Rumors tied Kevin Ollie to almost every vacant coaching job in the NBA, but the UConn Huskies have kept the head coach that led them to the national title in 2014, signing him to a five-year contract that will pay him around $3 million a season.

Ollie could have made much more in the NBA and with other college basketball programs once those opened up, but Ollie played for the Huskies in the 1990’s before a long and eventful NBA career, leading him to become Calhoun’s assistant at Hartford, being part of the coaching staff when UConn beat Butler for the 2011 national title.

This is Ollie signing a third deal since becoming the head coach. After Calhoun stepped down in 2012, Ollie signed a seven-month deal. In the middle of the season, which promised no tournament because of NCAA sanctions, he was offered a five-year deal worth $7.5 million. The new deal he signed, more than doubling his salary, will replace the previous one he signed.

Ollie is now the highest paid head coach in the American conference, especially now that Louisville are gone to the ACC. He was linked to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but there hasn’t been any direct contact between him and the teams. Ollie has stated more than once that his intention was staying in Connecticut, and the two sides have been in pretty much agreement of sitting down for extension talks after beating Iowa State in the Sweet Sixteen.

Ollie has a 52-18 record with the Huskies in two seasons as their head coach. After being inelgible to compete in the conference and NCAA tournament in 2013, UConn went in as the #7 seed, beating St. Joseph’s, Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, Florida and Kentucky to win their fourth national title since 1999.

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