The United States of America is the most dominant basketball nation in the history of the Summer Olympics . They’ve finished on the podium in every men’s tournament they’ve participated in (except for 1980, when they boycotted), including 16 gold medals, one silver, and two bronze.

They always finish at the top, as they should, given the amount of talent that the NBA produces. But you need a level-headed leader who can manage all those egos, so they always need the right coach at the helm.

Since 2021, Golden State Warriors ‘ head coach Steve Kerr has been in charge of the men’s Team USA Olympics program. He started as an assistant in 2017 under his predecessor, Gregg Popovich, during which he made history by becoming the first Team USA coach to win a gold medal at the FIBA level as both player (1986 FIBA World Cup) and coach when Team USA won the Olympics gold medal in Tokyo.

As a nine-time champion, it was only natural that Team USA levitated towards Kerr to be the leader of their program once Popovich stepped down in 2021.

Steve Kerr’s Journey as Team USA Head Coach

Bumpy road so far, but Paris could be the perfect ending.

Kerr was seen as the successor to Popovich, partly due to his previous experience with keeping egos in check, which he had done throughout his Warriors’ coaching tenure. But he is also one of the most well-respected coaches in the league because of how he created a dynasty in Golden State, which featured four championships and also the greatest regular season team of all time.

Kerr’s first tournament as the head coach was in 2023, when he led Team USA to a fourth place finish at the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

The roster was poorly constructed, so Kerr was already dealt a bad hand. In terms of talent alone, the USA were clearly the best team, but the absence of appropriate player profiles and subpar coaching cost them dearly. They were handed their first loss against Lithuania in the second round, but managed to qualify for the next round.

After beating Italy in the quarterfinals, they were second best against a spirited Germany squad, losing after a second-half disaster. It went from bad to worse for the USA after they lost in overtime against Canada in the third place game.

Less than two months after that disappointing result, Kerr announced that he would be stepping down from this role post the 2024 Olympics. So it’s unsurprising that Team USA is headed to Paris with a stacked roster and revenge on its mind.

Looking Back At Steve Kerr’s Predecessor, Gregg Popovich

A short but sweet stint for Coach Pop.

Team USA seems to have a legendary coach only policy for the most part. Prior to Kerr, San Antonio Spurs ‘ head coach Gregg Popovich was in charge, after being appointed right after the 2016 Olympics.

Popovich had his first stint with Team USA back in 2002, when he served as an assistant alongside George Karl. He remained in the role when Larry Brown was appointed and remained on the staff until 2004, when the US had a shocking bronze medal finish at the Olympics.

When Mike Krzyzewski resigned, Popovich officially took over in 2017, and his first tournament was the 2019 FIBA World Cup. It was a torrid time for USA Basketball, who started with a surprise loss in the exhibition game against Australia and ended with a quarterfinal exit at the hands of France, making it their worst finish in tournament history.

Popovich redeemed himself two years later during the Olympics when he led the team to a gold medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics. It also felt like the right time for Pop to retire, and he passed on the mantle to his protégé Kerr, who he coached at San Antonio previously.

Future of The Position

Who can succeed Kerr after the Paris Olympics?

The most obvious candidate to step up for the role is Kerr’s assistant and Miami Heat head coach, Erik Spoelstra. The two-time NBA champion joined the Team USA staff when Kerr was appointed in 2021, and has since been the perfect complimentary coach for him.

Spoelstra is highly regarded around the league, and finishing as the “best head coach” in the NBA GM survey for the past four seasons is a testament to that. Considering how much players respect him and that he’s already part of the setup for a few years now, Spoelstra should be the favorite to fill in once Kerr leaves post Paris.

Tyronn Lue , one of the other assistants on the team, could be a strong candidate if Spoelstra takes himself out of consideration. Lue, who finished right behind Spoelstra as the best head coach heading into the 2023-24 season in the GM survey, has also worked with superstars like LeBron James , Kawhi Leonard , and James Harden and knows what it takes to lead a team like this.

The other assistant coach on the staff right now, Mark Few, could also be in the running if Team USA decides to hire a college coach again. Few doesn’t have any NBA experience, nor did he work with any high-profile names at Gonzaga, but his work with the Bulldogs is noteworthy and solidifies his place as one of the best coaches in college.

Related

Paris 2024 Olympic Basketball: Group C Preview

Group C will feature two basketball juggernauts, standing head and shoulders above the competition.