Stein: Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra Candidates to Replace Gregg Popovich as Team USA HC

Team USA men's basketball is reportedly looking at two of the NBA's best head coaches to replace Gregg Popovich for the next Olympic cycle. 

Per NBA reporter Marc Stein, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr "has emerged as the favorite" to take over for Popovich. 

Stein also noted that Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat is also in the mix, but his lack of experience in international basketball makes him more of a long shot. 

Former NBA All-Star Grant Hill, who took over the position of managing director of USA men's basketball after the Tokyo Olympics, told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated he hopes to have a new coach hired before the start of the 2021-22 NBA season on Oct. 19. 

Spears cited a source as saying that the next head coach would likely be a "current NBA coach with previous USA Basketball experience."

That would certainly seem to favor Kerr, who was an assistant on Popovich's staff for the Tokyo Games. Lloyd Pierce, who is currently an assistant with the Indiana Pacers, and Villanova's Jay Wright were the other assistants. 

Spoelstra did serve as head coach for the Team USA men's select team this summer. The select team trains with the main club to prepare them for the Olympics, but he didn't travel with the top squad to Tokyo. 

There are several other coaches who meet the criteria Spears' cited to replace Popovich. Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan was an assistant for the 2012 team. Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns and Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks were assistants for Mike Krzyzewski in 2016. 

Kerr is entering his ninth season as Warriors head coach. The 56-year-old has led the franchise to three championships in five trips to the NBA Finals. He owns a 376-171 record in 547 games.