USA men’s basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo wants current national team head coach Mike Krzyzewski to succeed him after the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.
Coach K, who in ten years as USA men’s head coach has only tasted defeat once is due to step down after this summer’s Olympics in Rio to be replaced by San Antonio Spurs play caller Gregg Popovich who will lead the States to the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.
“Pop said to me, ‘I’ll do it under one condition, that you’re there. I don’t want to do it if you’re not going to be there.’ I committed to him to stay in my role through 2020, but that’s it for me,” Colangelo told ESPN Radio.
During Colangelo’s tenure, the USA have won six FIBA titles, including gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the last three with Krzyzewski at the helm.
http://gty.im/150217427
“I want Coach K’s role after 2016 to be alongside me and get as much experience as he possibly can,” Colangelo said.
“The real question mark is, how many more years will be coaching at Duke? I don’t think he would be able to handle or be eligible to serve in my capacity in USA Basketball if he’s still coaching.
“We’ll see what happens in these next four years. But if it were left to me, he would replace me at the appropriate time — sometime after 2020.”
Krzyzewski’s five-year contract at Duke concludes at the end of the 2020-21 season with Duke athletic director Kevin White stating that he expects Coach K to honour that deal.
Coach K though is tempted with a role in some capacity with USA Basketball after the Rio Olympics.
