfers and Jucos. Throw in losing the PG for the season.

The only question I have is can Ollie rebuild the roster and coach them up. If not, time to move on.

As for the conference, I'm good with the AAC. The Big East is not the BE we all remember and there is no guarantee that the P5 and perhaps the AAC and maybe some other football schools break away to form a new division in the future.