Krzyzewski Honored As USA Basketball 2007 Co-National Coach Of The Year

DURHAM, N.C. ? Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was named co-recipient of the 2007 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year Award along with USA Women's Senior National Team head coach Anne Donovan, USA Basketball announced on Thursday. Krzyzewski piloted the USA national team to the FIBA Americas Championship gold medal and qualified them for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“USA Basketball is an outstanding leader in the international basketball community and I am honored to be recognized by the organization,” Krzyzewski said. “Of course, it is on behalf of my assistant coaches, players and staff that I accept such an honor. Obviously, no coach can take full credit for a team's success, and I am blessed to have many of the world's best basketball players and an incredibly knowledgeable, dedicated and hard-working staff. Coaching this team has been a joy, I look forward to fielding a team that again in 2008 that will make all Americans very proud.”

Selected by the USA Basketball Executive Committee as the co-recipients of the National Coach of the Year award, Donovan and Krzyzewski are now eligible for the U.S. Olympic Committee's 2007 National Coach of the Year Award, which is expected to be announced in the spring of 2008.

Krzyzewski led the 2007 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team at the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas, Nev., to a sparkling 10-0 record, the gold medal and to one of the FIBA Americas zone's two qualifying berths for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In winning 10 games in 12 days, USA averaged 116.7 points per game, the most by a USA men's senior national team since the 1994 USA World Championship Team averaged 120.1 points per game. The USA also defeated its opponents by an average of 39.5 points per game, the largest margin of victory by a USA senior squad since the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team defeated its opponents by 43.8 points a contest.

The USA led the FIBA Americas Championship overall team statistical rankings in 13 of the 17 categories. The USA shot 58.7 percent from the field, 47.0 percent from three-point and 72.0 percent from the foul line. The USA men averaged 59.7 points by halftime of its games and its average lead at halftime was 23.0 points. Unselfish on the court, an astounding 61.7 percent of Coach K's squad's made field goals were assisted on. The 2007 squad rewrote eight USA team records for Olympic qualifying action and added a pair of single game marks, while USA players wrote themselves into eight single game records and four competition records.

“With Mike at the helm, the USA Basketball Senior National Team continued to make outstanding progression. Our team in 2007 was older and had several different players and Mike and his assistant coaches managed to quickly bring these players together to play spectacularly, and to do so unselfishly and as a very cohesive team,” said USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo. “The result of Mike's efforts was a team that played at the top of its game every night. Under Coach K the USA team has made significant strides over the course of its training and competitions and has done so in a manner that has continued to get positive recognition from opponents and fans alike.”

“I want to congratulate Coach K for being selected for this award,” said Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets), the 2007 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year and member of the USA Senior National Team. “It was an honor and pleasure to play for him this past summer, and I look forward to a similar experience in Beijing.”

USA Basketball's Coach of the Year award was established in 1996 to recognize a USA Basketball head coach who, during the year of the award, made significant impact on the success of individual athlete and team performance at the highest level of competition.

Krzyzewski was also the recipient of the award in 2006 and by earning the award again in 2007, becomes one of three individuals to garner the award twice. Other USA Basketball National Coach of the Year award winners include Gail Goestenkors (2005); Van Chancellor (2004, 2002); Larry Brown (2003, 1999); Jim Boeheim (2001); Nell Fortner; Clem Haskins (1998); Mo McHone (1997); and Tara VanDerveer (1996).

Krzyzewski was assisted in 2007 by Syracuse University's Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni and Portland Trailblazers head coach Nate McMillan.

The 2007 USA Men's FIBA Americas Championship Team included: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Tyson Chandler (New Orleans Hornets); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets); Mike Miller (Memphis Grizzlies); Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Amar? Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz).

Also listed on the 2006-08 USA Men's Senior National Team roster are: Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Shane Battier (Houston Rockets); Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Nick Collison (Seattle SuperSonics); Kevin Durant (Seattle SuperSonics); Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats); Greg Oden (Portland Trail Blazers); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics); J.J. Redick (Orlando Magic); Luke Ridnour (Seattle SuperSonics); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).

Krzyzewski was announced as the 2006-08 USA Men's Senior National Team head coach on Oct. 28, 2005, and has been a USA head or assistant coach for 11 international competitions, tallying a 73-7 overall record for a 91.3 winning percentage. Overall, he has six gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals to his credit.

A head coach of six USA Basketball teams, in addition to his 2007 gold medal, Krzyzewski has led USA Basketball teams to a bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship; a bronze medal at the 1990 FIBA World Championship; a silver medal at the 1990 Goodwill Games, a silver medal at the 1987 World University Games; and he directed the USA South Team to a gold medal at the 1983 U.S. Olympic Festival.

As an assistant coach, Krzyzewski helped the USA to gold medals at the 1984 and 1992 Olympics, the 1992 U.S. Olympic Qualifying Team and the 1979 Pan American Games Team.

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Krzyzewski Honored As USA Basketball 2007 Co-National Coach Of The Year

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