Mike Fratello had "a nice conversation" with the Memphis Grizzlies about the team's vacant coaching position, but said no deal was in place for him to take over the club on Monday.

Fratello addressed the issue during the telecast of the Boston Celtics-Miami Heat game, which he was working as a color commentator for the Sunshine Network. He met with Grizzlies president of basketball operation Jerry West and general manager Dick Versace for about four hours Saturday, and said another meeting was expected.

"We talked about the future of the franchise, talked about what they were looking for, ran down all the players on the team and said we'd be back and talk once again," Fratello said. "That's about as far as it's gone."

According to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal Grizzlies GM Jerry West has met with head coach candidate Mike Fratello Saturday to discuss the team's head coaching vacancy but no agreement has been reached to this point.

Fratello, 57, is the leading candidate to replace coach Hubie Brown, who retired Thursday because of health reasons.

"Jerry basically interviewed or talked with Mike Fratello," majority owner Michael Heisley said. "He didn't tell me what went on. I haven't talked to him about it. ... I assume they had a good talk about it. I have no reason to believe they won't talk again."

Heisley denied a national television report that said Fratello had already accepted the job.

"It's news to me," Heisley said. "I think I'd know if we had a contract."

Lionel Hollins may be the interim head coach in Memphis after Hubie Brown's shock retirement, but according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal Hollins, on his second tour of duty with the Grizzlies, may not even last past Monday.

According to the paper former NBA coaches Mike Fratello, Eric Musselman and George Karl are believed to be candidates to succeed Brown. Fratello and Musselman visited Grizzlies training camp last month.

"I can't worry about that and I'm not going to because those decisions are out of my hands," Hollins said. "I hope I get an opportunity for the whole year. That would be great."

Hollins said Brown's goodbye was emotional and didn't end without a story. Brown often told stories to illuminate his point.

"He told me you've got to be yourself, and he told a story about being yourself," Hollins said. "I told him I loved him. It's hard because I didn't want to see him go. But from a personal perspective I understand. I enjoyed working under him. He's done a lot for me and the future of my career. ... To get to know him and get to work under him was pleasurable."

Grizzlies President of Basketball Operations Jerry West announced that after a successful 33-year basketball coaching career, Grizzlies Head Coach Hubie Brown is retiring. Grizzlies Assistant Coach Lionel Hollins has been named the team?s interim head coach.

?Unexpected health-related issues will not allow me to continue coaching the Memphis Grizzlies,? said Hubie Brown. ?This situation was unforeseen and absolutely non-existent at the beginning of the season.?

Hollins takes over as the Grizzlies? interim head coach for the second time in his career.

ESPN's Jim Gray reports that Mike Fratello, a former Hubie Brown protege, is the leading candidate to replace Brown. During TNT's Pacers/Timberwolves telecast Fratello remarked how Brown gave him his first job in the league when Brown was coaching the New York Knicks.

The increased level of expectations for the Memphis Grizzlies following their first winning season in franchise history last year (at 50-32, at that) may be too much for the team to handle, as they have slipped to 3-5 early in this season.

The team is rife with complaints about aging head coach Hubie Brown's 10-man rotation, reports of President Jerry West pushing Brown to play Bonzi Wells in the starting lineup at shooting guard ahead of Mike Miller, and accusations of nepotism regarding the rapid assension of Hubie's son Brendan from a scout to lead assistant coach in a matter of a few years. Devaluing the input of basketball veterans Hal Wissel, Tony Barone Sr. (also the team's director of player personnel) and Lionel Hollins (once the team's head coach), Brendan Brown has become the associate head coach of sorts, which hasn't sat well with the players, especially starting point guard Jason Williams.

Are the Grizzlies taking backwards steps in Memphis after so many years of ineptitude?