the The Detroit Pistons are closing in on hiring their new head coach.
New Orleans Pelicans assistant Jaron Collins, Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee and former Yukon coach Kevin Ollie are scheduled to fly to Los Angeles next week to meet with Pistons owner Tom Joris, a team source familiar with the process told the Free Press on Friday. Although there were additional candidates under consideration who could make it to the interview stage, Collins, Lee and Ollie made an early impression.
The big third part, part one: Kevin Ollie has a unique resume
Part 3 The Big One, Part 2: Jaron Collins’ defensive mind can make him perfect for the job
The Big Three, Part 3: Charles Lee is fast rising in the NBA and could be the next Pistons coach
Lee, the youngest of the group at thirty-eight years old, He has been on the staff of former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Bodenholzer since 2014. Milwaukee promoted Lee to an assistant coach position this past summer. It is unclear if Budenholzer’s recent firing will affect Lee’s availability. In addition to the Pistons, he recently gave an interview regarding the vacant position of the Toronto Raptors.
Collins, 44 years old He is also believed to be one of the brightest coaches in the NBA. Before joining bench Willie Green from Detroit in 2021, he was the defensive coordinator for the Golden State Warriors and won three championships with the organization. Collins is also a former NBA player, who played 13 seasons after being selected in the second round of the 2021 draft.
Oli, 50, He has the most experience, as well as the least time on the NBA bench. He moved straight from the NBA to an assistant coach job at his alma mater, then took over in 2012 and led the program to a national championship in 2014. But after a few seasons, he was fired in 2018, due to NCAA rules violations. He later won a lawsuit against his former school, and was most recently the head of coaching and basketball development for Overtime Elite before stepping down in March.
This article originally appeared on the Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons owner meets with 3 coaching candidates