Four years after one of the craziest (flukiest?) championship runs in NCAA Tournament history, Kevin Ollie is out at UConn:
The Huskies had been floundering for the past couple of years, and while it's one thing to struggle in the old Big East (notably the loaded 2010-13 versions), it's an entirely different issue struggling in the American Athletic Conference, which lacks depth. Ollie's teams never finished hired than third in the league, and went 16-20 in conference play the last two seasons combined.
Dan Hurley, younger brother of Bobby Hurley and son of legendary coach Bob Hurley, is considered the lead candidate, as he's about to take nearby Rhode Island to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. However, as far as veteran coaches are concerned, another name is being linked to the job: Tom Crean.
UConn obviously has a terrific pedigree with four National Championships in the last twenty seasons, but it's not in a great place right now. The NCAA is sniffing around (again), their reputation has been hurt by the conference realignment carousel leaving them off a few years back, and their football program has completely cratered.
That said, Crean has a track record for doing well with rebuilding pedigree programs. He isn't linked to any recruiting shadiness, unlike not only Ollie but Jim Calhoun, and he has familiarity with the program and region from having coached in the old Big East. But, like Indiana, they expect Final Fours and championships at UConn, and I just don't think he can deliver that. Pitt or Georgia seem to be better fits.
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