Posted: Nov. 12, 2008
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – Jerry Colangelo, NBA Phoenix Suns Chairman and Managing Director of USA Basketball’s 2006-2008 Men’s Senior National Team program, has been elected chair of USA Basketball’s Board of Directors for the 2009-2012 term. The announcement was made Wednesday during the USA Basketball annual Board of Directors meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo. Colangelo succeeds 2005-2008 USA Basketball President Val Ackerman.
Also announced as members of the 2009-2012 Board of Directors were: NBA appointees Kim Bohuny, Vice President, Basketball Operations
International; and Stu Jackson, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations; NCAA appointees Chris Plonsky, University of Texas Women's Athletics
Director and Senior Associate Athletic Director of
Men's/Women's Athletics External Services; Eugene
Smith, Director of Athletics, Ohio State University; and
Kevin Weiberg, Vice President, University Planning &
Development, Big Ten Network; Scholastic Director
Robert Kanaby, Executive Director, National High
School Federation; At-large/ Independent Director Billy
Hunter, Executive Director of the National Basketball
Players Association; National Organizations
Representative Rod Seaford, former national chairman
of the AAU boys basketball; and athlete representatives Teresa Edwards, a five time Olympian and four time Olympic gold medalist, and Steve Smith, Olympic (2000) and World Championship (1994) gold medalist. Ackerman rounds out the board and will serve an ex officio capacity.
“I’m honored to have this opportunity and I look forward to serving USA Basketball over the next four years,” said Colangelo. “There’s a great legacy at USA Basketball and my goal is to continue to grow our game on every level.”
On July 30, 2008, USA Basketball’s Board of Directors approved a series of governance changes that took effect at the organization’s Nov. 12 annual Board of Director’s meeting. The changes included a downsized Board of Directors, the creation of a membership organizational tier for youth basketball organizations, the addition of standing committees to help create strategies for the continued future development of youth and women’s basketball.
The USA Basketball Board of Directors was reduced from 25 members to 11 members, and is now comprised as follows: three Professional Directors (appointed by the NBA); three Collegiate Directors (appointed by the NCAA); two Athlete Representatives (elected by active athletes); one Scholastic Director (appointed by the National Federation of High School Associations); one At-Large/ Independent Director (nominated to the Nominating & Governance Committee and elected by the Board); and one Organizational Member Director (elected by other members of USA Basketball that meet the Amateur Sports Act’s definition of National Competition Organizations).
JERRY COLANGELO
Colangelo first became involved in USA Basketball on April 27, 2005, when he was selected Managing Director of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program.
Colangelo developed a USA Senior National Team program that ultimately would include 33 top players and some of basketball’s most respected coaches, including 2006-08 USA Basketball Senior National Team head coach and Duke University’s Hall of Fame mentor Mike Krzyzewski.
USA Basketball's Senior National Team program during the three-year period between 2006-08 compiled a striking 36-1 overall win-loss record and just as importantly reestablished the USA team as positive ambassadors for the United States and the sport.
The USA squad culminated the quadrennium by finishing 8-0 to reclaim the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the USA’s first gold in a major international competition since 2000. The USA Senior National Team also won the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship with a 10-0 record to qualify the U.S. men for the 2008 Olympic Games. In the program’s first year, the U.S. captured the bronze medal with an 8-1 record at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan.
Colangelo has been the face of the NBA Phoenix Suns franchise since their inaugural season in 1968. With the Suns, his roles have included general manager, head coach, president, managing general partner, chief executive officer and his current role as chairman. His 40-year tenure with one franchise is the longest in the NBA.
His impact on the game of basketball has been so significant he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2004. On Nov. 4, 2007, Colangelo became the 12th member of the Phoenix Suns' Ring of Fame, the club’s most elite group. The Arizona Republic named him the Most Influential Sports Figure in the state of Arizona for the 20th century.
He brought Major League Baseball to the Phoenix in 1998 and served as Chairman and CEO of the 2001 World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks. Going from expansion team to World Champion in just four years was a record for Major League Baseball. Arizona won the National League West in just its second season to become the fastest expansion team in baseball history to qualify for the postseason, just as the Suns did in their second season in 1969-70.
Colangelo also was the key element in facilitating the move of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets to Arizona in 1996, where they became the Phoenix Coyotes.
Colangelo added to his NBA involvement with a position on the founding committee for the WNBA, helping advance professional women's basketball in the U.S. The Phoenix Mercury were one of the WNBA's inaugural teams in 1997.
USA BASKETBALL
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the United States by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some national competitions.
Serving since January 2001 as USA Basketball's Executive Director is Jim Tooley, who has been with USA Basketball since 1993.
USA Basketball is an organization made up of organizations. There are five member categories – Professional; Collegiate; Scholastic; Youth; and Associate. All told, 25 organizations are members of USA Basketball. Member organizations of the Professional category include: Continental Basketball Association; National Basketball Association; National Basketball Association Development League; and the Women's National Basketball Association. Member organizations of the Collegiate category include: National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics; National Collegiate Athletic Association; and the National Junior College Athletic Association. Member of the Scholastic category is the National Federation of High Schools. Member of the Youth committee is the Amateur Athletic Union. Member organizations of the Associate category include: Athletes In Action; Basketball Travelers; College Commissioners Association; Harlem Globetrotters; International Sports Exchange; Latin America League of Los Angeles; National Amateur Basketball Association; National Basketball Players Association; National Junior College Basketball Coach Association; National Junior College Women’s Coach Association; National Pro-Am City Leagues Association; National Wheelchair Basketball Association; Sport Tours International; USA Deaf Sports Federation; United States Armed Forces; and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
During the 2005-2008 quadrennium, 707 men and women players and 147 coaches participated in USA Basketball, including the now biannual USA Basketball men's and women's Youth Development Festivals, USA Basketball trials and USA Basketball teams. USA teams competed in 31 major international events from 2005-2008 and won medals an astounding 28 times, including gold or top finishes 22 times, silver four times and bronze medals twice. All told those teams compiled a sparkling 199-23 win-loss record for an 89.6 winning percentage.
Officially formed in 1974 and known as the Amateur Basketball Association of the United States of America (ABAUSA), prior presidents of either USA Basketball or ABAUSA include: Ackerman (2005-2008); Tom Jernstedt (2001-2004); Russ Granik (1997-2000); C.M. Newton (1993-1996); David R. Gavitt (1989-1992); Brice B. Durbin (1983-1988); Edward S. Steitz (1981-1984); George Killian (1977-1980) and Clifford B. Fagan (1971-1976).