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Oklahoma City Thunder: Top 5 Candidates To Replace Scott Brooks

By Gerald Bourguet

March 1, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks watches game action against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
March 1, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks watches game action against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Scott Brooks
Feb 25, 2015; Greenville, NC, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Kevin Ollie gestures during the second half against the East Carolina Pirates at Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. Connecticut won 60-49. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Kevin Ollie

A few days ago, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reported that UCONN head coach Kevin Ollie was being seriously considered as a candidate for the OKC coaching job. At the time, it felt like conjecture, but now that Brooks has officially been fired, could there be truth to this report?

Maybe, maybe not. Ollie is certainly a good coach who knows the game, as evidenced by his leading the Huskies to the national championship in 2014. But the real reason for hiring him would be his relationship with Kevin Durant and the franchise in general. In a B.S. Report podcast with Grantland’s Bill Simmons, Durant said Ollie’s short time as a player with the Thunder helped change the franchise’s culture.

“Kevin Ollie, he was a game-changer for us,” Durant said. “His mindset, his professionalism, every single day. And we all watched that, we wanted to be like that, and it rubbed off on Russell, myself, Jeff Green, James Harden. And you know, everybody that comes through now, there’s a standard you’ve got to live up to as a Thunder player. And that started with Kevin Ollie.”

Pretty strong words from a former MVP about a guy who only played a grand total of 25 games with the Thunder. But he has the respect of the team’s most important player, a player the Thunder will be hellbent on keeping next summer. Between that, Ollie’s recent coaching success and the fact that college coaches can coach at this level (see Stevens, Brad), Ollie’s name may come up.

Next: No. 2

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