COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (October 11, 2018) – The USA Basketball Men's National Team coaching staff today was finalized with the announcement that NBA head coaches Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors) and Nate McMillan (Indiana Pacers) and Villanova University head coach Jay Wright have been selected as assistant coaches for the 2019-20 USA Basketball Men's National Team.
Kerr, McMillan and Wright join USA and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich to complete USA National Team coaching staff. The coaches will lead the USA National Team in 2019-20, which, if the USA qualifies, could include the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China (Aug. 31-Sept. 15, 2019) and the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan (July 24-Aug. 9).
Led by coach Popovich, we have assembled an incredible coaching staff for the USA National Team, and we are excited to have Steve Kerr, Nate McMillan and Jay Wright join the team as assistant coaches," said Jerry Colangelo, who has served as the managing director of USA Basketball Men's National Team program since 2005. "It's special that each coach has prior USA Basketball experience as either a player or coach, and each coach has compiled a successful and impressive resume. I'm very confident that the USA Basketball National Team is in excellent hands the next two years."
"I am honored and fortunate to have such gifted coaches share this USA Basketball responsibility with me," said Popovich, a 1970 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. "Steve Kerr, Nate McMillan and Jay Wright are not just knowledgeable, dedicated individuals, but they exhibit the creativity, tenacity and respect for the game needed to compete in the international arena.
"I look forward to joining them as USA Basketball attempts to extend the stellar success they've enjoyed over the past 12 years."
Since the formation of USA Basketball's National Team program in 2005, USA Men's National Teams have compiled a spectacular 88-1 record and claimed top honors in six of seven FIBA or FIBA Americas competitions (through 2016 Olympics). Just as importantly as the USA National Team's success on the court, the program also reestablished the USA National Team and its members as positive ambassadors for the United States and basketball.
Currently, the USA National Team enjoys a 76-game win streak (53 straight wins in FIBA and FIBA Americas competitions, and 23 consecutive wins in exhibition games). The USA men have won three-straight Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012 and 2016) and, for the first time ever, back-to-back FIBA World Cup gold medals (2010 and 2014). The USA win streak dates back to the bronze medal game of the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan (Sept. 2, 2006).
Since first fielding a team of legendary NBA stars in 1992, USA Basketball national teams featuring NBA players have claimed gold medals in 14 of 17 international basketball competitions and compiled a 134-7 record in those official events, while also posting a record of 51-1 in exhibition games.
"I'm honored and thrilled to be with USA Basketball and the National Team again," said McMillan. "My previous experience I figured to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and now I've been blessed again. I look forward to working with Coach Popovich and a great group of players."
McMillan, 54 years old, returns to USA Basketball after serving on Mike Krzyzewski’s USA National Team staff from 2006-12. During his time as an assistant coach for the USA National Team, the Americans won gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics, the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, and a bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. All told, USA teams with McMillan as an assistant coach compiled a 43-1 record in FIBA and FIBA Americas competitions and a 19-0 record in national team exhibition games.
In 14 seasons as an NBA head coach, McMillan has compiled an overall regular season record of 568-526 for a .519 winning percentage.
McMillan is entering his third season as the Indiana Pacers head coach after serving as the associate head coach for three seasons. McMillan has compiled a 90-74 record and helped lead the team to the NBA playoffs his first two seasons.
A Seattle SuperSonics assistant coach for two years, McMillan became the team's interim coach in 2000. He remained the Sonics' coach until 2005, and then became Portland’s head coach through March 2012.
In 2008-09, he led the Trail Blazers to 54-28 record, sixth-best record in franchise history, and helped Portland reach the NBA playoffs in three of his six seasons. McMillan compiled a 458-429 (.516) record as a head coach for both teams.
After playing two seasons at North Carolina State University, McMillan was drafted by Seattle (30th overall) in the 1986 NBA Draft. He played his entire 12-year career with the Sonics, where he helped lead Seattle to the 1995-96 NBA Finals and had his number (10) retired. He is second in franchise history in assists and steals and ranks in the top 10 in eight other categories. Twice he was named to the NBA's All-Defensive team (1994 and 1995), and he led the league in steals in the 1994-95 season with 2.96 per game. In his 12 seasons with the Sonics, they reached the playoffs 11 times.
McMillan was inducted into the National Junior College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001, having played two seasons at Chowan Junior College (Murfreesboro, NC) before transferring to North Carolina State.