Mike D’Antoni’s resignation as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night quickly thrust Kevin Ollie’s name into the rumor mill again.
And this time it could make things interesting for UConn, despite Ollie’s comment last month that he would not answer a call from the NBA – “not now in my life.”
Head coach of the Lakers remains one of the coveted jobs in professional coaching and, coming off the 2014 NCAA national championship won by UConn, Ollie’s name is one of the hottest in basketball coaching. Ollie is only 41 and he has a long career ahead of him. But coaching the Lakers, in the city where he grew up, could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
A report by ESPN.com Thursday indicates the Lakers hope to “make a splash” with their hire, and according to the reports’s sources, the team intends to reach out to Ollie and Kentucky’s John Calipari to “at least gauge their interest in the job.”
The process may take a while. The ESPN.com report indicates that the draft and free agency are the team’s priorities and the coaching search could be delayed until the Lakers “get a better sense of the marketplace.”
In a SportsNation poll on ESPN.com Thursday, Ollie was the fifth-leading vote getter among possible candidates for the Lakers job behind George Karl, Calipari, Jeff Van Gundy and Steve Kerr. Other candidates that have been mentioned include Byron Scott, Lionel Hollins, Derek Fisher, Mike Dunleavy and Kurt Rambis.
Here’s what the Los Angeles Times is reporting.
Interest in Ollie isn’t limited to his success at UConn in two seasons. He spent 13 years in the NBA after playing for the Huskies and has been praised for his mentoring of stars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant as a teammate. An endorsement from any potential future free-agent, including James, Durant or Carmelo Anthony, would be a bonus for Ollie.
UConn’s Kevin Ollie watching “One Shining Moment” with his players after beating Kentucky for the NCAA championship (KEN DAVIS PHOTO)
There has been no update from Ollie or UConn athletic director Warde Manuel regarding contract talks between the two sides. Ollie was mentioned repeatedly as a future NBA candidate during the Final Four in Dallas. After the national championship victory over Kentucky, Manuel said in the UConn locker room that the process of renegotiating Ollie’s contract had “already begun.” Asked what could lure Ollie away from UConn, Manuel said, ” You’d have to ask Kevin that.”
It’s likely Ollie and Manuel haven’t had many opportunities to talk. Ollie has been in demand for public appearances since the championship and has been on the recruiting trail the past two weeks.
Ollie has said he doesn’t plan on leaving UConn. His most prominent statement came on April 16 when he was interviewed by Gayle King on the CBS Morning News.
“No, not now in my life,” Ollie said when asked about taking a call from the NBA. “Like I say, I can’t never – say no. . . . I’m just worried – worried about my kids here at the University of Connecticut. . . . I’m never gonna say never, but I’m having so much fun. It’s my dream job.”
I’ve known Ollie since he was a senior in high school and a recruiting target for Jim Calhoun and the UConn staff. I know how he feels about UConn and the words he spoke to King were nothing but the truth. I also believe that if the Lakers come calling, Ollie would have a very difficult decision to make. That’s just reality. And there are many more factors than the ones we have listed.
It’s a funny thing how quickly things can change. Just about two months ago, a highly respected national basketball writer told me he wasn’t sure yet if Kevin Ollie was a good coach.
Think about that.
Most of the basketball world now has decided that he is good – very good.
As a result, the next few weeks could be very interesting for all parties involved. Very interesting.
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