Kevin Ollie was fired back in March for “just cause” ridding UConn of paying him the $10 million he was owed by the school. Ollie went on to fight this ruling arguing there was no reasonable cause and that he should receive his money. After a school and NCAA investigation, it was found that Ollie has violated multiple NCAA violations while head coach of the school. According to an article in the Hartford Courant, the school sent a four-page letter to Ollie where they laid out their argument against him. In the letter it is alleged Ollie was “intentionally participating in impermissible activities with student-athletes during an official visit, intentionally facilitating prohibited contact between potential recruits and UConn representatives and most important “not being completely truthful” when interviewed by university officials”
Three of the violations that were named in the report deal with actions Ollie himself facilitated. Ollie arranged a phone call between a recruit and former Huskie Ray Allen who is considered a booster for the school. In addition to this Ollie also had a short shootaround with a recruit on a visit. This is seen as an impermissible workout by the NCAA and is a recruiting violation. The third and final violation of the major ones found in the investigation is the biggest. Ollie arranged for a friend of his to train some of the players on and off campus. A group of three players were even invited to Atlanta to train with the friend, Derrek Hamilton. During their time in Atlanta, the players were fed, transported, and were given housing all for free. These three things are all violations. Kevin Ollie denied that the training with Hamilton happened but UConn’s investigation found records to back up the findings. The NCAA itself has not levied any punishments against the school but has found some violations committed by the school and Ollie in their own investigation.
Watching if any punishment comes down against the school will be interesting considering their firing of Ollie. New coach Danny Hurley already has the task of returning the school to its past form as one of the best programs in the country like it was over the past 20 years. Hurley built a strong program at Rhode Island and will look to build the same culture at a more prominent school in the northeast.
