After four months of waiting, Kevin Ollie was rewarded with a contract on Saturday that will keep him on UConn’s sideline for the next five seasons. Ollie’s new deal will run until 2018 and be worth around $7M with the potential for much more in academic and performance bonuses.
“I want to be here a lifetime,” said Ollie. “We’re going to do things right. We’re recruiting for a lifetime. We’re going to recruit like we’ll be here for 25 years.”
Ollie became the 18th coach in UConn history, succeeding his own head coach in Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun. So far this season, Ollie has guided his young team to a 9-2 start and has won the adulation and respect of a state through his charity work in the community – most recently, leading the team to a trip to Newtown to play ball with recovering families. “He demonstrated to all of us that he is a genuine leader of extraordinary talents,” said University President Susan Herbst. “He will win and he will represent us well.”
From the first time Ollie stepped to a microphone as UConn’s newest head coach back in September, he won the hearts of fans with his charm, charisma and never-ending array of unique and folksy phrases. The roadblock between Ollie and a long-term deal this fall was Director of Athletics Warde Manuel, who felt he needed time to properly evaluate Ollie’s effect on his players on and off the court. Saturday, Manuel was Ollie’s biggest cheerleader.
“He’s shown he can lead a team both on the court and academically,” said Manuel. “He’s a great person – one of the best people you’ll ever meet. He’s the epitome of a UConn Husky. “
Ollie will pull in an annual base salary of $400,000 in addition to public relations payments that begin at $800,000 in 2013 and climb to $940,000 in 2017. Ollie is also eligible for bonuses for both postseason advancements and academic achievements.
The full terms can be found here.
Both Ollie and Manuel admitted that the tenuous nature of Ollie’s September contract had negatively impacted recruiting – a point that was continually emphasized by the fan base as the collapse of the Big East created a sense of panic that permeated every aspect of UConn athletics. Yet, as this new year begins, the Huskies finally have something to be happy about and a coach that can sell both the past and the future of a proud program to future recruits.
For Ollie, this extension is another success in a career filled with them. It wasn’t an easy journey from September to now, but Ollie wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
About time! Let’s get on with the future already.