UConn Huskies Give Coach Kevin Ollie 5-Year Extension

Connecticut has reportedly decided to make a long-term commitment to head coach Kevin Ollie and will sign him to a new five-year contract

UPDATE: Saturday, December 29 at 5:13 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

UConn made Ollie's contract extension official on the school's website:

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The University of Connecticut and head men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie, a 1995 UConn graduate,  have come to a new agreement that will run from January 1, 2013 through April 15, 2018. The agreement covers the remainder of this season and the next five seasons. Ollie, who in his first season as the head coach at Connecticut, was previously working on a contract that runs through April 4, 2013. This new agreement replaces the old contract.

"

---End of Update---

ESPN’s Andy Katz reported UConn’s decision via Twitter.

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Source: UConn will announce a new five-year deal for Kevin Ollie at a 5 p.m. news conference. Ollie was given a 7-month deal initially.

— Andy Katz (@ESPNAndyKatz) December 29, 2012"

In his first 11 games as head coach, Ollie has helped UConn to a 9-2 record and clearly proved to the university that he is the right person to lead this program for many years to come.

Ollie took over for Jim Calhoun in September after the legendary coach announced his retirement. The 40-year-old certainly had massive shoes to fill, as Calhoun had over 800 career wins and his 26-year tenure with the Huskies included three national championships and four trips to the Final Four.

While Ollie is certainly young and inexperienced, his Connecticut roots run deep. He played for Calhoun at UConn from 1991 to 1995 before spending 13 seasons in the NBA with several different teams. 

He returned to Connecticut after retiring in 2010 to serve as an assistant coach for the Huskies. He was then tapped to replace Calhoun earlier this year and was given a short-term deal while he was evaluated this season.

Ollie has proven to be charismatic with the press and has his team winning games to start the season. The Huskies opened the year with a victory over then-No. 14 Michigan State and have been competitive in their only two losses. 

The Big East will offer a brutal schedule, and Ollie will be thoroughly tested in his first year at the helm. Even so, UConn believes they have a coach capable of living up to the extremely high standard Calhoun has set.