FILE – Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Kevin Ollie is shown during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in Denver. Ollie, who led UConn to NCAA title a decade ago, has been named the interim head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. A day after firing Jacque Vaughn, the Nets announced Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, they were turning the team over to Ollie, who had been hired as an assistant coach ahead of this season.(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
NEW YORK – Kevin Ollie, who led UConn to NCAA title a decade ago, has been named the interim head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.
A day after firing Jacque Vaughn, the Nets announced Tuesday they were turning the team over to Ollie, who had been hired as an assistant coach ahead of this season.
The 51-year-old Ollie, who played 13 seasons in the league, takes over a team that has a 21-33 record and is in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. The Nets dropped five of their past six games, including a 50-point loss to the Celtics in their last game before the All-Star break.
Ollie coach UConn for six seasons (2012-18). The Los Angeles native then spent two years (2021-23) as head of coaching and basketball development for Overtime Elite before joining the Nets.
Overtime Elite is a league for 16- to 20-year-olds that compensates players with money to be used as pay or scholarship money if they don’t turn pro.
Vaughn finished 71-68 with the Nets, guiding them into the playoffs on two separate stints.
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