Yahoo calls Ollie a liar.

[FartMan69]

dude not now

 

[Yankees32123]

Ollie won't leave. I've been thinking about it and this is just not the year. Daniel Hamilton would leave, Shonn Miller wouldn't come, Adams probably wouldn't come, and we can kiss any 2016 recruits were working on goodbye if he leaves. I can not see him leaving the program in the dust like that. He cares too much. Plus he just signed a contract extension. There's no job security in the NBA and he clearly is building toward something at UConn. I trust his statement this morning. He'll be on the sidelines at Gampel next year. Mark it.

 

[Kitaman]

You got to take Ollie at his word. But he is not a stupid man, meaning you don't close all doors.

That's not just Ollie but anyone who is in a profession with promotional opportunities (position, salary, perks, etc.). Not much different than us 'working Joe's'. His immediate future is most likely UConn but we can't assume its his long term future. No one knows that, not even him.

 

[Jaker]

Ollie won't leave. I've been thinking about it and this is just not the year. Daniel Hamilton would leave, Shonn Miller wouldn't come, Adams probably wouldn't come, and we can kiss any 2016 recruits were working on goodbye if he leaves. I can not see him leaving the program in the dusk like that. He cares too much. Plus he just signed a contract extension. There's no job security in the NBA and he clearly is building toward something at UConn. I trust his statement this morning. He'll be on the sidelines at Gampel next year. Mark it.

exactly

 

[amory]

Here's the thing, and I said this before the rumors putting KO in OKC ever got really loud, this kind of job offer would be a good barometer of KO's desire to be another Calhoun or Coach K. Coming off a rough season for him, both professionally and personally, getting a great job offer to coach a team with Finals aspirations, it'd be the best situation he could hope for in making a jump to the NBA.

Look at Brad Stevens. He's done an amazing job with the Celtics and they're still going to get swept in the first round because he just doesn't have the talent.

If KO goes, I'd wish him well. He deserves this chance if he wants it. If he turns them down, we've got him for the long haul. Maybe even for his entire coaching career. We may as well find out sooner rather than later.

 

[Silk31]

If he leaves after that statement..............................

 

[huskiesnyc]

The media will stir up these Ollie rumors every single year. UConn needs to nail this coffin shut and come up with a long-term contract with excessive buyout clauses to keep the vultures from circling every single time there is an opening. This absolutely affects recruiting.

He has a top 10 college salary and a 5 million buyout. What more can they do? He makes 3 times more than Jim Boeheim already

 

[James]

he should have negotiated in secret a la brad stevens, playing a game of chicken with presti , making him fire brooks before he considers the position, pretty much sucks. why can't they just hire alvin gentry?

 

[UConnSwag11]

He'll have to eat so much if he bails after calling out scoe and ao

 

[JimHurley]

If Ollie does in fact bolt, hope he doesn't, imagine a scenario where Calhoun comes back for a season and rip hamilton is hired as lead assistant and groomed over the summer and course of the season to take the long term HC job.

I was actually thinking this. A well respected player would make a great coach, i.e. Ollie. A Rip or Ray Ray would be great if ollie left.

 

[ctchamps]

He'll have to eat so much if he bails after calling out scoe and ao

Forgot this. One thing KO puts a high value on is loyalty. Another reason I strongly doubt he's leaving!

 

[amory]

he should have negotiated in secret a la brad stevens, playing a game of chicken with presti , making him fire brooks before he considers the position, pretty much sucks. why can't they just hire alvin gentry?

because kevin durant

 

[tcf15]

I was actually thinking this. A well respected player would make a great coach, i.e. Ollie. A Rip or Ray Ray would be great if ollie left.

Why would that make them a great coach?

 

[Stainmaster]

I was actually thinking this. A well respected player would make a great coach, i.e. Ollie. A Rip or Ray Ray would be great if ollie left.

There's a 5+ page thread from a week or so ago on how Ray is not a people person and likes to keep to himself. He simply doesn't have the personality to be a head coach working intensively with 13 student-athletes, 3 assistants, and charismatically trying to convince dozens of high schoolers across the country to play for UCONN.

He's still a legend, perhaps the best to ever wear the UCONN uniform, and he will always be well-respected. But being a good coach doesn't automatically come with that.

 

[Jaker]

a coaching staff of Rip, Ray and Ben would be interesting, maybe throw in Okafor as the big man coach.

 

[bear]

Why would that make them a great coach?

It doesn't. Ollie has specific personality traits that make him a great coach. Not all "well respected players" make good coaches. Not even remotely close.

 

[superjohn]

I was actually thinking this. A well respected player would make a great coach, i.e. Ollie. A Rip or Ray Ray would be great if ollie left.

No

 

[Stainmaster]

a coaching staff of Rip, Ray and Ben would be interesting, maybe throw in Okafor as the big man coach.

Interesting as in a train wreck. None of those guys have any coaching experience at any level.

That's a list of one's favorite basketball players. Not a coaching staff. Good god.

 

[Jaker]

Interesting as in a train wreck. None of those guys have any coaching experience at any level.

That's a list of one's favorite basketball players. Not a coaching staff. Good god.

LOL its a joke

 

[CallMeBruce]

Every time someone suggests a former great player with no coaching qualifications, I want to slap them through the screen. No, you aren't the first person to suggest Ray Allen as head coach. The reason you don't see it on this page is because it's a really stupid idea.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Why would ollie want to deal with egos and bullshlt? Westbrook has one of the biggest egos out there. Ollie is great for the college game. Young kids look up to him as a role model. You coach in college and manage in the NBA. Ollie is a teacher

 

[UConn9604]

Wow, just wow.

That's OK, I think Wojnarowski is a liar.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=ys-uconnphone032509

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Here's the thing, and I said this before the rumors putting KO in OKC ever got really loud, this kind of job offer would be a good barometer of KO's desire to be another Calhoun or Coach K. Coming off a rough season for him, both professionally and personally, getting a great job offer to coach a team with Finals aspirations, it'd be the best situation he could hope for in making a jump to the NBA.

Look at Brad Stevens. He's done an amazing job with the Celtics and they're still going to get swept in the first round because he just doesn't have the talent.

If KO goes, I'd wish him well. He deserves this chance if he wants it. If he turns them down, we've got him for the long haul. Maybe even for his entire coaching career. We may as well find out sooner rather than later.

What is a great job offer? How much and for how long? We need out of the AAC for him to be the next Jimmy or K. No? The deal is OKC probably won't anti up to get him.

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

The last time Ollie flirted with an NBA team it made him a ton of $$. Not sure why anyone wouldn't at least want to re-evaluate their perceived worth.

 

[nomar]

He'll have to eat so much if he bails after calling out scoe and ao

Yeah, that, plus the statement yesterday. If he actually leaves -- and I don't think he is -- he'll turn out to be someone other than who we thought he was. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. I really do have a 90% confidence level at this point. Donovan seems more likely to leave the college game. There are other good candidates with NBA experience as well.