Lakers Interested in Ollie for Head Coaching Job: Report

Fresh off his national championship season as the head coach at UConn, Kevin Ollie is getting a look from at least one NBA team.

Sources close to the Los Angeles Lakers tell NBC Sports' ProBasketballTalk that Ollie has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the team's vacant head coaching job.

The speculation that the NBA might come calling began almost immediately after UConn took down Kentucky to win a national title in Ollie's second season as Huskies' coach. It was his first post-season coaching experience since UConn was banned from all tournament play last year, thanks to low academic scores dating back to when Jim Calhoun coached the team.

The Lakers would not confirm Ollie is on their short list to replace Mike D'Antoni, who resigned on Wednesday.

"At this time, Mitch Kupchack and Jim Buss are compiling a list of potential candidates, but we will not be making that list public, nor will we comment on any reports, stories or rumors about who may or may not be on our list," the team said in a statement on Thursday.

Ollie, who grew up in Los Angeles, spent four years as a player at UConn in the 1990s before playing for several teams in the NBA, in a career that spanned more than a decade.

He has the respect of many NBA superstars, including LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

UConn would not comment on the reports.

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