Mike Krzyzewski’s London tour of duty with Team USA may not be his last, if Jerry Colangelo can sway him. If Coach K steps away, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo could step in.
Mike Krzyzewski Leaves Team USA With 62-1 Record
With a second consecutive gold medal, Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s time as the head coach of USA Basketball is finished. He leaves only having lost once -- the semifinals of the 2006 World Championships -- in 63 tries, becoming the first coach since Henry Iba to coach Team USA to two Olympic golds in 1964 and 1968.
Coach K was offered the job of head coach of the men’s senior team in 2005. While other international squads had long-term coaches, the United States had a policy of swapping in whoever won the NBA Championship in June to take the coaching reins of a hastily assembled team in August. Jerry Colangelo changed that process after the team’s 2004 bronze medal performance that saw a Larry Brown-coached Team USA drop two games in the preliminary round for the first time ever, then lose in the semifinals to Argentina.
Read Article >Mike Krzyzewski Reiterates He’s Done Coaching Team USA After Gold-Medal Game
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has been Team USA’s coach since 2005, but that run will end after Sunday’s gold medal game against Spain. He restated to media that he will step down from the role of head coach of the United States’ senior men’s basketball team after these Olympics on Saturday:
The news, obviously, isn’t shocking, as this was somewhat expected. Coach K will be either 53-1 or 52-2 in his tenure after Sunday’s showdown, he already has won one gold medal and one World Championships title, with his only loss coming a year after he took the job in the semifinals of the 2006 World Championships to Greece.
Read Article >Tom Izzo Interested In Team USA Coaching Job If Mike Krzyzewski Steps Away
It’s unclear whether Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski can be convinced to remain the coach of Team USA’s senior men’s basketball team beyond Sunday’s gold medal game against Spain. USA Basketball honcho Jerry Colangelo apparently wants Coach K to stay, but the coach has been in that position since 2005, and that’s a long time to commit most of your summers to running scrimmages for NBA players.
If Coach K steps away, Colangelo may find respite in the college ranks again. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is interested in the position, and Colangelo confirmed to Lansing State Journal columnist Joe Rexrode that the Spartan is a contender for the job.
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