Kevin Ollie, UConn Agree to $3.9M Settlement After Wrongful Termination Lawsuit

Kevin Ollie has reached a settlement with the University of Connecticut stemming from his wrongful termination lawsuit.

In a joint statement released on Thursday, the university and Ollie announced he will receive a $3.9 million payout "for claimed reputational damages and attorney's fees."

UConn announced in March 2018 it had begun the process of firing Ollie for just cause. The move came after the basketball program was alerted to an NCAA inquiry into potential recruiting violations.

In June 2018, the school released documents that showed Ollie and former Huskies star Ray Allen had improper training sessions and improper contact with recruits.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions gave Ollie a three-year show-cause penalty for failing to fully cooperate with the investigation.

"This case illustrates the importance of full candor and cooperation in the infractions process, as well as head coach control," the NCAA said in a statement. "The former head coach faltered in both respects, increasing the severity of his violations and allowing violations within the program to occur for most of his tenure."

The basketball program was given two years of probation and lost a scholarship during the 2019-20 academic year. It also vacated all of its wins from the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

Ollie sent a letter to the University of Connecticut shortly after he was fired that was obtained by ESPN's Myron Medcalf. He argued the school violated his "rights under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution" and he sought the money still left on his deal at the time of his dismissal.

In January, Ollie won his arbitration case against the school and was owed $11.2 million.

UConn hired Ollie, who played for the program from 1991-95, in September 2012 after Jim Calhoun retired. He spent two seasons as an assistant on Calhoun's staff before being named head coach.

Ollie went 127-79 in six seasons with the Huskies. He led the team to two NCAA tournament appearances, including a championship in the 2013-14 season.

After spending three years out of basketball, Ollie was hired as head coach and director of player development for Overtime Elite in 2021.