Mike Krzyzewski to step down as national team coach after 2016 Olympics

By Laura Keeley, The News & Observer

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will step down from his position as the head coach of U.S. men’s national team after the 2016 Olympics, according to an interview he gave to ESPN’s Andy Katz.

“It is. It definitely is,” Krzyzewski told ESPN about this being his last stint as head coach with USA Basketball. “I think it’s time to move ahead.”

This is not the first time Krzyzewski, 68, has made a pledge to step away from his head coaching position with USA Basketball. After winning gold at the 2012 Olympic games in London, Krzyzewski returned to the Raleigh-Durham airport and said he was done, but he changed his mind in 2013. This time, the plan is to announce his successor before the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games next summer.

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“I think it would be good if somebody had experience in international basketball,” Krzyzewski told ESPN. “They will pick the best person, from whatever — the NBA or collegiate environment. They will pick the best person and complement that person with a great staff and infrastructure so we can have a chance to keep winning.”

Krzyzewski would like to stay involved in USA Basketball in a non-coaching capacity, he said.

In the 10 years he has served as the national team’s head coach, Krzyzewski has a record of 75-1, winning gold in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London. The team’s only loss came to Greece in the semifinals of the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Krzyzewski led the team to the 2010 world championship and the 2014 World Cup as well. During his tenure, the NBA’s best players have returned to the national team, as opposed to skipping out on international competitions.

“Hopefully we can finish things up well with Rio, and I would move onto something else with USA Basketball,” Krzyzewski told ESPN. “But I think we’re ready as an organization to do that, and I’m excited about the future because [of] what we’ve done over the last 10 years.”

(c) 2015 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)

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