Lionel Hollins reacts to Russian news agency report saying he's out as soon as replacement can be found

In talking with beat reporters Monday, Lionel Hollins reacted to a disputed Russian news report that he will soon be dumped as the team's head coach.

Lionel Hollins on reportedly being on the hot seat. "The seat is always hot. It was hot when I sat in it for the first time."

— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) December 7, 2015

Hollins said he doesn't worry about being fired bc not in his control. "You're hired to be fired. ... It's the nature of this business."

— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) December 7, 2015

Hollins says focus is doing his job: "& when it's over, somebody calls me up & says you're not here anymore, I pack my sh*t up & I go home."

— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) December 7, 2015

TASS, the Russian news agency, is reporting Monday that Hollins will be dismissed as coach of the Nets as soon as management can find a replacement.  Both ownership and management stongly denied the report, calling it "inaccurate" and "wrong."

Reporter Andrei Kartashov credits a single "team source familiar with the situation" for the story.

"The coach's credibility is at an end, " Kartashov quotes the source as saying. "The club is already looking for a replacement."

On Friday, Fran Blinebury of NBA.com ranked Hollins high among coaches on the hot seat, writing, "This just isn't working and everyone knows it."  Blinebury added, "General manager Billy King has said publicly that he's behind Hollins, but that's not the belief behind the scenes."

Hollins is in the second year of a four-year deal --three fully guaranteed.  If the Nets dismissed the 62 year old coach, it would owe him the remainder of this year's salary plus all of next year's, more than $5 million.

• Brooklyn Nets' Lionel Hollins on job security: 'Seat's always hot ' - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York