Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is not expected to return as the head coach of Team USA, per multiple reports.
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and LA Clippers head coach Ty Lue are considered to be frontrunners for the job, Marc Stein reported. Forbes' Evan Sidery also pointed to Spoelstra as a strong candidate for the position.
Kerr has been an amazing coach in the NBA, leading the Warriors to four championships.
The 58-year-old did fine as a head coach for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics as well, as the team won every single game on its Olympic run. But he said last November that he planned to end his run with the team after the Paris Games.
"To me, it's a two-year. It's a cycle," Kerr said, via The Athletic. "Pop coached a World Cup and the Olympics, now it's my turn to pass the baton. I think that's kind of how it should be. ... I think where we are now, one cycle and you move on."
Some USA Basketball fans may be glad to see Kerr's exit, even after he led the team to a gold medal.
Several of Team USA's games, including the final game against Serbia, were too close for comfort. When Kerr's plays weren’t working, players seemed to take the game in their own hands.
His benching of reigning NBA champion Jayson Tatum earned Kerr the most scrutiny. The Celtics star scored 15.2 points per game at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, behind only Kevin Durant on Team USA. He averaged just 5.3 points per game at the 2024 Paris Games, the third-lowest average on the team.
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