Kevin Ollie Fired as UConn Head Coach After 6 Seasons

Kevin Ollie will not return as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Connecticut after six seasons at the helm.  

Per Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, Connecticut said in a statement it has begun the process of firing Ollie for just cause:

"The University of Connecticut has initiated disciplinary procedures to terminate the employment of Head Men’s Basketball Coach Kevin Ollie for just cause. The University will have no further comment on the matter until the completion of both the University’s disciplinary process and the ongoing NCAA investigation."

Ollie played at UConn from 1991 through 1995 and, after a 13-year NBA career, he returned to the program as an assistant in 2010 before taking over as head coach following Jim Calhoun's 2012 retirement.

The 45-year-old Dallas native found immediate success. The Huskies went 20-10 during his first season in charge but were ineligible for postseason play. The next year, they posted a 32-8 record en route to winning the NCAA tournament, the fourth title in Connecticut men's history.

Although the results remained solid over the next two years, as the Huskies went 20-15 and 25-11, their performance faded during the last couple of seasons.

They put up a 16-17 mark last year, their first sub-.500 record since 1986-87, and fell further this season with a 14-18 record. 

In addition to the lackluster on-court play, UConn was also alerted to an NCAA probe focused on recruiting for the men's basketball program.

"With regard to the inquiry directed at our men's basketball program, I want to express that we will cooperate fully with NCAA as this process moves forward as we are committed to promoting an atmosphere of compliance with NCAA regulations," Ollie said in a late-January statement.

Ultimately, the school moved in a new direction. Ollie finished his tenure at his alma mater with a 127-79 record and two NCAA tournament appearances in six years.