Kevin Ollie facts for kids
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Ollie in 2014
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 27, 1972 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| High school | Crenshaw (Los Angeles, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | UConn (1991–1995) |
| NBA Draft | 1995 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1995–2010 |
| Coaching career | 2012–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1995–1997 | Connecticut Pride |
| 1997 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1998 | Orlando Magic |
| 1999 | Sacramento Kings |
| 1999 | Orlando Magic |
| 1999–2000 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2000 | New Jersey Nets |
| 2000–2001 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2001–2002 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2002 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2002–2003 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2003 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 2003–2004 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2004–2008 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2008–2009 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2009–2010 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| As coach: | |
| 2010–2012 | UConn (assistant) |
| 2012–2018 | UConn |
| 2021–2023 | Overtime Elite |
| 2023–2024 | Brooklyn Nets (assistant) |
| 2024 | Brooklyn Nets (interim) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 2,496 (3.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,018 (1.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,501 (2.3 apg) |
Kevin Jermaine Ollie (born December 27, 1972) is an American basketball coach and former player. He was most recently the interim head coach for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He used to be the head coach for the University of Connecticut men's basketball team. Ollie is one of only four African-American coaches to win an NCAA men's basketball championship. He earned a degree in communications from UConn in 1995.
Ollie played for many NBA teams during his thirteen seasons from 1997 to 2010. Before that, he started his career in the CBA in 1995. After he stopped playing professionally in 2010, Ollie became an assistant coach at UConn. In 2012, he became the head coach after Jim Calhoun retired. In his second year as head coach, his team won the 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. His time as head coach at UConn ended in 2018.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Kevin Ollie was born in Dallas, Texas. He grew up in Los Angeles, California. His mother, a teacher and minister, raised him and his two older sisters.
Playing High School and College Basketball
Ollie played basketball at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. He then became a star player for four seasons at the University of Connecticut from 1991 to 1995. After college, he played for the Connecticut Pride in the Continental Basketball Association from 1995 to 1997. Then, he began his career in the NBA.
Kevin Ollie's NBA Playing Career
The Minnesota Timberwolves chose Ollie as their team captain for the 2008–09 season. He later signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009. After that season, Ollie retired from playing to become an assistant coach for the Connecticut Huskies.
Impact on NBA Teams and Players
NBA player Kevin Durant once said that Ollie "taught him the ropes" and "changed the culture" of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant explained that Ollie's professional attitude inspired many young players. This included stars like Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, and James Harden.
Ollie played a similar important role with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers' General Manager, Jim Paxson, said they signed Ollie to help their younger players. He especially wanted Ollie to be a good influence on LeBron James. Paxson valued Ollie's "professionalism and approach to the game."
Coaching Career Highlights
In 2012, Kevin Ollie became the head basketball coach at Connecticut. He took over from his former college coach, Jim Calhoun. Ollie had also been an assistant coach for Calhoun for two seasons. As an assistant, he helped the Huskies win the 2011 NCAA men's basketball championship.
Leading the UConn Huskies
On December 29, 2012, UConn and Ollie agreed to a five-year contract. In his first season as head coach, the Huskies finished with a 20–10 record. However, the team could not play in the postseason due to an NCAA ban from previous years.
In December 2013, the Huskies beat Florida and were ranked #9. They finished third in their conference and made it to the NCAA tournament. UConn, a #7 seed, surprised many by winning against higher-ranked teams. They became the first #7 seed to reach the Final Four since 1985.
On April 5, 2014, the Huskies defeated top-ranked Florida in the Final Four. Then, on April 7, they beat Kentucky 60–54 in the championship game. This win gave UConn its fourth NCAA men's championship in fifteen years.
Later Coaching Years and New Roles
Ollie signed a new five-year contract with UConn in May 2014. His time as head coach ended in March 2018. Some of their wins from the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons were later removed from the record due to rules issues.
In April 2021, Ollie was hired by Overtime Elite. He became their head of coaching and basketball development. In June 2023, he joined the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA as an assistant coach. After the head coach was let go in early 2024, Ollie became the interim head coach for the Nets.
Awards and Honors
In 2014, ESPN ranked Kevin Ollie as the tenth best college basketball coach. This was impressive because he was only in his second year of coaching. He led his team to a national championship despite facing challenges.
Personal Life
Kevin Ollie is a Christian. During his NBA career, he was very involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He has two children, a son named Jalen and a daughter named Cheyenne.
NBA Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | Dallas | 16 | 0 | 13.4 | .333 | — | .720 | 1.3 | 2.0 | .4 | .0 | 2.9 |
| Orlando | 19 | 0 | 11.4 | .411 | .000 | .689 | .9 | 1.7 | .4 | .0 | 4.1 | |
| 1998–99 | Sacramento | 7 | 0 | 9.7 | .308 | — | .800 | .9 | .4 | .4 | .1 | 1.7 |
| Orlando | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | .000 | — | .500 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 | |
| 1999–00 | Philadelphia | 40 | 0 | 7.3 | .449 | — | .757 | .8 | 1.2 | .3 | .0 | 1.8 |
| 2000–01 | New Jersey | 19 | 0 | 8.5 | .185 | — | .632 | 1.2 | 1.3 | .3 | .0 | 1.2 |
| Philadelphia | 51 | 4 | 15.0 | .430 | .333 | .729 | 1.4 | 2.4 | .5 | .0 | 3.8 | |
| 2001–02 | Chicago | 52 | 17 | 22.0 | .383 | .500 | .838 | 2.5 | 3.7 | .7 | .0 | 5.8 |
| Indiana | 29 | 0 | 19.9 | .400 | — | .804 | 1.9 | 3.4 | .9 | .0 | 5.4 | |
| 2002–03 | Milwaukee | 53 | 4 | 21.3 | .459 | .200 | .747 | 1.9 | 3.4 | .7 | .1 | 5.7 |
| Seattle | 29 | 1 | 26.6 | .441 | 1.000 | .759 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 1.1 | .0 | 8.0 | |
| 2003–04 | Cleveland | 82 | 7 | 17.1 | .370 | .444 | .835 | 2.1 | 2.9 | .6 | .1 | 4.2 |
| 2004–05 | Philadelphia | 26 | 0 | 6.1 | .355 | — | .667 | .7 | .7 | .2 | .0 | 1.1 |
| 2005–06 | Philadelphia | 70 | 23 | 15.3 | .431 | .333 | .837 | 1.4 | 1.4 | .5 | .0 | 2.7 |
| 2006–07 | Philadelphia | 53 | 23 | 17.3 | .433 | .100 | .822 | 1.4 | 2.5 | .4 | .0 | 3.8 |
| 2007–08 | Philadelphia | 40 | 0 | 7.5 | .420 | .000 | .800 | .5 | 1.0 | .3 | .0 | 1.8 |
| 2008–09 | Minnesota | 50 | 21 | 17.0 | .407 | .000 | .833 | 1.5 | 2.3 | .4 | .1 | 4.0 |
| 2009–10 | Oklahoma City | 25 | 0 | 10.5 | .400 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.0 | 0.8 | .4 | .0 | 1.8 |
| Career | 662 | 100 | 15.6 | .410 | .310 | .792 | 1.5 | 2.3 | .5 | .0 | 3.8 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Philadelphia | 10 | 0 | 6.5 | .500 | .000 | .889 | .5 | 1.2 | .2 | .0 | 2.0 |
| 2001 | Philadelphia | 23 | 0 | 5.3 | .370 | .000 | .929 | .4 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 1.4 |
| 2002 | Indiana | 5 | 0 | 23.6 | .423 | .500 | 1.000 | 2.4 | 4.6 | .6 | .0 | 5.8 |
| 2008 | Philadelphia | 3 | 0 | 6.3 | .250 | .000 | 1.000 | .3 | 1.0 | .7 | .0 | 1.3 |
| 2010 | Oklahoma City | 1 | 0 | 5.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 42 | 0 | 7.9 | .406 | .500 | .935 | .7 | 1.5 | .2 | .0 | 2.1 | |
Head Coaching Record
College Coaching Stats
Ollie's victories from the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons have been vacated.
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UConn Huskies (Big East Conference) (2012–2013) | |||||||||
| 2012–13 | UConn | 20–10 | 10–8 | T–7th | Ineligible | ||||
| UConn Huskies (American Athletic Conference) (2013–2018) | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | UConn | 32–8 | 12–6 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I champion | ||||
| 2014–15 | UConn | 20–15 | 10–8 | T–5th | NIT first round | ||||
| 2015–16 | UConn | 25–11 | 11–7 | 6th | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2016–17 | UConn | 16–17 | 9–9 | Vacated | |||||
| 2017–18 | UConn | 0–18 | 0–11 | Vacated | |||||
| Connecticut/UConn: | 97–79 (.551) | 43–49 (.467) | |||||||
| Total: | 97–79 (.551) | ||||||||
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National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
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NBA Coaching Stats
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 2023–24 | 28 | 11 | 17 | .393 | 4th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Career | 28 | 11 | 17 | .393 | — | — | — | — | |||
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Ollie para niños
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four appearances by coach
