NBA Coaches Eye Team USA

American college basketball coach Tom Izzo expects the USA Basketball committee to opt for an NBA coach to replace current coach, Mike Krzyzewski after this summer’s Olympics.

“I think they’ll go with a pro guy,” Izzo said. “I could see a guy like (San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg) Popovich doing it. I really think a guy like Doc Rivers would be a great guy for that.

“There’s so many good coaches that deserve a chance to coach.”

“I’ve said this and I mean it: I’d be a water boy on the Olympic team,” Izzo said. “It’s just one of the dreams I’ve had. It wasn’t to be the head coach, it was to be part of the Olympics.

“If someday I get a chance to be part of it in any way, I’d die to be a part of it. I just think there’s something about playing for your country that’d be as special as anything I’ve done.”

Krzyzewski was men’s basketball coach at Duke University where he led the Blue Devils to four NCAA Championships, 11 Final Fours, 12 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season titles, and 13 ACC Tournament championships before he was appointed coach of the United States men’s national basketball team in 2006.

The former NBA player had since led the Team USA to a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. He was an assistant coach on the 1992 “Dream Team”.

Izzo, who has been head coach of Michigan State Spartans men’s basketball team since 1995, is likely to receive consideration for the 2016 games.