UConn Basketball: Kevin Ollie situation should scare potential future coaches

Kevin Ollie no longer works at UConn, but the furor surrounding his tenure and departure remains hot months after his dismissal.

During his brief time at UConn, Kevin Ollie took the Huskies to the pinnacle of the sport. Following “the guy” is a difficult proposition in any sport, but within a year of replacing legend Jim Calhoun, the Huskies were national champions.

An era of good feelings was alive and well in Storrs.

Well, that time has come and gone. The high ceiling of expectations at UConn would never be met again. After this past season, Ollie lost his job, soon to be replaced by former Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley.

That should’ve been the end of it, but it hasn’t been. Far from it, in fact.

UConn’s decision to fire their coach for cause – a move that hypothetically improved the school’s financial burden – has wreaked havoc on the basketball program. Ollie and his former employers have been sniping at each other over money and accusations for months now.

The battle only grew worse this week. Ollie has demanded a retraction from the school after they released NCAA transcripts featuring accusations of NCAA violations. The coach believes that it’s grounds for defamation and is considering suing. (h/t ESPN)

The NCAA is actively investigating the program for violations during Ollie’s tenure. That’s no excuse for the ugly, drag-out sniping that has been percolating in the media, both locally and nationally.

Frankly, there’s a chance this hurts UConn in the long run. The school could’ve fired Ollie in the same manner every university fires their coach when they no longer feel like he or she is the right person for the job.

Instead, they tried to save a few bucks and turned an embarrassing dismissal into a public spectacle. Coaches around the country should be looking at the situation and wondering, “Would the school do the same thing to me?”

Recruits should wonder the same thing, perhaps not about themselves but about the coaches they put their trust in, with their livelihood on the line.

The world should be deep in the throes of a discussion on Dan Hurley’s odds of revitalizing UConn hoops.

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Yet the Kevin Ollie drama drags on, a tide lifting all boats closer to shipwreck.