UConn AD: No coach in waiting
CONNECTICUT athletic director Warde Manuel said Monday he has no plans to name Kevin Ollie or anyone else as a coach-in-waiting for the men's basketball program.
CONNECTICUT athletic director
Warde Manuel
said Monday he has no plans to name
Kevin Ollie
or anyone else as a coach-in-waiting for the men's basketball program.
Coach Jim Calhoun, who turns 70 this month, is expected to return next season, but has not made his final plans public. Manuel said he is operating under the assumption that the Hall of Fame coach will be back, noting that Calhoun has two years left on his contract.
He would not disclose the conversations he and Calhoun have had about the future of the program, but said the plans don't currently include naming a successor while Calhoun is still coaching.
A coach in waiting has been suggested as a way to bridge the gap between administrations, and assure potential recruits of continuity in the program. Ollie, a former 76er who played at UConn and spent 13 seasons in the NBA, before being hired as an assistant in 2010, has been mentioned as a logical successor, and has said he would want the job.
Asked if he had made a final decision to return or was leaning toward coming back, Calhoun said, "I'm not leaning on anything right now, I'm working."
In other college news:
* The Ivy League and the NBC Sports Group announced a 2-year renewal of their national television rights agreement that includes an increase in football games, and NBC's first-ever rights to televise men's basketball and men's lacrosse games.
Auto Racing *
NASCAR driver
Eric McClure
was released from an Alabama hospital, 2 days after he was injured in a crash at Talladega Superspeedway in a Nationwide Series race. His team said that McClure suffered a concussion and internal bruising.
* Dragon Racing sued Lotus for at least $4.6 million in damages, accusing the engine manufacturer of damaging its reputation by spreading "especially outrageous" falsehoods about the IndyCar team while failing to deliver two chassis and hurting its ability to be competitive.
Sport Stops *
The United States lost to Slovakia, 4-2, for its first loss at hockey's world championships in Helsinki after opening with two victories.
* USA Track and Field interim CEO Mike McNees has decided to leave the organization after Max Siegel was picked to fill the CEO spot on a permanent basis. McNees, the chief operating officer, filled the top role for more than 19 months following the ouster of Doug Logan.
* Arena Football League commissioner Jerry Kurz agreed to a 5-year contract extension that will run through 2017.