Nets hire ex-UConn coach Kevin Ollie as assistant to Jacque Vaughn, source says
Kevin Ollie reacts during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 19, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. Credit: Getty Images
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn has reportedly filled another two vacancies on his coaching staff.
Former UConn coach Kevin Ollie has been hired an assistant, a league source confirmed to Newsday. Vaughn will also reportedly hire Long Island Nets coach Ronnie Burrell, per HoopsHype.
Ollie, who coached UConn to the NCAA men’s national championship in 2014, spent the past two seasons as head coach and head of player development for Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league in Atlanta created for players aged 16-20 to help prepare them for a chance to play in the NBA.
He was also a finalist for the Detroit Pistons head coaching job, per multiple reports.
Ollie spent six seasons at UConn and had a 127-79 record from 2012-18. Prior to that, he was an assistant at UConn for two seasons after the end of his NBA playing career in 2010.
Ollie also played for the Huskies and despite being undrafted, he played 13 NBA seasons, including 19 games for the then-New Jersey Nets in 2000-01.
In September, Ollie and UConn reached a settlement of $3.9 million after Ollie sued the university for not paying him the remainder of his contract following his 2018 dismissal for alleged NCAA rules violations. At the time, the school said Ollie was fired with cause due to the violations but in January 2022, an arbitrator ruled that Ollie was “improperly fired” and awarded him $11.1 million.
Burrell was named G-League Coach of the Year after his first season at the helm. He was an assistant for the Long Island Nets in 2019-20 before being hired as a player development coordinator with the Bulls the following season.
He was also player development coach and video assistant with the Nets during the 2018-19 season.
Both hires come after Vaughn hired former Charlotte Hornets assistant and Long Island native Jay Hernandez. Vaughn now has one open coaching spot remaining after overhauling his staff following the Nets’ first-round playoff exit.
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
