Warriors' Steve Kerr Reveals He Won't Coach Team USA After Paris 2024 Summer Olympics

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will step down from his position as head coach of the United States men's national basketball team after the 2024 Summer Olympics.

"To me, it's a two-year; it's a cycle," he said to The Athletic's Joe Vardon. "Pop coached a World Cup and the Olympics, now it's my turn to pass the baton. I think that's kind of how it should be. Frankly, it's a huge commitment too."

Walking away after the Olympics would allow Kerr to end his tenure on a high if Team USA can win a fifth straight gold medal. Conversely, a failure to finish atop the podium would be an ignominious conclusion to Kerr's run given the squad's disappointing showing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The United States didn't even medal, losing to Canada in overtime of the third-place game.

In the wake of the World Cup, it's difficult to find an American star who hasn't signaled a desire to suit up for the Olympics. Even Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid threw his name into the mix, selecting Team USA over France and Cameroon.

Kerr told Vardon that "the conversation is coming over the next couple of months" when it comes to narrowing the pool of players in contention for the Olympics.

"We'd like to have a roster set sooner rather than later," he said. "We don't have a date, but, you know, obviously, we don't want to leave guys in limbo."

When it comes to his approach to national team duty, Kerr's mindset might align with what's required long term of USA Basketball. He cited Mike Krzyzewski has having helped reestablish the culture within Team USA and making it something to which players were committed.

While it's true the United States didn't take its best squad to the World Cup, the rest of the world has closed the gap. It may not be as simple as throwing the best players out there and watching them dominate the competition.

Team USA would benefit from the continuity other countries enjoy because their players have spent multiple tournaments together and in some cases come up through the youth ranks with one another.

When weighing the candidates to succeed Kerr, identifying coaches who are prepared to work through multiple Olympic cycles with a lot of the same players might be the way to go.