After retiring as a player, Hollins returned to his alma mater to serve as an assistant coach at Arizona State in 1985, and stayed until 1988,[1] when Cotton Fitzsimmons brought him on to his new staff with the Phoenix Suns.

His run in Phoenix was highlighted by a 62–20 season in 1992–93, led by new head coach Paul Westphal and league MVP Charles Barkley, culminating in an NBA Finals appearance where they would lose to the Chicago Bulls.

[9] With the Grizzlies were coming off consecutive 22–60 seasons, Hollins focused on retooling the roster with players who play his "hard nosed" style, ushering in what would be known as the "Grit and Grind" era.

In his first offseason, Memphis would acquire Zach Randolph and Tony Allen, both of whom Hollins saw as perfect fits for his brand of basketball.

[11] This streak helped the Grizzlies earn the four seed in the Western Conference, with home court advantage for the first time in franchise history.

Marc Gasol was named Defensive Player of the Year as the Grizzlies held opponents to 89.3 points per game.

In the second round, they defeated the top-seeded and defending Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder in five games.

Though attributed to Oklahoma City being without superstar point guard Russell Westbrook for the series, Memphis advanced to their first conference finals in team history.

However, a four-game sweep to the experienced San Antonio Spurs ended the Grizzlies' season and playoff run.

On July 2, 2014, Hollins and the Brooklyn Nets reached an agreement for him to serve as the team's head coach for the next four seasons.

[18][19] Hollins won his 2nd championship on October 11, 2020, when the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals in 6 games.

His other son, Anthony, played Division III basketball for the at-the-time top-ranked team in the country, Washington University in St. Louis Bears.