NBA Rumors: Kevin Ollie interested in Los Angeles Lakers job

Kevin Ollie already has a good head coaching gig with his alma mater Connecticut Huskies, but does he have interest in the Los Angeles Lakers’ vacancy?

Kevin Ollie is entering his fifth year as the head coach of the Connecticut Huskies’ Men’s Basketball team. Ollie has gone 97-44 in four seasons leading his alma mater replacing the Hall of Fame head coach Jim Calhoun, winning a National Championship in 2013-14.

However, the former 13-year journeyman in the NBA does have reported interest in becoming the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, who parted ways with former head coach Byron Scott on Monday after a disastrous 17-65 2015-16 NBA season.

Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that “though it would be viewed as a common courtesy, the Lakers would not need to seek permission from the Huskies to interview Ollie” as “no NCAA program can levy tampering charges.”

Ollie seems to have a dream job coaching his alma mater, but he did lose former Connecticut athletic director Warde Manuel to the University of Michigan. Ollie does have a buyout clause in his Connecticut contract should he walk away from the final three years on his current deal to coach the university’s men’s team.

Though Ollie played for 10 different NBA franchises in 11 cities during his 13-year playing career form 1997 to 2010, he never once wore the purple and gold of the Lakers. Ollie is one of the few coaching candidates that is uniquely qualified to take over this young Lakers corps should he be given the opportunity.

It would make sense for the Lakers to target a coach that likes to work with young players, as they have so many guys in their early 20s already on their roster. While Ollie could very well stay in place in Storrs, he is one of the coaches in the college game today that could take the leap to the NBA to become the next head coach of the Lakers.

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