Pistons Rumors: Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee, Jarron Collins Are Front-Runners for HC Job

The Detroit Pistons have three front-runners for their open head coaching position after Dwane Casey departed the sidelines for a front office role.

James L. Edwards III of The Athletic provided the scoop:

"Per team and league sources, Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee, New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Jarron Collins and Overtime Elite head coach Kevin Ollie are the current, early front-runners for Detroit's first-chair vacancy. Lee and Ollie were two names high on Detroit's list going into the process and have both interviewed with team executives. Collins, too, was someone the organization was very interested in going into the process and, according to league and team sources, had a stellar interview."

The Pistons job will be a tough one for anyone who takes over after the team finished a league-worst 17-65 this year.

However, Detroit also has some exciting young backcourt talent in Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey alongside a few young frontcourt prospects and No. 2 overall picks who impressed in their second acts after leaving their original teams in James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III.

Detroit is guaranteed a top-five lottery pick this year as well and has a 14 percent chance at getting No. 1 overall, which would assuredly mean selecting 7'4" French superstar Victor Wembanyama.

As for the candidates, the 50-year-old Ollie notably led UConn men's hoops to the 2014 national title, four years after his 13-season NBA career ended. Ollie, who also played college hoops at UConn, was the head coach from 2012 to 2018. He's now with Overtime Elite as its head of coaching and basketball development.

Lee, 38, has been an assistant under head coach Mike Budenholzer for the Atlanta Hawks (2014 to 2018) before following him to Milwaukee, where he's been ever since. The former Bucknell hoops star won a championship with the 2020-21 Bucks. He's received head coaching interest in the past from the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans.

The 44-year-old Collins was a big man in the NBA from 2001 to 2011, spending his first eight seasons with the Utah Jazz. He won three NBA championships as a Golden State Warriors assistant coach before heading to New Orleans to work under Pelicans head coach Willie Green in 2021.