UConn Basketball: Kevin Ollie is running out of time
UConn’s athletic director admitted Tuesday that head coach Kevin Ollie would have his job status evaluated after the season.
We may very well be watching the end of Kevin Ollie’s meteoric rise and precipitous fall at UConn.
On Tuesday, Connecticut athletic director David Benedict met with the press. During his comments, he did his best not to tip his hand about the future of his head coach or basketball program.
Benedict did say, “At the time the season is over that will be the appropriate time to start to look at all aspects of the program.” (h/t ESPN)
That doesn’t have to be a damning comment against the head coach. Every program should do their due diligence every year to find opportunities for improvement.
With all that’s going on at UConn, however, it’s hard not to believe that Ollie is in trouble.
For starters, the Huskies are now under the watchful eye of the NCAA. What violations may or may not have been committed remain unclear, but the organization is investigating the program. That’s never a good look.
Another bad look is a bad team. The Huskies are just 11-12 this season, including 4-6 in AAC play. Barring some sort of miraculous close to the season, Connecticut won’t be going to the NCAA Tournament. They probably won’t be participating in the postseason at all.
That’s a tough pill to swallow for fans in Storrs who witnessed the team’s first losing campaign in over 30 years last season. The program seems to be regressing under Ollie.
It’s been an oppressive fall from grace for the school alum. In just his second season, Ollie led the Huskies to the national title. Less than four years later, he sits on one of the hottest seats in all of college basketball.
It may not be too late for Ollie to save his job at UConn, but time is running out. At this point, he may need a miracle himself to see a seventh season in Storrs.