Following a stint as an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards, basketball analytics pioneer Dean Oliver is returning to ESPN as a data scientist working on the company’s Basketball Power Index and player metrics.
Oliver has held a wide array of positions in basketball analytics after helping to kick off the statistical revolution in the sport with his 2002 book “Basketball On Paper.” He was Director of Analytics at ESPN from 2011-14 between stints in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings before getting a chance to coach with the Wizards in 2019.
“When I was at ESPN the first time, we did tremendous work that the company has carried on while I’ve been in the NBA,” Oliver said in a press release. “I’ve stayed in touch with the group there and am really excited to work with them again as we take on the challenges of developing intricate storytelling basketball metrics.”
Oliver has written about NBA analytics online since 1996, when he did so for About.com.
Since Oliver’s departure from ESPN a decade ago, the network has bolstered its fantasy and betting offerings, leveling up its paywalled ESPN+ content.
With the launch of ESPN Bet last year and the continued overlap between gambling and sports content, it makes sense that Oliver would return to ESPN.
From an NBA standpoint, Oliver is a trailblazer. He was among the first statisticians to work in the league, and rose all the way to a spot on the bench as an assistant coach.
[ESPN PR]
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.