Kevin Ollie and Glen Miller will start work as the newest members of the Connecticut coaching staff this week. They bring different assets and experiences to the staff and will help Jim Calhoun get the most out of a young, but talented Husky squad.
After a long playing career, Ollie will get started next week as a coach at UConn
Kevin Ollie- Assistant Coach
Ollie first came to UConn in 1991 as a freshman guard from Los Angeles. In four seasons, he averaged 6.7 points and five assists, with an impressive 3:1 assist to turnover ratio. Ollie went undrafted in the 1995 NBA Draft and played two seasons for the CBA’s Connecticut Pride. In 1997, he finally got a shot at the NBA and stayed there until this past season, playing for a total of 12 teams. Ollie joins the UConn coaching staff as an assistant and brings proven NBA success to the recruiting trail. He will also work daily with the Huskies’ plethora of young guards. This will be especially important because it is likely to be Kemba Walker’s last year and UConn will need a young guard to fill the void he leaves in 2011-2012. In Calhoun’s statement yesterday, he said “[Ollie] has been a coach on the floor and has served as a mentor to many, many young NBA players.” That was no doubt a huge factor in the decision to hire him.
Glen Miller- Director of Men’s Basketball Administration
Miller, who was an assistant for Calhoun in the late 80s and early 90s, is back with the Huskies after several head coaching jobs. After leaving the UConn sideline in 1993, he first stopped at Division III Connecticut College. In 1999, he even led the Camels (that’s right, the Camels) to the D-III Final Four. This was enough for him to be noticed by D-I schools, and he landed a job at Brown the very next year. Seven seasons later, he moved on to Ivy League rival Penn, and he brought the Quakers to the NCAA Tournament in his first season as head coach. Calhoun seems to like having a former head coach handle the administrative duties, noting the experience he already has. As far as on the court impact goes, Miller’s opinion will certainly be respected. Miller is also the third person on the UConn bench with head coaching experience. That can’t hurt either.
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