NEW YORK — UConn has fired men’s basketball head coach Kevin Ollie just four years after he guided the Huskies to the 2014 national championship, a person with knowledge of the situation told CBS Sports.
UConn subsequently confirmed the news and added that it has “initiated disciplinary procedures” to terminate Ollie “for just cause.” The school offered no further comment. But the decision is tied to the fact that UConn is currently under investigation by the NCAA. If UConn is able to fire Ollie for cause, it would save the school roughly $10 million that the 45-year-old alum is owed via buyout.
Ollie coached UConn a total of six seasons and never finished better than tied for third in his league despite winning the 2014 national title as a No. 7 seed. The Huskies missed the NCAA Tournament each of the past two seasons. They finished 14-18 overall, 7-11 in the American this season and are currently ranked 173rd at KenPom — right in between Wagner and Ball State.
Head coach Kevin Ollie of the Connecticut Huskies reacts on the sideline in the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 17, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa.
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Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley is widely considered to be a possible target for UConn, multiple people with knowledge of the college basketball landscape told CBS Sports. Hurley is also expected to be on Pitt’s radar, sources told CBS Sports.
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