What do you think about the one year audition for KO?

[HuskyHawk]

I don't believe anyone is arguing that he should have gotten a long term deal. What Upstater, some others and I are saying is that you give him a two-year deal because you want to have a short period of evaluation during which you don't want him to be hampered by the immediate threat of not being renewed, and the perception that follows from that.

What it comes down to at its most basic level is one's philosophy on how you treat and motivate the people who work for you. It is absolutely correct to say that this was Manuel's decision--and only Manuel's decision--to make. I am just surprised at what I believe it tells me about him, because I think that the better approach, based on my experience and observation, is to give someone in whom you believe as much support as you can, while still protecting the enterprise. I have heard no sound reason whatsoever for the seven-month contract as opposed to a two-year deal. No idea where you came up with $1.3M. He is getting some $300K for this season.

The 1.3M came from me, because they announced that KO would make an annualized $650k. So that's 1.3M if he got a three year deal and was fired after the first season.

 

[BlueMAB]

Manuel doesn't intend to keep Ollie on? Interesting.

I don't know if he does or not, but he intends to go through a coaching search process otherwise he would have given him a long term deal.

You're arguing that he give him a long term deal weather or not he intends to honor it, and knowing full well he wants to do a full coaching search.

Basically you're arguing he pretend to do something rather than be a man and be honest with Ollie about his intentions.

 

[BlueMAB]

I don't believe anyone is arguing that he should have gotten a long term deal. What Upstater, some others and I are saying is that you give him a two-year deal because you want to have a short period of evaluation during which you don't want him to be hampered by the immediate threat of not being renewed, and the perception that follows from that.

What it comes down to at its most basic level is one's philosophy on how you treat and motivate the people who work for you. It is absolutely correct to say that this was Manuel's decision--and only Manuel's decision--to make. I am just surprised at what I believe it tells me about him, because I think that the better approach, based on my experience and observation, is to give someone in whom you believe as much support as you can, while still protecting the enterprise. I have heard no sound reason whatsoever for the seven-month contract as opposed to a two-year deal. No idea where you came up with $1.3M. He is getting some $300K for this season.

Two years changes what exactly? Considering the fact that as upstater said "Ward can fire him at any time".

The man performed in the NBA for 13 years on 1 year contracts. This is big time athletics. I don't care what your contract is, every year is a 1 year contract. You can be fired at any time. Manuel wasn't comfortable giving him 2 years, he wasn't comfortable giving him the job at all, isn't that obvious? He had to give him the job, he had no other choice. So how can people continue to argue he should have given a longer contract to a coach he wasn't 100% comfortable hiring in the first place? It's still his job (with consent from Herbst) to hire and fire, regardless of what people think about who is more qualified to do it.

What you guys don't understand is that Manuel is giving him as much support as he can. He just isn't given him as much support as you all would like.

But you're not going to be held responsible for Ollie's performance. Manuel is.

I haven't mentioned money at all, I don't know why you're asking me that.

 

[BlueMAB]

Calhoun is the expert. He knows more about coaching basketball.

And yet, Warde Manuel is responsible for hiring and firing basketball coaches at UConn.

 

[HuskyHawk]

upstater said: ↑

Calhoun is the expert. He knows more about coaching basketball.​

And yet, Warde Manuel is responsible for hiring and firing basketball coaches at UConn.

And Calhoun though Ajou Deng would be a star. He's a legend, but he's far from infallable.

 

[DogMania]

Listening to the press conference and hearing KO's response to a question about the "7 month" contract, he gets it and I am so pulling for him to do well. He is one of those guys, the good guys, that you always pull for. The mailroom clerk who always gets overlooked for a job promotion. Those good guys that grind it out everyday but always get overlooked. They do their job without complaining and when given that one chance to shine, they that advantage of it and go for the gold; that is KO. Good luck, Ollie.

I think many don't get the point I'm making. I have no concerns about Ollie doing the best he can do. Few have his work ethic and drive. It's the impact on recruiting. Let's say the team does much better than expected and they extend KO a long term contract after the season. That won't win back the recruits that might have come here but ended up signing their LOIs elsewhere because they just weren't comfortable committing to UConn knowing that he might not be there next fall when they're to start their college careers.

Now maybe this situation will have little impact on recruiting that will decide to come and not to come to UConn. I hope that's the case, or even better, some recruits decide to come because they like KO and want to be part of UConn's future under him.

I also wonder what impact this will have on the current players. On one hand they might play harder knowing their coach's job is on the line. Never underestimate the power of motivation no matter where it comes from. On the other hand, if they experience adversity, say in the form of a losing streak, this might put more pressure on them, worrying that they're results might cost their coach their job. Now I think it will be the former rather than the latter. It's possible they would play equally motivated if they knew he had a longer term contract, wanting him to get off to a successful start, w/out the pressure of being concerned that his job is on the line.

It is what it is, unless the Administration decides to offer him a multi-year contract in short order, so I'm not going to worry about it. I just find the dynamics that are going on at UConn interesting and sometimes concerning. With all this said, I'm very excited for KO. Having this opportunity couldn't happen to a nicer and more deserving person.

 

[freescooter]

Calhoun is the expert. He knows more about coaching basketball.

he's an expert on coaching basketball. he is not an expert on hiring coaches. None of his assistants have gone on to anything other than modest success as head coaches. Calhoun knows what he wants done and he knows how to get others to do what he wants. Just like being an NBA player proves only that you can be an NBA player, not that you can be a successful coach (and the number of former NBA players who are successful college coaches is pretty small, the number who are really successful is maybe Bob Cousy) hiring assistant coaches means you're looking for someone who can do what you want him to do. A head coach needs a very different skill set. Jim Calhoun has never hired a head coach before.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I'm dissapointed with the decision makers at UConn on this one. Regardless if you think KO will be a good HC, it just seems to make sense to give him at least a 3 year contract. I think they should have given him a 3 year deal with some sort of reasonable buyout if the program wants a cost effective out. Having a 3 year deal would provide recruiting confidence.

As it stands now, recruits who are considering UConn have to weigh the possibility that KO might not even be here when they arrive next fall. I realize you never want to throw money away, but couldn't they come up with a contract that would help our recruiting but also give them a reasonable out if they feel he's not the future? Now as it stands, regardless if he does well or bad this season, UConn might not get the best recruiting hall possible to ensure as much future success as possible. Am I alone in this line of thinking?

If we don't end up landing XRM due to this very reason, I'm going to be pissed!!! I thought the new president and AD were getting it when they first started, but now I'm not so sure. Granted, having the right coach is critical to have a successful program, but so is talent. Why wouldn't you take the appropriate measures to cover as many of your bases as possible? This makes me wonder if either the Susan Herbst and/or the Warde Manuel feel that it is more important that they don't let JC win (get his way) than doing the right thing for the program.

We'll never know if this was a JC powerplay to set Ollie up as the HC by retiring at a time where they couldn't have a national search for his replacement. I felt all along that he might just pull that off, but it seemed like he was honestly weighing his options but the bicycle accident ended up forcing his hand to go in the direction of retirement.

I like the outcome, giving KO a shot, but I wish they'd do at least a 3 year deal and give him all the tools he needs (time and optimal recruiting situation) to succeed. I just hope this administration doesn't flush this program down the toilet. It's bad enough that this is happening while the Big East is spirally downward. If they're not careful this programs brand which has been damaged a tad the past few years due to the APR and Recruiting violations, could spiral out of control and take years to build back up. I don't think that will happen, but I just wonder of Herbst and Manuel know what they're doing.

I think it's pretty clear that this is Manuel saying "" to the power play pulled by Calhoun in getting Ollie appointed. I think this is actually going to backfire.

I think the idea of Calhoun hanging around to advise Ollie is going to undermine him every time Calhoun shows up at practice. Who's in charge here? And, boy, the number of time people said "this is a year long audition", "we will be evaluating Kevin", etc. Just. wow. Why even hire the guy? He'll be gone after this year unless you guys completely shock the world and have an incredible year.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I'm good with this.

First, we need an athletic director with some stones and his own agenda. JC and GA are superstars, but the athletic director needs to be be all and end all. That seems to be the case.

Second, Kevin Ollie has the reigns with every chance to succeed. I think he will. He has a s***-load of coaching experience sitting on every side of him. Hobbs, Blaney and Miller...not to mention Jimmy C in the wings.

We're in a good spot. Wait and see.

Aren't you a little concerned with Calhoun's talk about hanging around to oversee things, and the whole "Coach Emeritus" status? When Boeheim goes, I want him on the golf course or doing charity work, not coming to practice a couple times a week to check up on his successor and "make sure things are going well". The head coach has no authority in the kind of situation you guys are setting up for yourselves.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This has been bleeped up to the max. Ollie, not Blaney, should have coached during Jim's absences last year. Assuming he passed that test, Jim should have grabbed a backhoe and used it to put his ego to the side. He should have announced retirement early, with the understanding that Ollie gets a fair shake in the interview process, and that he is involved in interviewing and the search as a "special assistant".

I still think appointing Hobbs as interim makes as much sense as hiring Ollie for a year. But they decided to give him every chance to win the job. I'm ok with that.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I wonder why people over at Syracuse aren't totally upset with Gross for signing off on Mike Hopkins. He must not have the balls to stand up to Jim Boeheim.

I think there's a difference. Hopkins has been the next-head-coach-in-waiting for nearly 10 years now. He has been our lead recruiter for that long, and was a grunt assistant for several years before that. He has been sharing duties on the local TV shows, running the Elite Camp, working with Team USA, for years.

Ollie may be a great guy, and there is risk to both hires, but the SU transition has been well planned and won't be sprung on anybody a month before practice starts. So to answer your question, no, we don't see it as a power play by the coach. This arrangement has been working well for us for a long time, and our recruiting and on-court performance are as high right now as they have been at any time in Boeheim's tenure.

 

[BlueMAB]

Why even hire the guy?

He retired in the middle of September. The full process would take at least a couple weeks. Who is gonna jump ship for what this team faces this year a few weeks before their own season starts?

Are you really this naive to believe that Manuel had a lot of choice in the matter?

 

[johnhuskies95]

He'll be gone after this year unless you guys completely shock the world and have an incredible year.

And how do you know that?

 

[IthacaMatt]

You're another one that dismisses his NBA experience. 17 years to 2, right? That's the comparison?

Gross did the smart thing and took the expert's recommendation.

Honestly, what does being a player have to do with coaching? Seriously, Allan Iverson was coached by Larry Brown, too. Does that make him a head coach? Geez.

 

[BlueMAB]

Aren't you a little concerned with Calhoun's talk about hanging around to oversee things, and the whole "Coach Emeritus" status? When Boeheim goes, I want him on the golf course or doing charity work, not coming to practice a couple times a week to check up on his successor and "make sure things are going well". The head coach has no authority in the kind of situation you guys are setting up for yourselves.

Not even a little bit.

Calhoun is a hall of famer with 3 national championships. If he wants to step in and give Ollie some advice, Ollie would be wise to listen to him. After all, if it weren't for Calhoun, Ollie wouldn't have the job.

Ollie has plenty of authority. If you think Ollie and Calhoun are going to be sending different signals to the kids, then you don't understand why Calhoun would want Ollie to replace him.

What, exactly, are you suggesting that Calhoun could come in and screw with? Besides Bernie Fine's wife?

 

[IthacaMatt]

And how do you know that?

Because of the complete lack of support from Manuel in how this was handled. Manuel will be his boss. And what I said was, unless Kevin lights it up next year, he's gone. And they seemed to go out of their way to say that yesterday in the presser. I've never - NEVER - seen a press conference like that to announce a new coach.

 

[freescooter]

I think many don't get the point I'm making. I have no concerns about Ollie doing the best he can do. Few have his work ethic and drive. It's the impact on recruiting. Let's say the team does much better than expected and they extend KO a long term contract after the season. That won't win back the recruits that might have come here but ended up signing their LOIs elsewhere because they just weren't comfortable committing to UConn knowing that he might not be there next fall when they're to start their college careers.

Now maybe this situation will have little impact on recruiting that will decide to come and not to come to UConn. I hope that's the case, or even better, some recruits decide to come because they like KO and want to be part of UConn's future under him.

I also wonder what impact this will have on the current players. On one hand they might play harder knowing their coach's job is on the line. Never underestimate the power of motivation no matter where it comes from. On the other hand, if they experience adversity, say in the form of a losing streak, this might put more pressure on them, worrying that they're results might cost their coach their job. Now I think it will be the former rather than the latter. It's possible they would play equally motivated if they knew he had a longer term contract, wanting him to get off to a successful start, w/out the pressure of being concerned that his job is on the line.

It is what it is, unless the Administration decides to offer him a multi-year contract in short order, so I'm not going to worry about it. I just find the dynamics that are going on at UConn interesting and sometimes concerning. With all this said, I'm very excited for KO. Having this opportunity couldn't happen to a nicer and more deserving person.

I'm not that worried about recruiting and here's why. 1. If Ollie is not up to the job he isn't going to be getting recruits anyway. it is that simple. going forward UConn needs to up its game anyway if it wants to remain an elite program. the world has changed, not for the better in my estimation with Kentucky's win, but it is what it is. We need to keep up. 2. if Ollie does enough to get an extension, if we miss one year of high level recruits, its disappointing, but not the end of the world. In this era of 1 and done players, it isn't like you build a team for the long term figuring they'll take their lumps as frosh then improve each year until you have a senior laden team that can compete. Today, if you have a team with lots of seniors it probably means your players aren't that good. If they were really good they'd have left already. You are essentially re-creating your team each season anyway, and not by adding one or two guys, but often you can bring in 3,4 or even 5 guys the following year and be competitive once again. So if he misses out on a couple of guys for next season, just get comparable ones for the following year and go on from there. I read a comment from I think Tom Crean, who said that you don't so much build teams anymore, you assemble them for a season. bottom line is if Ollie is the right guy, even if we lose 1 season, it should pick up very quickly the next year.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Not even a little bit.

Calhoun is a hall of famer with 3 national championships. If he wants to step in and give Ollie some advice, Ollie would be wise to listen to him. After all, if it weren't for Calhoun, Ollie wouldn't have the job.

Ollie has plenty of authority. If you think Ollie and Calhoun are going to be sending different signals to the kids, then you don't understand why Calhoun would want Ollie to replace him.

What, exactly, are you suggesting that Calhoun could come in and screw with? Besides Bernie Fine's wife?

Cheap shots show your class. I was keeping this nice and polite. Jim Calhoun shows up at practice. Does he go out on the floor during drills? Does he talk to the kids? I have to think so, it's Jim freaking Calhoun. OK, so who do the kids listen to? How involved does JC get? What does Ollie do while JC is teaching or yelling at kids? If you don't get how this really undermines Ollie's authority, well, I'm sorry that you just don't seem to get it.

 

[IthacaMatt]

What is made up? The things that are" passed off as fact" are in fact, facts. Hopkins has been an assistant for 15 plus years. I gave you a link on Gross's position where he denied making Hopkins coach in waiting. And which member of the staff did Ollie hire? Did I miss that somewhere? What top program brough tin a guy with virtually no coaching experience as their head coach?

You may have found an old link, but Hopkins has been official for a couple years now, at least.

 

[IthacaMatt]

How is this a raw deal? It's a fantastic deal. Here's a guy that on resume alone, wouldn't get a look at a head coaching job at U Hartford, and he's the head coach at one of the top programs in the country. He has been very fortunate to be given even this opportunity.

I think that no matter who was named the coach, KO, Hobbs, or Blaney (God forbid), nobody should get more than a one year contract until a thorough search and interview process is conducted. I suspect that UConn will do that in the spring unless it is obvious that he's destined to be one of the all time greats. I doubt that it will be obvious.

As for recruits, they are looking at two options: (1) Kevin Ollie or (2) somebody better than Kevin Ollie. There are no other options. I think every recruit knows that if KO is let go, it will because UConn landed a pretty big name coach. They aren't dumping him for Tom Moore or Howie Dickerman.

Very good discussion. My only quibble would be you announce a 2 or 3 year contract, but only the first year is guaranteed, or you have a small buy out. A one year contract is a vote of no confidence, IMO.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Because of the complete lack of support from Manuel in how this was handled. Manuel will be his boss. And what I said was, unless Kevin lights it up next year, he's gone. And they seemed to go out of their way to say that yesterday in the presser. I've never - NEVER - seen a press conference like that to announce a new coach.

It's almost as if you're completely ignoring the context and circumstances of the situation. The previous coach retired in the middle of September. Of course the press conference isn't going to be like most.

He doesn't need to have an "incredible" year.

 

[BlueMAB]

Cheap shots show your class. I was keeping this nice and polite. Jim Calhoun shows up at practice. Does he go out on the floor during drills? Does he talk to the kids? I have to think so, it's Jim freaking Calhoun. OK, so who do the kids listen to? How involved does JC get? What does Ollie do while JC is teaching or yelling at kids? If you don't get how this really undermines Ollie's authority, well, I'm sorry that you just don't seem to get it.

I have little patience for saracuse fans, their feigned concern over our program, and their idiotic questions.

You're a complete waste of human matter if you think a guy with zero head coaching experience wouldn't welcome a hall of fame, 3 time national champion, with about 17 big east championships into the gym to help coach once in awhile.

 

[Huskymaniac]

Because of the complete lack of support from Manuel in how this was handled. Manuel will be his boss. And what I said was, unless Kevin lights it up next year, he's gone. And they seemed to go out of their way to say that yesterday in the presser. I've never - NEVER - seen a press conference like that to announce a new coach.

You also never saw a coach like Calhoun before you did. Calhoun is a unique bird and UConn is a unique place. We do things differently than most and it works for us. I give us better than a 60% chance to get another national championship before the cuse does.

And, for the record, they actually went out of their way to say Kevin will remain the coach long term if he shows that he is a good coach and that it won't be about Ws alone nor will he have to "light up" anything. If Ollie gets this team to hustle and play above expectations (which are exceedingly low if you hadn't noticed) Manuel will have no choice but to give him another 3-4 years. It won't matter if he secretly wants to hire someone else or hold a coaching search. If this team shows fight and wins the games it should, Manuel will be forced to extend Ollie's contract. The man is the AD but too many people with too much influence are watching and they won't let him push out a respected coach.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I don't know if he does or not, but he intends to go through a coaching search process otherwise he would have given him a long term deal.

You're arguing that he give him a long term deal weather or not he intends to honor it, and knowing full well he wants to do a full coaching search.

Basically you're arguing he pretend to do something rather than be a man and be honest with Ollie about his intentions.

You don't think that if they do a national search, almost everyone they talk to will be a better candidate - at least on paper - than Kevin Ollie?

 

[freescooter]

Aren't you a little concerned with Calhoun's talk about hanging around to oversee things, and the whole "Coach Emeritus" status? When Boeheim goes, I want him on the golf course or doing charity work, not coming to practice a couple times a week to check up on his successor and "make sure things are going well". The head coach has no authority in the kind of situation you guys are setting up for yourselves.

I'm with you matt. i want Calhoun doing the following: talking to donors. talking to alumni. being interviewed on CBS At the half. playing lots of golf, ideally in South Carolina or Florida between November and April. watching UConn play but only on tv. If I were Ollie, I'd have changed th elock to the basketball suite in Gampel last night even if I had to do it myself. And I'd be talking with ATT today about getting new cell phones with secret numbers for the entire staff. I am in the minority, and I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see any way this ends well for either UConn or Kevin Ollie.