Steve Kerr is the latest head coach to win a gold medal with Team USA, but he is not expected to go for the repeat in 2028. If Kerr does step down, there is already a favorite to replace him.
According to Evan Sidery of Forbes, Erik Spoelstra is “viewed as the strong internal favorite” to become the next head coach of the Team USA men’s basketball team.
Spoelstra has been an assistant under Kerr with Team USA for the past few years. Kerr took over after Gregg Popovich coached the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was the man in charge of Team USA for three Olympic Games from 2008-2016.
The U.S. has now won five consecutive gold medals, so it goes without saying that there is pressure to keep Team USA at the top of the international basketball world. That pressure will be even greater with the 2028 Summer Olympics being held in Los Angeles. Spoelstra has experience from his time working under Kerr, just as Kerr had experience from when he was an assistant on Popovich’s Team USA staff.
Spoelstra is widely considered to be one of the best head coaches in the NBA. He has coached the Miami Heat since 2008 and won two championships with the team. He would be a natural replacement for Kerr.
