Erik Spoelstra, head coach of the Miami Heat, is expected to be named the next head coach of USA basketball, taking over for Steve Kerr.
Spoelstra was a lead assistant on Kerr’s 2024 Olympic gold medal winning squad coached by Kerr, and will now assume lead duties for the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Summer Games. The appointment will mark the 4th consecutive time USA basketball has had a new head coach for the Olympics.
The Miami bench boss is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the NBA, and was selected by USA Basketball’s managing director Grant Hill as Kerr’s successor. According to reports, USA Basketball is looking to create an internal succession plan, whereby the lead assistant would take over head coaching duties the following Olympic cycle.
That was the case with Spoelstra and Kerr, and prior to that, Kerr was the lead assistant for Gregg Popovich’s team. The Americans have won 5 straight Olympic gold medals at the summer games, but could be looking at a much different roster than the one that competed in Paris.
Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James may be a bit too long in the tooth to be considered for the 2028 games in Los Angeles. In all likelihood, the LA Games will prove to be a passing of the torch moment to the next wave of NBA superstars to continue the US’s dominance over the sport.
2024’s coaching staff featured Kerr, Spoelstra, Tyronn Lue, and Mark Few. If the pattern of promoting from within continues, then Lue could serve as a potential Olympic head coach in 2032. However, that ascension will likely hinge on how the hierarchy plays out for Spoelstra’s coaching staff which has yet to be named.
Other names such as Mark Daigneault, Joe Mazzulla, and even J.J. Redick have been quietly floated out as potential assistants for Spoelstra’s staff since news of his impending hiring first broke.
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.