Courtesy: Associated Press Coach K with LeBron James

Krzyzewski Named 2006 Recipient After Piloting USA To World Championship Bronze

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.  - Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, who in 2006, the first year of a three year assignment to coach the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program, helped resurrect respect and pride in the USA Senior Team, was announced Tuesday as the 2006 recipient of USA Basketball’s National Coach of the Year award. Krzyzewski piloted the U.S. Senior Men to a 2006 World Championship bronze medal and an overall record of 13-1.

“It is a tremendous accomplishment whenever you are chosen as a Coach of the Year by any organization,” said Krzyzewski. “When it comes from USA Basketball, it is even more special. What could be more important than serving your country? I am honored to receive this award and need to thank the 2006 Senior National Team members, from the players to the coaches to the support staff, for all their hard work and dedication over the last year. This is a team accomplishment, not an individual one.”

The 2006 Men’s Senior National Team collected a 5-0 record in its pre-World Championship series of exhibition contests, and the USA Men’s World Championship Team, comprised of 12 USA Senior National Team members, finished 8-1 at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, capturing the bronze medal.

“Mike did an outstanding job directing USA Basketball’s 2006 Men’s World Championship Team,” said USA Basketball Executive Director Jim Tooley. “He has been involved with many USA Basketball teams throughout the years, and he always leaves an imprint of success. This year was no exception as he quickly created a team of which our country could be proud.”

Selected by the USA Basketball Executive Committee as the recipient of the National Coach of the Year award, USA Basketball also nominated Krzyzewski for the U.S. Olympic Committee’s 2006 National Coach of the Year award, which will be announced by the USOC at a later date in 2007.

“At the time we announced Coach K as the 2006-08 USA Basketball Senior National Team’s head coach, I said that he was the ‘right man at the right time.’ After watching him lead our team this summer I’m convinced of that more than ever,” said Jerry Colangelo, Managing Director of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program. “Mike is a born leader and the short time that he took to mold this team together is indicative of his outstanding leadership abilities.”

“I want to congratulate Coach K for this accomplishment,” said Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), the USA’s leading scorer at the World Championship and a tri-captain of the 2006 USA Basketball Senior National Team. “It was a great experience playing for him. I knew he was a great coach before this summer, but playing for him gave me a better appreciation for how good he is and how passionate he is about basketball.”

Members of the 2006-08 USA Senior National Team were: Anthony; Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Shane Battier (Houston Rockets); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics); J.J. Redick (Orlando Magic); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Luke Ridnour (Seattle SuperSonics); Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).

Assisting Krzyzewski along the U.S. sidelines were Syracuse University (N.Y.) and Hall of Fame mentor Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D'Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan. Rudy Tomjanovich, who directed the U.S. to an Olympic gold medal in 2000, served as the team’s Director of Scouting, and Johnny Dawkins (Duke University, N.C.) was the Director of Player Personnel.

Prior to the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the USA cruised to 5-0 record in its series of exhibition games, recording wins over Puerto Rico (114-69) in the State Farm USA Basketball Challenge in Las Vegas, Nev.; China (119-73) and Brazil (90-86) in the China Basketball Challenge in Guangzhou, China; and Lithuania (111-88) and South Korea (116-63) in the World Basketball Challenge in Seoul, South Korea. Averaging 110.0 ppg., the USA outscored its five opponents by an average of 34.2 points a game. Competing in World Championship preliminary group play Aug. 19-24 in Sapporo, Japan, the USA earned a 111-100 victory over Puerto Rico; a 121-90 win over China; a 114-95 decision over Slovenia; a 94-85 hard fought victory over Italy; and closed preliminary play recording a decisive 103-58 win against Senegal. Advancing to the eighth-finals and faced with a win-or-go-home scenario, the USA claimed its sixth straight win with an impressive 113-73 victory over Australia. Moving on to the quarterfinals, the U.S. squad recorded an 85-65 win over Germany. Meeting an undefeated Greek team in semifinals play, the USA gold medal hopes ended when Greece posted a 101-95 victory. Rebounding, the Americans handed 2004 Olympic champion Argentina a 96-81 setback in the World Championship bronze medal game.

The Americans ranked among the top teams in almost every offensive statistical category at the 2006 World Championship, including first in scoring offense (103.6 ppg.), first in field goal percentage (.503), first in assists (18.78 apg.), first in free throws made (182), first in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.74), second in scoring margin (+20.4 ppg.), third in rebounding margin (+5.6 rpg.), fourth in offensive rebounding (13.11 rpg.), fifth in 3-pointers made (82) and seventh in 3-point shooting percentage (.369). On the defensive statistical side, the U.S. squad also ranked first in steals (10.78 spg.), second in turnover margin (+7.44) and second in blocked shots (4.89 bpg.).

Three single game individual marks for the USA team fell, one single game team record was bettered, and the U.S. team set five competition records, including most points scored (797); most field goals made (313) and attempted (641), and most 3-point field goals made (58) and attempted (151). A former captain in the U.S. Army and the head men’s basketball coach at the U.S. Military Academy (N.Y.) between 1975-76 and 1979-80, Krzyzewski and the USA senior national squad embraced USA Basketball’s Hoops For Troops program and made appearances on various military bases and invited troops to practices and scrimmages throughout their training.

U.S. military personnel from Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas and their families were invited to watch the USA scrimmage Puerto Rico on Aug. 2 at the Thomas & Mack Center, and while training in Seoul, Korea, the USA Team held practices at Camp Yongsan on Aug. 14 and Camp Casey on Aug. 16, signing autographs, posing for photos and dining with soldiers after practice. In addition, during the busy World Championship in Japan, members of the U.S. military stationed in Japan were invited to watch the USA squad practice and meet the team at its hotel.

Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001, the 59-year-old Krzyzewski has a remarkable record of achievement at Duke while also boasting of extensive international experience. Including the 2006 competitions, Krzyzewski has now served on 11 USA Basketball coaching staffs that have competed in nine international competitions, compiling a 63-7 mark for an 90.0 winning percentage, while capturing five gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals.

Selected the National Collegiate Coach of the Year 12 times, Coach K has averaged more than 26 wins a season during his 26-year (1980-81 through 2005-06) career at Duke and posted nine 30-win seasons, including 30 or more victories in six of the last nine years. Krzyzewski's nine 30-win seasons are the most by any coach in college basketball history.

Krzyzewski in his 31 years (through the 2005-06 season) of collegiate coaching owns a 753-250 career record and a remarkable 75.1 winning percentage. In 26 seasons (through the 2005-06 season) at the Durham campus, he has logged a spectacular record of 680-191 for a striking 78.1 winning percentage. His 753 victories ranks 11th among the all-time list.

Under Krzyzewski, Duke has captured three national championships (1991, 1992, and 2001) and he has directed teams to 10 Final Fours, the third-most by any coach in NCAA history. Since 1985, Krzyzewski has 68 NCAA Tournament victories, 27 more than the next-closest coach. His 68 NCAA victories stand as the all-time record, and his 87 NCAA tournament games is also the best among active coaches and second to only Dean Smith’s 92 games in the all-time ranking. Owning an amazing 78.2 winning percentage in NCAA Tournament games, he ranks only behind legend John Wooden (47-10/.825 winning percentage) in all-time winning percentage (minimum of 20 NCAA games), while ranking highest among active coaches. 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.

Other previous USA Basketball National Coach of the Year award winners include Gail Goestenkors (2005) of Duke University; Van Chancellor (2004, 2002) of the Houston Comets; Larry Brown (2003, 1999) formerly of the Detroit Pistons; Jim Boeheim (2001) of Syracuse University (N.Y.); Nell Fortner (2000) formerly with USA Basketball; Clem Haskins (1998) formerly of the University of Minnesota; Mo McHone (1997) formerly of the CBA Sioux Falls Skyforce; and Tara VanDerveer (1996) of Stanford University (Calif.).