Warriors coach Steve Kerr will succeed his mentor and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich as Team USA’s next men’s head basketball coach. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the news Friday morning, saying an official announcement is expected soon.
According to Woj, Kerr will take over for the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Olympic games in Paris, and his assistant coaching staff will include Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Gonzaga coach Mark Few. Wojnarowski reported Team USA managing director Grant Hill assembled the staff following months of interviews.
Kerr was on the bench as Popovich’s assistant during the Tokyo Olympics and helped USA win its fourth consecutive gold medal. Popovich has been the national team’s head coach since 2015.
Last week, the Pop’s Spurs topped the Warriors 112-107, but Kerr wasn’t on the hook for the dinner when his old coach was in town. Kerr, of course, played under Pop with the Spurs for four seasons and won the 1999 and 2003 NBA titles with San Antonio.
“Because I’m a former player of his, it’s automatic he picks up the tab,” Kerr recently said on 95.7 The Game’s “Damon & Ratto”. “He has a loophole – if you played for him his picks up the tab. The fact that he came in and beat us, he better pick up the tab.”
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Kerr is renowned for his open communication style with Golden State’s players and letting them dictate the environment around the franchise. He has led the Warriors to three NBA titles during his seven-plus seasons, totaling a 474-203 record (.700 win percentage) including playoffs. Golden State is off to an NBA-best 21-4 start this season after missing the playoffs the past two years.
Kerr played with the Michael Jordan-era Bulls and has wrangled in the big personalities of the Warriors throughout their dynasty years, so he seems well-suited for the high-profile gig.
In related news, Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is being strongly considered for Team USA's roster, per The Athletic's Joe Vardon.
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