After nearly eight years and a successful run through two Olympic games and world championship tournaments, Mike Krzyzewski is stepping down as the head coach of Team USA Basketball.
In an interview with ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike in the Morning," Krzyzewski said that he would not be coaching the U.S. national team for the 2014 world championships in Madrid. USA Basketball is expected to name the successor to the highly successful basketball coaching legend this summer.
Of his time with USA Basketball, Krzyzewski looked back fondly on it.
"I've loved, loved, loved, and it's been an honor being with the USA Basketball team," Krzyzewski said. "And to coach the team and work with [chairman and president Jerry Colangelo] for seven years has been marvelous.
"And we're in a good spot," Krzyzewski added. "We need to keep building."
After an embarrassing bronze medal finish in the 2004 Athens Olympics, Krzyzewki, who has won four NCAA titles with the Duke Blue Devils, was hired to coach the national team in 2005. Since then, Team USA has won a bronze medal in the 2006 FIBA world championships, a gold medal in the 2010 FIBA world tournament and two gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
As the Christian Science Monitor reports, USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo has yet to speak with "Coach K" about his decision, and will hold off talking about it until after Duke's basketball season is finished. Duke, with an 11-3 ACC record, is expected to be a top contender in the coming NCAA tournament.
Some possible replacements for Krzyzewski could be San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, each of whom have won NBA titles in the last six years and highly respected coaches. However, Krzyzewski says, it wasn't likely that his replacement would be announced anytime soon.
"They would never make announcements during the basketball season," he said of Team USA Basketball. "They have respect for the coaching staff, whoever that coaching staff would be, that they would not interrupt what those guys are doing. Sometime this summer I know Jerry Colangelo and USA Basketball will make an announcement."