Who Will Coach Team USA Basketball In 2016? Tom Izzo Mentioned

Mike Krzyzewski Leaves Team USA With 62-1 Record

With a second consecutive gold medal, Coach Mike Krzyzewski's time as the head coach of USA Basketball is finished. He leaves only having lost once -- the semifinals of the 2006 World Championships -- in 63 tries, becoming the first coach since Henry Iba to coach Team USA to two Olympic golds in 1964 and 1968.

Coach K was offered the job of head coach of the men's senior team in 2005. While other international squads had long-term coaches, the United States had a policy of swapping in whoever won the NBA Championship in June to take the coaching reins of a hastily assembled team in August. Jerry Colangelo changed that process after the team's 2004 bronze medal performance that saw a Larry Brown-coached Team USA drop two games in the preliminary round for the first time ever, then lose in the semifinals to Argentina.

Colangelo appointed Krzyzewski -- who in addition to being one of the winningest college basketball coaches of all time, is a West Point graduate -- to the job. It didn't pay immediate dividends, as the United States lost to a Greek team of inferior talent the next summer at the World Championships at Japan. But Krzyzewski began to stress multi-year commitments to players -- if you want to play in the Olympics, you'll need to also play in World Championships and other events -- breeding familiarity and commitment to the program. Krzyzewski coached team USA to victories in the next four tournaments his squad participated in: the 2007 Tournament of the Americas -a qualifier for the Beijing Games -- the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 World Championships, and now, the 2012 London Games. His team won the last 53 games it played.

Krzyzewski will now have more of an offseason from his full-time job at Duke. Colangelo will likely turn to another long-term coach to take the job, although it's unclear who is on the short list for the position, or even whether he will choose to take someone from the collegiate ranks or the pros.

Mike Krzyzewski Reiterates He's Done Coaching Team USA After Gold-Medal Game

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has been Team USA's coach since 2005, but that run will end after Sunday's gold medal game against Spain. He restated to media that he will step down from the role of head coach of the United States' senior men's basketball team after these Olympics on Saturday:

Krzyzewski had left open the possibility of staying with the team beyond the London Games, but before practice on Saturday said these will be his last Olympics.

When asked if he was sure, Krzyzewski didn't hesitate before again saying, "yes,'' this will be his last game.

The news, obviously, isn't shocking, as this was somewhat expected. Coach K will be either 53-1 or 52-2 in his tenure after Sunday's showdown, he already has won one gold medal and one World Championships title, with his only loss coming a year after he took the job in the semifinals of the 2006 World Championships to Greece.

Most importantly, Krzyzewski added a semblance of stability to a program that typically didn't focus on international play until a few weeks before the Olympics: precedent before Krzyzewski's appointment in 2005 had been to have the coach of the previous NBA champion head Team USA, a policy that crashed-and-burned when Larry Brown's 2004 squad stumbled to three losses. Krzyzewski emphasized multi-year commitments from players rather than piecing together squads in the aftermath of the NBA year. Team USA will likely seek another long-term stressing dedication to the national program in the wake of Krzyzewski's departure.

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Tom Izzo Interested In Team USA Coaching Job If Mike Krzyzewski Steps Away

It's unclear whether Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski can be convinced to remain the coach of Team USA's senior men's basketball team beyond Sunday's gold medal game against Spain. USA Basketball honcho Jerry Colangelo apparently wants Coach K to stay, but the coach has been in that position since 2005, and that's a long time to commit most of your summers to running scrimmages for NBA players.

If Coach K steps away, Colangelo may find respite in the college ranks again. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is interested in the position, and Colangelo confirmed to Lansing State Journal columnist Joe Rexrode that the Spartan is a contender for the job.

"I think he's a terrific coach and a great guy," said Team USA chairman Jerry Colangelo, confirming only that Izzo is one of several possible candidates to replace Krzyzewski. "And I love his (style), he's got a toughness to him that is very impressive. And he's well-respected."

Doc Rivers and Gregg Popovich (who has reported beef with Colangelo) are the apparent front-runners for the position, but having a college coach in that position certainly has limited the controversy, which might be worth it. That said, it should be Pop's job to lose, if he wants it.

Jerry Colangelo Hopes Mike Krzyzewski Will Stay As Team USA Basketball Coach After 2012

Mike Krzyzewski's London tour of duty with Team USA may not be his last, if Jerry Colangelo can sway him.