The Brooklyn Nets have promoted assistant coach Kevin Ollie to the role of interim head coach. The Nets parted ways with Jacque Vaughn, and moved swiftly to replace him. Ollie, who enjoyed a 13-year NBA career as a player, will get his first head coaching opportunity in the NBA.
ESPN Sources: The Brooklyn Nets are promoting assistant Kevin Ollie to interim head coach. He’ll run practice on Tuesday and start coaching on Thursday vs. the Toronto Raptors. pic.twitter.com/oNb0YLwFF2
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2024
NBA News: Brooklyn Nets Hire NCAA Champion as Head Coach
Nets in Despair
The Nets have struggled to meet expectations in 2023-24. They are 21-33 on the season, languishing in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. The team showed no progress and there was a disconcerting lack of effort from certain players in recent months, leading to Vaughn’s firing.
Vaughn issued a statement to ESPN following his departure from the team:
Jacque Vaughn issued a statement to ESPN following his dismissal as Nets coach: “To Joe Tsai, Clara Wu-Tsai, Ollie Weisberg, Sam Zussman, Sean Marks and front office, Nets coaches, staff, players, BSE family and the entire Brooklyn borough: It was a pleasure being your Head… https://t.co/w7sTOcSmIk
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2024
The Nets opted to keep their core intact at the trade deadline, following numerous rumors surrounding Mikal Bridges. They did, however, trade point guard Spencer Dinwiddie to the Toronto Raptors, and received Dennis Schröder as part of the return.
Nets Head Coach’s Career in the NCAA
Ollie’s name is well-renowned the world of collegiate basketball. Ollie started his career in 2010 as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball program at the University of Connecticut.
In 2012, he was promoted to head coach. Ollie was the direct replacement of the legendary Jim Calhoun, who had coached UConn for 26 years.
In 2014, the seventh-seeded Huskies exceeded all expectations by winning the NCAA national championship. UConn upset several powerhouses along the way, including Villanova, Michigan State, Florida, and Kentucky.
Ollie was fired by the University of Connecticut in 2018, after an investigation by the NCAA found him guilty of numerous NCAA violations from 2013 to 2018. UConn was given two years of probation in 2019, and Ollie was given a three-year ban from collegiate basketball.
In 2021, Overtime Elite announced that they were hiring Ollie as head of coaching and basketball development.
The Nets then hired Ollie to be part of Vaughn’s coaching staff last summer.
In January of 2022, Ollie was able to secure some closure following his collegiate scandal, after an arbitration ruling forced the University of Connecticut to pay him the $11.1 million of his salary that they had withheld from him. In September of the same year, the university paid him a further $3.9 million after discrimination claims over his firing.
Playoff Hopes Crucial for Nets Head Coach
Brooklyn is only 2.5 games back of the final play-in spot, and a successful showing for Ollie would mean reaching the postseason. While the team is not close to being ready to contend, talent is not a scarcity for the Nets.
In addition to Bridges and Schröder, Brooklyn needs to get the best out of Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, and Nic Claxton in order to turn things around.
