Report: Steve Kerr favorite to replace Gregg Popovich as USA Basketball head coach
Steve Kerr is the favorite to replace San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich as the head coach for USA Basketball later this year, according to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein.
Kerr, the Golden State Warriors head coach, served as an assistant under Popovich both at the 2019 FIBA World Cup and at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo earlier this summer. Popovich — who led the team to a fourth-straight gold medal despite early struggles — replaced longtime Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski starting in 2017, though he was only set to lead USA Basketball through 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the Olympics by a year, though, and Popovich stayed on for an extra year.
Kerr, 56, is preparing to enter his eighth season leading the Warriors this fall. He’s compiled a 376-171 record over that span and won three NBA titles.
“Of course I’d be interested,” he said about the head job in August, via The Athletic. “I mean, who wouldn’t be? I’ll leave it at that. I have no idea how it will all transpire; there are a lot of great candidates out there. And if I were to be considered, that would be an honor.”
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is another top candidate for the job, per the report. Spoelstra, who is entering his 25th season as a coach within the Heat organization, was named an assistant to help with the Team USA select team in June — which marked his first major job with the organization.
Grant Hill replaced Jerry Colangelo as the team’s managing director, and is leading the search for a new head coach. According to Stein, Hill hopes to have a replacement named before the NBA season starts next month. Whoever Hill tabs for the job will run the team at least through the 2024 Olympics in Paris.