By ADAM ZAGORIA
UConn has named associate head coach Raphael Chillious as the interim head coach following the firing of Kevin Ollie on Saturday, a source confirmed.
Rhode Island head coach Dan Hurley remains among the perceived favorites to replace Ollie, but the Rams open the NCAA Tournament on Thursday against Oklahoma in Pittsburgh.
Chilious joined the UConn coaching staff in March, 2017, as associate head coach, bringing with him a wealth of experience coaching on the college level and the reputation as a top-notch national recruiter.
Chillious came to UConn after spending seven of the past eight seasons on the coaching staff at the University of Washington, including the 2016-17 season as associate head coach. He began his Division I coaching career at Washington in 2009-10, where he remained for three seasons before joining the coaching staff at Villanova in 2012-13. After one year at Villanova, Chillious returned to the Washington staff and was part of that coaching staff until coming to UConn. Chillious has been credited as the key to Washington’s highly-ranked recruiting classes of 2010. 2011, the No. 7-rated class of 2015, and the outstanding class of 2016, which included Top 10 recruit Markelle Fultz.
Prior to his first stint at Washington, Chillious served a year as a business manager for Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball in Beaverton, Ore., where his responsibilities included leading a team that conducted clinics and camps throughout the United States and foreign locations, identifying young basketball talent.
Chillious previously served as the head basketball coach and co-athletic director at South Kent (Conn.) School from 2003-2008, where he mentored future NBA stars Isaiah Thomas, Dorrell Wright, Andray Blatche and Dion Waiters. Before going to South Kent, he was also a prep school coach at West Nottingham Academy (Colora, Md.), where he coached future UConn and New Jersey Nets forward Josh Boone.
TERRY LARRIER LEAVING UCONN
In other UConn news, 6-foot-8 redshirt junior Terry Larrier of The Bronx announced he’s leaving school and will enter the NBA Draft.
Larrier averaged 13.9 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Terry Larrier leaving UConn and will enter the Draft https://t.co/IhYozikuox
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 12, 2018
Photo: Hartford Courant
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