OKC head coach search, candidate Kevin Ollie. | The Boneyard

OKC head coach search, candidate Kevin Ollie.

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This is not an opinion on how things ended with Kevin Ollie or his ongoing litigation. I'd be shocked if he gets a head coaching job in the NBA. I'd even be surprised if he gets a head coaching job at a mid-major or better in college (after his show cause). It's not just that he flamed out at UConn and not even the violations (the NBA wouldn't care), it's how it went down and what he's done since. There were rumors of KO mailing it in, and he's done nothing since being terminated. He needs to earn his way back up.

Look at Jeff Capel. Ran into NCAA issues and poor performance after a hot start (similar to KO) and was terminated in March 2011. He joined Duke's staff in May 2011 and after moving up the bench, he got the Pitt job in 2018. Granted, he was able to get a gig at his alma mater, whereas Ollie was fired by his, but KO has done nothing in 2+ years, and doesn't even seem to be interested based on his actions and words. I have to think he could've gotten an assistant job in college or the NBA (more likely than college after the show cause).
 
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Chuck said:
This is not an opinion on how things ended with Kevin Ollie or his ongoing litigation. I'd be shocked if he gets a head coaching job in the NBA. I'd even be surprised if he gets a head coaching job at a mid-major or better in college (after his show cause). It's not just that he flamed out at UConn and not even the violations (the NBA wouldn't care), it's how it went down and what he's done since. There were rumors of KO mailing it in, and he's done nothing since being terminated. He needs to earn his way back up.

Look at Jeff Capel. Ran into NCAA issues and poor performance after a hot start (similar to KO) and was terminated in March 2001. He joined Duke's staff in May 2011 and after moving up the bench, he got the Pitt job in 2018. Granted, he was able to get a gig at his alma mater, whereas Ollie was fired by his, but KO has done nothing in 2+ years, and doesn't even seem to be interested based on his actions and words. I have to think he could've gotten an assistant job in college or the NBA (more likely than college after the show cause).
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I can't see KO getting a job as an assistant in college basketball. Maybe in the pros, but you are right, post 2014 hasn't been a good look for him. Six years is a long time to be in a funk.
 
CL82 said:
Maybe with other job prospects he will be incentivized to instruct his lawyers to finally let the case go to arbitration and be done.
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Maybe put it behind him and move forward.
 
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Kevin has to become an assistant next. He will get a job soon if he wants. I think the acrimony and uconn fallout will cost him.
 
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you wonder had Ollie bolted right after the championship, how long would he have lasted as the lakers coach (assuming that was the role that was open at the time that had interest in him?)
 
i hope this happens just so the thunder become the worst franchise in the nba, surpassing the grizzlies, and are forced to sell the team to jeff bezos, who can move them back to Seattle. it's a race to the bottom between the thunder, girzzlies, and kings. they should all move to cities that actually attract a few visitors when there isnt a pandemic
 
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I think KO might be a good coach in the NBA. He wasn’t equipped to win with any old ragtag bunch, but with good, creative guards, he can probably do pretty well. He knows the game, he just doesn’t know how to play it without a great point guard. He was flummoxed by that and recruiting. Give him players and a PG and he’s pretty good at game planning. He’s also motivational as hell when he’s in a good place mentally himself.
 
Hoophound said:
I think KO might be a good coach in the NBA. He wasn’t equipped to win with any old ragtag bunch, but with good, creative guards, he can probably do pretty well. He knows the game, he just doesn’t know how to play it without a great point guard. He was flummoxed by that and recruiting. Give him players and a PG and he’s pretty good at game planning. He’s also motivational as hell when he’s in a good place mentally himself.
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And remember in the NBA the coach has much less to do than in college. They have to coach games, run practices and manage egos and personalities in the NBA but there's a GM and a whole staff of people for most of the other stuff. If a player isn't in shape it's not the coach's fault in the NBA. If there aren't good enough players on the roster, well that's the GM's fault. If the schedule is too hard or too easy, the coach has nothing to do with that.
 
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MDHuskFan said:
I hate to say it, but beyond recruiting and such, he was...... a bad COACH. Maybe he was just a great veteran glue guy in the nba, but coaching just isn’t his calling.
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Maybe an NBA team can hire him to attend college games and scout the players.

Does he have these skills? He is young enough to take the stairs and not have to use the escalator.
 
Letsgohuskies11 said:
you wonder had Ollie bolted right after the championship, how long would he have lasted as the lakers coach (assuming that was the role that was open at the time that had interest in him?)
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Who can say? Maybe being in different environment would have energized him. Pre-2015 Ollie was did an great job keeping the team together and getting the natty. I am a little conflicted over KO. I really want to root for the guy but his behavior post championship has made that tough.
 
MDHuskFan said:
I hate to say it, but beyond recruiting and such, he was...... a bad COACH. Maybe he was just a great veteran glue guy in the nba, but coaching just isn’t his calling.
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I know this is an incredibly unpopular statement but I can't agree with this. He may have been extraordinarily inconsistent but his NCAA tourney run is one of the best coaching jobs of the last 20 years.
 
BuffaloHusky said:
I know this is an incredibly unpopular statement but I can't agree with this. He may have been extraordinarily inconsistent but his NCAA tourney run is one of the best coaching jobs of the last 20 years.
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I don’t think this is an unpopular statement. He did a great job of keeping those guys together.
That being said, his inability to develop players and his predictable iso ball offense which is out of style now for the NBA.... I just don’t know what attractive qualities he would pitch to an NBA team
 
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