Team USA 'Likely' to Have New Head Coach for 2028 Olympics

The U.S. men's basketball team may be heading into the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles with a new head coach.

According to NBA reporter Evan Sidery, Team USA head coach Steve Kerr is likely to retire from the position following the conclusion of the Paris Olympics. The candidate in position to take his place would be U.S. assistant Erik Spoelstra.

Kerr would leave the national team after three years, stepping into the role in 2021 after being an assistant under Gregg Popovich. As an assistant and head coach, he led the team to two gold medals in Tokyo and Paris as well as a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Spoelstra, the longtime head coach of the Miami Heat since 2008, has helped Kerr in the managing of U.S. roster as he would be able to fulfill the duties quickly.

"Erik Spoelstra is viewed as the strong internal favorite to become Team USA’s next in line following Gregg Popovich and Kerr," Sidery wrote.

Kerr would close out his Team USA head coaching career with a 21-3 record. All three losses happened in 2023, ending the year with a 10-3 record following defeats in the FIBA World Cup.

He redeemed himself the following year, putting together the star-studded squad of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid among other All-Stars. Torching most of their opponents while persevering in close games, they went a perfect 11-0 throughout 2024 and capped it off with gold in Paris this past Saturday.

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