Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie shouts instructions during the first half in a regional semifinal against Iowa State in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament Friday, March 28, 2014, in New York. (Frank Franklin II/The Associated Press file)
The Lakers do not know who they next head coach will be.
But a flurry of oddsmakers apparently do.
Bovada, an online betting site, pins UConn coach Kevin Ollie and former Laker and Time Warner Cable Analyst Byron Scott as the favorites with 7/2 odds to land the head-coaching position.
Ollie will listen to offers but has started negotiations with the Huskies that will extend his contract, according to league sources. Scott immediately expressed interest as an analyst on Time Warner Cable SportsNet, the Lakers’ cable channel.
The next favorites entail 4/1 odds to Bulls coach Tim Thibodeau (the Lakers would need to get permission from Chicago to interview him) and Kentucky coach John Calipari (he has denied interest in any other head-coaching job). Bovada gave 15/2 odds to Oklahoma City guard Derek Fisher, who wouldn’t be a candidate until the Thunder’s run in the NBA playoffs end.
ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy received 8/1 odds after sparking interest in other recent Lakers’ searches. After that, 10/1 odds go to George Karl (who has extensive NBA head coaching experience) and Kurt Rambis (a longtime fixture with the Lakers most recently as an assistant). Lastly, 12/1 odds go to former Lakers and Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy and former Memphis coach Lionel Hollins.
At this point, however, consider all candidates on an equal playing field. Namely, the Lakers have not contacted any candidates yet.
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