October 14: USA Basketball has officially announced Spoelstra as the new men’s basketball head coach. Spoelstra spoke to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst about his new role and what it means to him.
“Absolutely, absolutely humbled. I mean, it is the honor of a lifetime,” Spoelstra told Reynolds. “And I’m just really appreciative of it and being a part of the USA Basketball program. The Olympics are incredible, no matter where it is, but to have the opportunity to compete on your own soil, that’s simply remarkable.”
October 9: Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is expected to be named the new head coach of the United States’ men’s basketball team, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, a deal between Spoelstra and USA Basketball has not yet been finalized, but Miami’s longtime coach is the frontrunner for the job to succeed Steve Kerr.
As Reynolds writes, Spoelstra was an assistant on Kerr’s staff at both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The Americans finished in fourth place at the World Cup, but won their fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics.
Assuming Spoelstra finalizes a contract with USA Basketball, he would lead the U.S. at the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Reynolds notes.
After Gregg Popovich stepped down as coach of the Spurs in the spring, Spoelstra became the longest-tenured head coach in the NBA by a significant margin. The 54-year-old is entering his 18th season as head coach of the Heat, compiling a 787-572 regular season record (.579 win percentage) and 110-83 mark in the playoffs (.570).
Spoelstra has led Miami to six NBA Finals appearances during his time at the helm, winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.
Spoelstra has been widely viewed as one of the top coaches in the league for years, so the news isn’t surprising. Still, it’s a significant accomplishment — Spoelstra told The Associated Press after last year’s Olympics that he “would be honored” to be the top coach of the men’s national team.
Talk about a unstoppable force. I remember when they first hired him and everyone lost their s***. Good for you, E.
Now he gets to experience what every coach before him got to experience its no fair my favorite player didn’t get to play. Its a thankless job.
It’s hardly thankless. Coaching the US International Team is a crowning achievement to any coaching career. It translates into the kind of recognition and lasting legacy that great coaches care a lot about. And, let’s face it, that also means money.
Spoelstra, Kerr, Popopich, Coach K. Elite company. “Gold Medal winning…”
And I doubt Kerr could care less about what Jayson Taytum or his mother thinks. Neither would Spoelstra. The goal is to win, and any player that puts himself over his country regrets it later.
Anyone other than Kerr is a win.
Happy for Spo, well deserved!
What’s wrong with Kerr?
This will easily be the hardest stint for Spo.
The rest of the world has caught up in hoops …. then no Curry, no LeBron, no KD.
Length, shooting and all forms of athleticism will be needed e.g. Flagg
> The rest of the world has caught up in hoops …. then no Curry, no LeBron, no
> KD.
@mike.honcho, You’re right. It’ll be the first time the US will not be favored against the 80’s, when we used true amateurs. But the critics won’t spare Spoelstra if we don’t win.
It’s amazing how far the quality of US talent has fallen relative to the rest of the world. With Steph and LeBron gone, USA lacks a Top 5 player that can take over a game against. Add to that the fact the US national team prepares less together than other countries and is inexperienced in international rules.
Imagine the next US team led by Tatum, Mitchell, Edwards, and Haliburton. IMO, that team wouldn’t have won against Jokic/Serbia or Wemby/France in the Olympics last summer.
It’s not been an issue of the US not producing talented players, it’s that too many of what was supposed to be the next wave of greats have taken all their talent and squandered it. Imagine if Zion Williamson took his generational wealth and used to on healthy food or imagine if Ja Morant didn’t play wannabe gangster.
Zion
Morant
Edwards
Flagg
Tatum
Brown
Maxey
Mitchell
Booker
Halliburton
Brunson
Cunningham
Throw in some even mediocre bigs there’s no reason that group shouldn’t dominate.
BlackAce, We’d have the best team on paper, but “dominate”? No way.
The rules are different. The pressure is off the charts. You can’t lose a single game. There’s a reason we have not come home with the Gold on multiple occasions before.
On an NBA floor, under NBA rules, your roster would dominate, but this is a different game. We barely won in 2024 with a dramatically superior roster. LeBron, Steph, and KD have 10 ‘Chips and 10 Gold Medals between them. Your roster lacks clutch and closers. Only 2 players (Tatum and Brown) have won a Chip. And the roster doesn’t shoot the 3 pointer well.
I’d give that roster a 35% chance of winning all their games. The best team doesn’t necessarily win the Gold Medal.
If Zion was who he was supposed be and if we had the Ja Morant of 5 years ago is what I’m saying.
Gotcha.
France gonna be real tough.
Good choice !!!!!!
Why wouldn’t the USA be favored. ……. Geezzzz
Who are future coaches after Spo?
Continuity has worked, so far ……. Ty Lue, Mark Few will likely be among Spo’s assistants, hence possible successors.
Daigneault an obvious future candidate.
shoulda had the job before Kerr… Spo is the best living American basketball coach and has been regarded as so for over 10 years now.
@jeremyn, IMO, it’s an unwritten rule, but since Coach K stepped down, seniority is based on the number of NBA titles. The coaching fraternity likes it that way because it spares the awkwardness of self-promotion (coaches won’t publicly claim to be better than their peers).
Popovich was the obvious successor to Coach K, with the titles to match. Kerr has 4 titles and Spoelstra has 2.
The seniority system works ok when the USA had a huge talent advantage. But going forward we can’t afford to not have the best man for the job.
then why was Chuck Daily the coach in 1992? Why didn’t Phil Jackson or Pat Riley ever coach it? Why were any NCAA coaches involved at all? That feels more like a PR cop out answer lol.. I can’t think of anyone that would argue Kerr is a better coach than Spo.. could you?.. My 2 cents is it’s the same reason Spo doesn’t have a COY trophy… anti Miami Bias that exists in every sport.
> then why was Chuck Daily the coach in 1992?
Read my post. I said “since Coach K stepped down”. 1992 was a couple of decades earlier.
Ok… going with that logic (which I admit I missed in your commnet) When Coach K stepped down in 2016 Spo was the Head or Assistant coach on 3 NBA title times.. Steve Kerr was a coach on 1 (ironically the year he was named HC of team USA).. in fact he was just a failure as the Suns GM and became the Warriors coach only 2 years earlier…. so why was a coach with only 2 years of experience and walked into a loaded team named assistant coach of team USA when another coach with triple the experience and championship pedigree was over looked? A few years later with Pop stepped down, why did Kerr get the job while Spo still hadn’t even been given AC offer by that point? If Spo was the coach of he Knicks or Lakers he’d have 4-5 COY trophies and probably been Team USA coach before Pop lol
@jeremyn, Respectfully, a couple of important corrections:
1. Kerr was not named the HC to replace Coach K in 2016. Greg Popovich was. Pop won the Gold in 2020. Then Kerr took over in 2021.
2. Spoelstra has 2 titles, not 3. (Pat Reilly has the other Heat title).
Pop had the most titles, 5, when taking over in 2016.
Kerr had the next most, 3, when taking over in 2021.
Spo has the next most, 2, in taking over now.
1) I said assistant not HC 2) I said Spo was the HC on 2 AC on 1 (he’s also been to more finals than Kerr) 3) You didn’t answer the question
I don’t understand the questions about Assistant Coach positions. Those aren’t necessarily based on seniority, but does anybody really notice anyway?
the fact that we can name most in the last 10 years says they do matter lol.. The fact that Kerr got the spot over Spo which lead to him getting the HC job (because I think it’s THAT seniority not NBA pedigree) is what bothers me… in 2016 Spo was 10x more qualified to join the team USA coaching staff than Kerr was
I disagree. The Assistant Coach appointments don’t follow the same tradition that the HC position does. We get college coaches, up-and-coming young coaches (like Moseley), etc
Lenny Wilkins was an AC in 1992… became HC in 1996… Larry Brown was AC in 200 HC in 2004… Coach K was an AC for Team USA on and off for over 15 years before becoming HC… etc etc. Only one to not be a AC before becoming HC on team USA since NBA players were allowed was Rudy Tomjanovich in 2000… so yes.. AC’s matter and the fact that Kerr got that spot with only 2 years of experience over multiple higher deserving coaches (Spo just being one of them) bothers me
Maybe Pop « suggested » Kerr…
perfect guy for the job
I would be counting out Lebron, Steph or KD so early in 2028.
They showed they can take over in the biggest stages, time after time after time, and they are already in their mid-late 30’s or 40’s, and still.
Lebron was a driving force in the last Olympics at 40… Why wouldn’t he be able to contribute at 44?
If he wants to keep playing, he should be called.
Who would you give the last ball to… 2028 Mitchell, Tatum or Halliburton, or Lebron, KD at 39, or Steph at 38? I would choose Lebron, Curry and/or KD any day. They should headline and the other young players support, make effort and go along… That’s the best chance for USA to win gold again (and I think they are still ample favorites for gold).
Usa switching coaches like Kendall Jenner switching nba players
Lue, Few, JVG should all still be there in the coaching staff …. they’ll likely add another coach.
They should be looking at Daigneault, Atkinson or Hammond.
I didn’t say AC’s “don’t matter”.