Kevin Ollie has a unique resume

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The Detroit Pistons are two weeks into the their head coach search, and strong candidates have emerged.

Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee, New Orleans Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins and former UConn head coach Kevin Ollie have stood out and are expected to make the team’s second round of interviews, league sources confirmed to the Free Press this week. They interviewed with the Pistons via Zoom last week and should visit for an in-person interview round.

The Pistons are angling toward hiring a younger, unproven coach compared to their previous two — Dwane Casey, who was 61 at the time of his hire, and Stan Van Gundy, who was 54. Both had held multiple NBA head coaching jobs prior. Lee, Collins and Ollie would all be first-time NBA head coaches. Ollie, 50, is the oldest; Collins is 44 and Lee 38.

Kevin Ollie as UConn coach in February 2018.

Ollie has a unique resume, as he hasn’t held a head coaching position since UConn fired him with just cause in 2018. He was most recently Overtime Elite’s head of coaching and basketball development. We broke down Lee and Collins earlier this week. Now, let’s take a look at Ollie.

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After a standout playing career at UConn from 1991-95, Ollie played two seasons for the Connecticut Pride — a member of the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association — before signing with the Dallas Mavericks in 1997. His NBA career lasted 13 seasons and played for 12 different franchises.

Detroit Pistons’ Chauncey Billups drives past Philadelphia 76ers’ Kevin Ollie, Feb. 3, 2006, in Philadelphia.

Ollie’s final stop was with the Thunder, where Pistons general manager Troy Weaver was an assistant GM. While Ollie didn’t play much, his veteran leadership was integral for a young team that, in its second season in Oklahoma City after moving from Seattle, jumped from 23 wins to 50 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. In 2014, Kevin Durant credited Ollie for changing their…

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Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2023-04-28 10:06:07

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