Kevin Ollie, who led the UConn Huskies to their fourth NCAA championship in 2014, is being “seriously considered” for the Oklahoma City head coaching job, a source close to the situation told SNY.tv.
Ollie teamed with Thunder stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City and remains close with GM Sam Presti. Ollie is considered to be one of the keys to convincing Durant to remain in Oklahoma City after he enters free agency in 2016, the source said.
Yahoo! Sports recently reported that Thunder head coach Scott Brooks will be evaluated before he is brought back for his guaranteed year in 2015-16. The Thunder hold a team option on Brooks for 2016-17, Yahoo! reported.
The Thunder missed the playoffs this season for the first time in six years.
In May 2014, Ollie agreed to a five-year contract extension at UConn worth $15 million. Prior to that, he had been linked to coaching jobs with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ollie became the highest-paid coach in the American Athletic Conference, replacing SMU’s Larry Brown, who reportedly made $2.8 million.
