4 Perfect Jacque Vaughn Replacements as Nets Head Coach

4. Kevin Ollie

There is a chance the Brooklyn Nets will prefer to hire internally. This has its benefits, especially for an in-season hire. A coach who already knows the organization, is familiar with the players and the system could be a big advantage. Kevin Ollie would certainly be an intriguing hire for Brooklyn.

Ollie was hired as an assistant coach in the offseason, after having worked with Overtime Elite the previous two seasons. Yet, he is best known for his tenure with the University of Connecticut, first as an assistant to hall-of-fame coach Jim Calhoun, then as a head coach between 2012 and 2018. He won the NCAA title with the Huskies in 2014.

Ollie's track record of player development could be useful for a young team like the Brooklyn Nets. Players like Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton, as well as 2023 first-round draft picks like Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead could benefit immensely from a development-focused coach like Ollie.

There is a decent chance that Ollie will be given a chance as the interim head coach for the rest of the season. If he can prove that he is the man for the job, he could secure a long-term deal with the organization, similar to how Jacque Vaughn got the head coaching gig in the first place.