Two years ago today no one knew that Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun was on the verge of retiring as coach of the UConn basketball team. And it certainly was no lock that Kevin Ollie would be promoted from his position as assistant coach to become Calhoun’s successor.
All of that – and much more – has happened to the basketball program in Storrs. And Thursday, the same man who originally agreed to a seven-month contract to fill Calhoun’s shoes, signed a deal that could keep him at UConn at least through 2018-19 and pay him in excess of $16 million.
“Thank you God for opening up so many Doors, for me to be working in Storrs!! Make today Matter!! UConn Love..” Ollie tweeted around 2 p.m. Thursday.
That was the signal of good news for UConn and Huskies fans. Soon, Ollie had confirmed the news through Andy Katz of ESPN and later Thursday afternoon the school released details of the contract. The five-year extension replaces Ollie’s deal from Dec. 2012 and runs through the 2018-19 season. His base salary will be $400,000 each year but with increases in speaking and media fees, the total package increases from $2.8 million in 2014-15 to $3.2 million the final season.
With deferred payments of $200,000 per season if Ollie stays through all five years, the total value of the deal is $16 million before incentive clauses for championships, NCAA appearances and advancement, including additional national championships.
Coach Kevin Ollie shuns the NBA to remain at UConn. (Ken Davis photo)
“I’m very pleased that we were able to agree to a new contract and that we’ll be able to continue to build upon the success we’ve had,” Ollie said in a statment. “It’s a humbling experience to be around the UConn fans and the UConn family and to know that I am their basketball coach for the foreseeable future. I’m very proud of that. UConn is a place that I love and as I’ve told everyone throughout the season and through all the recent speculation, this is where my heart is. This is where I wanted to be.”
With the deferred payments, the deal is worth 3.2 million per year, which places Ollie among the top 10 paid coaches currently in college basketball, behind only Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Louisville’s Rick Pitino, Kentucky’s John Calipari, Kansas’ Bill Self, Florida’s Billy Donovan, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, UCLA’s Steve Alford and Ohio State’s Thad Matta.
Some might say a raise that more than doubles Ollie’s salary from last season reflects the excesses of college athletics in today’s world. Others would say it was the cost of doing business for UConn after Ollie, 41, won the national championship in his second season as coach – an accomplishment that drew attention from numerous NBA teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I am very happy that Kevin Ollie will continue to direct our men’s basketball program,” UConn athletic director Warde Manuel said. “It is a great day for the University of Connecticut and for Kevin. Kevin has accomplished a great deal during his first two seasons as our head coach both on and off the court and I am very excited about the future of our program.”
UConn simply couldn’t afford to lose Ollie after he became the hottest name in coaching. The amazing run to a national championship – one season after UConn was banned from postseason play because of academic deficiencies that came under Calhoun’s watch – gave Ollie publicity as a coach on the rise. Coming at a time when UConn’s football program has dragged the athletic department into insignificance and the split of the Big East has left the Huskies without a voice among national power conferences, this was big. Quite simply, the men’s and women’s basketball programs are keeping UConn athletics alive.
“Kevin Ollie is the right person to lead our men’s basketball team into the future,” said UConn President Susan Herbst. “Kevin has done a remarkable job as our head coach over the past two years and also during his time as a UConn student-athlete and assistant coach. He is a person of utmost character and leadership and embodies everything we stand for here at the University of Connecticut.”
Ollie, who kept this program together the past two seasons with talk of loyalty, family and belief, would have lost a lot of credibility walking away from UConn right now. He knows that. Ollie is also a devoted family man away from the UConn locker room and this was not the right time to move his family away from Connecticut.
Having known Ollie since his senior season in high school, I never thought he would break away from UConn at this time. It’s always been a matter of heart – and Ollie is more honest than most men in this profession.
“My heart is here at UConn,” Ollie told ESPN. “I want to stay invested in the student-athletes’ lives on and off the court. I want to be here.”
UConn fans should believe that now more than ever. There are new challenges ahead. Ollie still has to prove himself as a recruiter. He will be the highest paid coach in the American Athletic Conference so more championships in the league – and deep runs in the NCAA tournament – will be expected. The pressure isn’t off bu he won’t stop working around the clock either. That is his nature, the only way he knows how to do anything.
Right now, the important thing at UConn is that the school was able to keep him in the fold. The alternative would have been a crushing blow to the national champs.
“I’m very thankful to President Herbst and Warde Manuel for showing confidence in me and my coaching staff,” Ollie said. “It’s the student-athletes who have sacrificed to uphold the standards we have set at UConn and done such a terrific job. I’m happy and excited to be able to continue to invest in their basketball careers and their lives.”
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