If you want the Current National Champion Basketball Head Coach if you're an NBA Team...show him the Money....

From the article:

After winning a national championship as the head coach of the UConn Huskies, Kevin Ollie's name has surfaced as a potential NBA coaching candidate. If he is to make the jump, he will want a contract larger than what Steve Kerr signed with the Golden State Warriors, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal:

An undisclosed NBA team not named the Lakers reached out to Ollie about interviewing for its vacant head coaching position, leaving the UConn coach mulling over the team's latest extension offer, according to a league source familiar with the situation.

"A team has come at him hard. It's going to be interesting,” the source said. “He's always preferred UConn. But he may have a decision to make."

Ollie's current contract runs through the 2017-18 season, but both Ollie and the Huskies are mindful of his increased market value stemmed from UCONN's recent NCAA championship and heightened NBA interest. Ollie's contract offer is believed to be about double of the $1.25 million he made this past season.

Here is the link:

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-bask...ump-to-nba

The question is will UConn pay him $2.5 million? If yes why move yet.

Steve Kerr's contract reset the market.

But the money would be no big deal for the Lakers. It's just a matter of whether Ollie wants to go to the NBA and whether he wants a job as tough as the Lakers will be for at least the next few years.

Do it.

I could see UCONN paying him $3 mill/season....the sticking point right now on a new contract is Ollie doesn't want any part of the current $2.5 million buyout that is in his current deal in the new one. As for the $5 mill/season request for a NBA job...smart thinking in my opinion. He can stay at UCONN pretty much as long as he wants...as a 13 yr NBA journeyman (who knows the 10 day contract probably as good or better than anyone who has ever played the game) he knows the deal as a head coach in that league. If he is going to leave a job he can stay at forever he needs to be able to finically secure his families future.

If an NBA team pays him he should go...I don't think he is worth $5M but the players aren't worth it either.

Note: The last hot college coach hired into the NBA had a .30% winning percentage in his first season down from .50%

I'm sure he will be an NBA coach one day but i'd stick around uconn for awhile.

Update from the same writer who wrote the initial report: Ollie will say "Thanks but no thanks" to the unnamed NBA team that approached him.

Source: Kevin Ollie not interested in NBA team that contacted him

Quote:Within the next 48 hours, UConn coach Kevin Ollie plans to inform an undisclosed NBA team that has expressed interest that the feeling is not mutual, according to a league source familiar with his thinking.

It is not clear which NBA team has reached out to Ollie, who guided the Huskies to the 2014- NCAA men’s basketball national championship. But according to the source, the teams are neither the Lakers nor the New York Knicks. The Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers also have head coaching vacancies.

“He never got to first base with any NBA team,” the source said.

(05-18-2014 10:02 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  If an NBA team pays him he should go...I don't think he is worth $5M but the players aren't worth it either.

Note: The last hot college coach hired into the NBA had a .30% winning percentage in his first season down from .50%

They also traded away his 2 best players and the 3rd best was hurt for half the season then "hurt" for back o back games.

(05-18-2014 10:55 AM)Minutemen429 Wrote:  

(05-18-2014 10:02 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  If an NBA team pays him he should go...I don't think he is worth $5M but the players aren't worth it either.

Note: The last hot college coach hired into the NBA had a .30% winning percentage in his first season down from .50%

They also traded away his 2 best players and the 3rd best was hurt for half the season then "hurt" for back o back games.

n

I realize that...but my point is hot college coach to NBA is always a risk. We'll see how Brad does over the ext 2-3 seasons. I think you have to give him 3 solid years at a minimum.

(05-18-2014 11:03 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(05-18-2014 10:55 AM)Minutemen429 Wrote:  

(05-18-2014 10:02 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  If an NBA team pays him he should go...I don't think he is worth $5M but the players aren't worth it either.

Note: The last hot college coach hired into the NBA had a .30% winning percentage in his first season down from .50%

They also traded away his 2 best players and the 3rd best was hurt for half the season then "hurt" for back o back games.

n

I realize that...but my point is hot college coach to NBA is always a risk. We'll see how Brad does over the ext 2-3 seasons. I think you have to give him 3 solid years at a minimum.

For the coach it is a no lose situation...if they fail at the NBA level they can always come back to the college ranks-(Pitino and Calipari) and use that NBA experience as a recruiting tool...you can say the same for football-(Saban from the Dolphins to Alabama)...

(05-17-2014 11:01 AM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  The question is will UConn pay him $2.5 million? If yes why move yet.

$5 mill > $2.5 mil

I don't see it when many experienced NBA coaches aren't making that much. Needs much more experience first. He could be really good someday but Why take the chance if You're an NBA owner. You still need Great players to win first.

(05-18-2014 11:06 AM)Maize Wrote:  For the coach it is a no lose situation...if they fail at the NBA level they can always come back to the college ranks-(Pitino and Calipari) and use that NBA experience as a recruiting tool...you can say the same for football-(Saban from the Dolphins to Alabama)...

(05-18-2014 06:45 PM)CardFan1 Wrote:  I don't see it when many experienced NBA coaches aren't making that much. Needs much more experience first. He could be really good someday but Why take the chance if You're an NBA owner. You still need Great players to win first.

Both are solid points. However, when was the last successful NBA coach that came directly from the college ranks? Larry Brown maybe? Of course, he is coaching SMU now. Remember the failed NBA attempts of Pitino, Calipari, Lon Kruger, Leonard Hamilton, Tim Floyd, Mike Montgomery, Reggie Theus, P.J. Carlesimo, etc. Been there done that. Obviously, NBA coaches not coming directly from college fail and get fired as well but if I'm an NBA owner I don't touch Kevin Ollie with a ten foot pole for that kind of money or for even less for that matter. No disrespect to him as I believe he is a fantastic coach but he should stay at UCONN and continue to build their strong tradition in hoops and try to win another championship.

Ollie was an NBA guy up until 2010. There's little comparison between him and a guy like Brad Stevens.

(05-19-2014 06:39 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  Ollie was an NBA guy up until 2010. There's little comparison between him and a guy like Brad Stevens.

This is a GREAT post! Ollie had a 13 yr career in the NBA...and was brought in by both the Cav's and the Thunder as mentor for LeBron James and kevin Durant (both talk VERY highly of him..and have both said he taught them how to work hard and be a NBA player). He also knows what it is like to bounce from team to team, and how much job security means to him and his family. I would compare Ollie to Jason Kidd more than I would Brad Stevens...Ollie has more coaching experience than Jason Kidd had when he was hired to coach the Nets. As a UCONN fan do I hope Ollie stays..HELL YEAH!!! BUT this isn't a fleeting love affair the NBA has with him. I believe that if he does go to the NBA, Kevin Ollie will have a LONG career there!

@AdamZagoria 1h

Kevin Ollie will be the highest-paid coach in the @American_MBB now at $3M per year. Memphis' Josh Pastner makes $2.65.