5 College Basketball Coaches Who May Be Auditioning for the NBA This Season
The trend is real. NBA organizations are targeting college basketball coaches in an attempt to find leaders who are more in tune with today's game and players.
It started with Butler's Brad Stevens going to the Boston Celtics. This past year, we've seen the Oklahoma City Thunder hire Florida's Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls land Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg.
It's not going to stop here, as noted by Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher. Younger coaches may now have a leg up on the older traditionalists and disciplinarians.
While coaches such as John Calipari and Tom Izzo are seemingly mentioned every year, I pegged five new candidates who could draw NBA interest following the season.
Sean Miller, Arizona
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Sean Miller's reputation has continued to grow, both as a recruiter and an X's-and-O's coach. And it's led to some buzz recently within the NBA conversation.
"Over the past couple of years, Miller has emerged as a name execs and scouts view as strong NBA head coach material should he get restless in Tucson," wrote ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz.
"He has always understood the game inside and out," Stan Van Gundy told Arnovitz last year. "What really got me was how he connected with players."
Miller led Xavier to three NCAA tournament appearances in four years before joining Arizona and reigniting the program. Since taking over in 2009, he's landed high-profile high school names such as Aaron Gordon, Stanley Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Kaleb Tarczewski and Nick Johnson. And he's managed to reach three Elite Eights and a Sweet 16.
Miller, 46, coaches with visible passion. His pack-line defense, which is meant to crowd the paint and stop dribble penetration, has been a success.
Miller hasn't expressed any specific interest in making the jump, but for a general manager looking to inject his locker room and huddle with youth and energy, he seems like an obvious candidate.
Bill Self, Kansas
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Though he seems content where he is, Bill Self has never ruled out making an eventual jump to the NBA.
"It hasn't really tempted me because I haven't had that many people talk to me about it. But at some point and time, sure, I think it would," Self said told Mike Baldwin of the Oklahoman in 2013, via ESPN.com.
With NBA folks more willing than ever to seek out a coach from the NCAA, it wouldn't be shocking to see general managers look to Self as a legitimate coaching candidate.
Using his signature hi-low offensive set, he's led Kansas to consistent success, having reached the NCAA tournament in 12 of 12 years (two Final Fours, one national championship). And he always seems to land a few of the most sought-after recruits in the country, from Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid to Kelly Oubre, Cliff Alexander and, most recently, Cheick Diallo.
ESPN's Jeff Goodman reported that "NBA guys" pegged Self, along with Connecticut's Kevin Ollie, as the next-most-likely coach to go from college to the pros.
Tony Bennett, Virginia
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Though there haven't been any specific whispers of NBA interest in Tony Bennett, there could be after another impressive season.
Bennett has helped transform Virginia into a defensive powerhouse. His teams have finished in the top six in the country in defensive efficiency during three of the last four years, per Kenpom.com.
He's also had tremendous success without the help of much NBA talent. It makes you wonder what he'd be able to do with a handful of pros.
Bennett served as an assistant to Billy Donovan on the USA under-19 FIBA World Championship team that took gold in 2013.
The United States Basketball Writers Association voted him the 2015 college coach of the year.
Bennett is clearly a name on the rise. His steady success and composure on the sidelines are qualities that could certainly generate interest.
Kevin Ollie, Connecticut
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Kevin Ollie signed an extension with Connecticut in 2014, but that might not stop general managers from knocking.
A 13-year NBA point guard who last played in 2010, Ollie fits the description of a head coach that players may better relate to. Always known for his leadership on the floor and professionalism off it, Ollie has drawn rave reviews from former teammates.
"Kevin Ollie, he was a game-changer for us," Kevin Durant told Bill Simmons. "He changed the whole culture, I think. He might not say it, but I think he changed the whole culture in Oklahoma City."
"He [Ollie] coached while he was on the team," former Thunder and current Memphis Grizzlies forward Jeff Green said, via Jay King of MassLive.com. "He’s a great motivator. As a teammate, he expected the best out of his teammates."
Ollie joined Connecticut's staff in 2011 before taking over for Jim Calhoun in 2012; in 2014, he led Connecticut to a national title. Since then, the NBA rumors have started to swirl. Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Oklahoma City Thunder were interested in Ollie before they hired Billy Donovan.
Look for the rumors to pick back up next spring once more NBA head coaching positions inevitably open.
Larry Krystkowiak, Utah
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From an NBA perspective, it's become difficult to ignore the job Larry Krystkowiak has done at Utah—especially when you consider his background.
His resume is impressive—Krystkowiak spent nine years as an NBA player before becoming a head coach in the CBA, college and Milwaukee, where he took over for the Bucks (100 total games) after Terry Stotts was fired in 2007.
Krystkowiak recently signed a long-term extension at Utah, though if he ever decided to leave, he'd only have to pay a buyout of $1.4 million over four years, according to the Salt Lake Tribune's Matt Piper and Kyle Goon.
Despite losing eight transfers after landing the Utah job in 2011, Krystkowiak managed to rebuild the program and establish a winning culture.
He has "similar NBA mind/ideas like [Fred] Hoiberg/[Kevin] Ollie," tweeted ESPN's Fran Fraschilla.
"Many close to Krystkowiak identify a lack of ego as perhaps his most important asset as a coach," wrote the Salt Lake Tribune's Goon.
His interest level in another NBA coaching job remains uncertain, but Krystkowiak certainly has the credentials, as well as attractive energy and charisma, that could draw interest from general managers who are looking for a fiery locker-room leader.
