In all likelihood, Jerry Colangelo will remain chairman of USA Basketball through the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, even as men's coach Mike Krzyzewski steps down.
By Joe Toth, US Presswire
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo watches a men's London Olympics warmup match vs. Great Britain on July 18 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
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"I've decided I'm going to continue," Colangelo told USATODAY Sports. "I'm committed to our organization during this transition period. I want to make sure, as good as things are, that once the baton is handed over to someone it's in even better shape. That's the plan for these next four years."
Colangelo said his decision was not influenced by a decision from FIBA, international basketball's government body, not to ask the International Olympic Committee to make the men's competition an under-23 event.
"It didn't have anything to do with my willingness to continue," he said. "I've been encouraged to continue and if somebody didn't want me there, it would take about three seconds for me to walk."
Colangelo was non-committal about his future during the London Olympics and said he came to his decision following downtime after the U.S. men's and women's teams won gold in London three weeks ago.
"I said, 'If I'm healthy and I have the time to do it, it's a passion of mine, then why not?' " Colangelo said.
There is a formal procedure, based on USA Basketball's constitution, which must be followed, though. Colangelo must be nominated for a spot on the board of directors for the 2013-16 quadrennial, on which Colangelo said he has been assured a spot.
USA Basketball's new board of directors is expected to be named by early 2013, and it then will elect a chairman. Given Colangelo's desire to return and the success of the senior and junior programs, it's unlikely someone else is named chairman.
Since Colangelo joined USA Basketball in 2005 following the men's troubling bronze-medal performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the U.S. men are 62-1 with gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2010 world championship and 2012 London Olympics. The women were in fine shape before Colangelo joined and have continued, winning the past five Olympics gold medals and boasting a 41-game Olympic winning streak.
The USA also is the defending world champion in under-17 and under-18 on the men's side and defending world champion in under-19 and under-17 on the women's side.
"What's important is to maintain the credibility and sustainability of USA Basketball," Colangelo said. "You've got to keep it going. I want to make sure the transition is a seamless transition over a period of time. If someone is there ready to take over after 2016, that's the right timing."
Colangelo, also the chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame, will be in Springfield, Mass., next week for the Hall of Fame inductions and will be in Arizona on Sept. 19-20 for a Hall of Fame golf fundraiser. He said he anticipates discussing the future of USA Basketball with various people at both events.
The first of order of business will be figuring out who will coach the men's team at the 2014 world championship in Spain and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Krzyzewski, who has coached the men's team since 2006, has said he is stepping down as men's coach.
But Colangelo wanted to give Krzyzewski time to think about it after London. Colangelo said he has had one brief phone conversation with Krzyzewski since returning to the USA.
"I want him to come to his own determination one way or the other," Colangelo said. "I don't want to put any pressure on him. I don't want him to feel any pressure. … Once he makes his decision, assuming he won't coach, then there's a position that will be for him with me. I want him alongside me."
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