There has been no shortage of speculation on UConn men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie and his interest in taking his talents to the NBA, specifically the Oklahoma City Thunder. Fueled by OKC star Kevin Durant’s public enthusiasm for Ollie, it’s hardly surprising.
On Wednesday, as news broke that the Thunder had fired Scott Brooks, Ollie issued a prepared statement in an attempt to quell the rumors that he might be OKC General Manager Sam Presti’s top choice.
“As I have said many times, I am proud and honored to be the head basketball coach at the University of Connecticut and I have no plans to pursue other opportunities,” Ollie said.
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, that statement was filled with false hope for fans of the Huskies’ program, as Ollie has “significant interest” in being the next coach of Durant and star point guard Russell Westbrook.
Firing, and then subsequently hiring, coaches in an attempt to appease superstars is nothing new in the NBA. It is, however, a dangerous proposition–especially when the superstar you’re trying to make happy, Durant in this case, has the option to leave the organization as a free agent.
The question then becomes less about Durant’s status in Oklahoma City, and more about whether or not Ollie would be a fit at all for the Thunder. Simply put, it is a perfect fit.
Ollie has yet to win less than 20 games in his three seasons running the show in Storrs, a run that includes one of the more improbable (but mightily impressive) runs to a national title that we’ve seen in recent years. Given that track record, it’s hard to believe that he might actually be a better fit for the NBA.
Watch the video above, to see why it’s true.
