Monday morning, the Brooklyn Nets made the surprising decision to dismiss Jacque Vaughn from his duties as head coach, a move GM Sean Marks described as "difficult" but one he feels "is in the best interest of the team going forward."
Replacing him on the sidelines is former UCONN headman Kevin Ollie, who, following a brief two-year stint running Overtime Elite from 2021 to 2023, joined on with the franchise as an assistant ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
A well-respected basketball mind with experience both as a player (had a 13-year NBA career) and clipboard holder, the 51-year-old's promotion is one that is being celebrated by both fans and media pundits alike, with former sixth-man extraordinaire Lou Williams deeming it as "a great decision" by the Nets organization.
Of course, Ollie's title is currently just "interim head coach," meaning his time serving in the role may be limited and, during a recent appearance on Fan Duel's 'Run it Back,' NBA Insider Shams Charania provided intel that only strengthens the notion that his promotion may only be for a short time.
Brooklyn Nets to have 'full-blown coaching search' this summer
"Kevin Ollie could be part of their process, but the Nets are going to have a full-blown coaching search in the summer. Sean Marks will be on his fifth coach in eight-plus years as GM, as running that organization in Brooklyn. That's a lot of head coaches."Shams Charania
"Kevin Ollie could be part of their process, but the Nets are going to have a full blown coaching search in the summer."@ShamsCharania on the Brooklyn Nets naming Kevin Ollie as the Interim Head Coach.
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 20, 2024
📺: https://t.co/qYBPWhXIrz pic.twitter.com/T10NzZ22VD
Of course, as acknowledged by Charania, though the Nets are expected to be in an all-out search for a full-time head coach this summer, this is not to say that Ollie wouldn't be in strong consideration for the position.
Described by the Insider as "a leader" who "was a championship coach at the University of Connecticut," before joining on with Brooklyn this past offseason Ollie was reported to have been a finalist for the top sideline spot with the Detroit Pistons before they decided to sign two-time NBCA Coach of the Year, Monty Williams instead.
With this, it's evident that he's been a coveted coach among rival teams, which only strengthens his claim to taking on the full-time role with the Nets beyond this year, especially if he can help the team finish their final 28 games strong and land them a Play-In Tournament berth in the process.