22 Facts About Kevin Ollie

Kevin Jermaine Ollie was born on December 27,1972 and is an American basketball coach and former player.

Kevin Ollie is the former head coach of the University of Connecticut men's basketball team and only one of four African American coaches to ever win an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.

Kevin Ollie graduated from Connecticut in 1995 with a degree in Communications.

Kevin Ollie played for twelve National Basketball Association franchises, most prominently in three stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, in thirteen seasons from 1997 to 2010 after beginning his career with the CBA in 1995.

Kevin Ollie was born in Dallas, Texas to parents Fletcher and Dorothy Kevin Ollie and grew up in the rough neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.

When Kevin Ollie was 7, his parents divorced and his father moved to Dallas.

Kevin Ollie spent summers there, cutting lawns and doing other odd jobs so he could be with him for some length of time.

Kevin Ollie attended and played basketball at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, California.

Kevin Ollie then starred for four seasons at the University of Connecticut.

Kevin Ollie was then signed by the Oklahoma City Thunder on August 1,2009 for the veteran's minimum.

NBA player Kevin Durant in an interview with Grantland said that Kevin Ollie "taught him the ropes", and "changed the culture of Oklahoma City".

Kevin Ollie had previously played a similar role with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In 2012, Kevin Ollie was named the head basketball coach at Connecticut, replacing longtime hall of fame coach Jim Calhoun.

Kevin Ollie served as an assistant coach for Calhoun's final two seasons at UConn.

On December 29,2012, UConn and Kevin Ollie agreed to a five-year deal.

On May 22,2014, Kevin Ollie signed a new five-year contract with UConn, worth $2.8 million per year.

Kevin Ollie was fired with just cause on March 10,2018 due to an investigation by the NCAA which led to a three-year show cause order from the NCAA for violations that took place over a four-year period ending in 2017.

Kevin Ollie was charged with three Level I violations stemming from the following: summer pick-up games that should have counted toward allowable team activities, a video coordinator engaging in impermissible coaching instruction and a booster providing extra benefits to student-athletes.

Kevin Ollie, 46, filed a grievance following his firing, seeking to get $10 million in back pay.

Kevin Ollie filed a claim under the University's grievance process, alleging disparate treatment due as his predecessor was retained despite committing NCAA violations.

UConn then refused to continue with the contractual grievance process when Kevin Ollie filed a separate claim through the courts.

On January 20,2022, an arbitrator ruled that UConn improperly fired Kevin Ollie and ordered the university to pay him back pay.