U.S. Olympic Head Coaches Anne Donovan And Mike Krzyzewski Share USA Basketball's 2008 National Coach Of The Year Award

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Jan. 15, 2009

USA Basketball today announced that its Board of Directors has chosen U.S. Olympic Team head coaches Anne Donovan and Mike Krzyzewski of Duke University (N.C.) as co-recipients of the 2008 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year award. Donovan and Krzyzewski each piloted their respective USA team to a perfect record in Beijing, securing the USA two Olympic gold medals and automatic berths into the 2010 FIBA World Championship for both the USA men and women.

This is the second such honor for Donovan, who shared the USA Basketball National Coach of the Award with Krzyzewski in 2007 as well. Having also won Olympic gold medals as a player in 1984 and 1988 and as an assistant coach in 2004, Donovan's 2008 medal made her the first person in USA Basketball history to be a part of Olympic gold medal winning teams as both and athlete and head coach.

AI take great pride in the award, but it's certainly not just for me,' Donovan said. 'It's a culmination of a lot of hard work by our players, the assistant coaches and the USA Basketball staff, who stuck through a very difficult three-year period of transition in our Women's National Team program. I feel so full of pride and very blessed about what we accomplished in those three years, but there are a lot of people who have a hand in that trophy.'

Krzyzewski also made USA Basketball history as the first coach to receive the USA Basketball National Coach of the Year title in three consecutive years, having also won the honor in 2006 and 2007.

'I'm very honored, but what this award really recognizes is the commitment, dedication and selflessness of everyone involved with the USA men's team,' Krzyzewski said. 'Our success was achieved through hard work and teamwork. Everyone - Managing Director Jerry Colangelo, my coaching staff - Jim Boeheim, Mike D'Antoni and Nate McMillan - the support staff, and, of course, the players, had a hand in helping the team win Olympic gold. As

I've said previously, we were blessed to have many of the world's best basketball players, and they not only played with great intensity and teamwork, but also represented the United States in a manner that made everyone proud. I also congratulate Anne Donovan with whom I share this year's award. Coach Donovan did a tremendous job with the women's Olympic team and in a short amount of preparation time, molded the women into a true gold medal team.'

The 2008 Women's National Team captured the USA's fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal, making it the first traditional women's team sport to do so in Olympic history, while the USA men reclaimed the No. 1 spot after an eight-year absence atop the podium in major international competitions.

'Anne and Mike have both been involved with USA Basketball for a number of years. Their time and commitment to our organization, especially over the past three years, has been extraordinary. It is only fitting that their efforts resulted in two gold medals,' said USA Basketball Executive Director Jim Tooley. 'USA Basketball is extremely grateful for their leadership, knowledge and hard work that have led to great success for USA Basketball.'

USA Basketball also will nominate Donovan and Krzyzewski for the U.S. Olympic Committee's 2008 National Coach of the Year award, which is expected to be announced in the Spring of 2009.

'Congratulations to Anne. She sacrificed time, put in the effort of a three-year commitment, dealing with the training, dealing with some of us being there, some of us not, all the changes, all the ups and downs,' said Katie Smith, three-time Olympic gold medalist. AIt was nice, from my perspective at least, to have that consistency with the coaches and especially Anne. She put in her system and we knew how we were going to get things done, how to use our talents. That consistency really helped throughout the last couple years. Anne not only has a passion for the game of basketball itself, she really has a passion for USA Basketball because of her history, understanding how hard it is. There's also her pride and excitement of representing her country, going out there and leaving it all on the floor. She really did all that, and it showed throughout the Olympics and especially in the gold medal game.'

'Coach K was the perfect fit for the USA Senior National Team,' said USA men's player LeBron James. 'He challenged us to perfection, allowed us to have freedom and just play the game of basketball and have fun. All of this helped bring home the gold medal.'

USA Basketball's National 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); Van Chancellor (2004, 2002); Larry Brown (2003, 1999); Jim Boeheim (2001); Nell Fortner (2000); Clem Haskins (1998); Mo McHone (1997); and Tara VanDerveer (1996).

Anne Donovan (center) has tallied a 132-10 overall record as a USA head and assistant coach. (Garrett Ellwood / NBAE / Getty Images)

Since her first coaching assignment in 1997, USA Basketball teams with Donovan on the sidelines have racked up an impressive 132-10 record for a sterling 93.0 winning percentage.

In the year of 2008, Donovan led three USA teams to a 17-2 overall tally, including an 8-0 record in the Beijing Olympics; a 3-0 slate at the pre-Olympic FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament in Haining, China; a 4-2 slate and silver medal at the Good Luck Beijing Tournament in April; and two wins over professional teams in a March Tour of Spain.

In addition to her 2008 accomplishments, Donovan headed the USA to a 5-0 record and gold medal at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship and an 8-1 record and bronze medal at the 2006 World Championship.

As an assistant coach, she has collected a 75-4 record (94.9 winning percentage) and helped the USA to gold medals at the 2004 Olympics and 1998 and 2002 World Championship, as well as the 2002 Opals World Challenge title, a silver medal at the 1997 World Championship Qualifier and 12-1 exhibition records in both 1997 and 1998.

Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995 and into the Women=s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, Donovan has been a player on a remarkable 11 USA Basketball teams and is one of the most decorated players in USA Basketball history. She won gold as a member of the 1984 and 1988 U.S. Olympic Teams, 1983 and 1987 Pan American Games Teams, 1986 World Championship Team and the 1978 and 1979 U.S. Olympic Festival East Team. Additionally, she won silver medals at the 1983 World Championship and 1981 World University Games and helped the USA place fifth in the 1977 R. William Jones Cup.

Overall, Krzyzewski has seven gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals as a USA coach. (Noah Graham / NBAE / Getty Images)

Krzyzewski, who was announced as the 2006-08 USA Men's Senior National Team head coach on Oct. 28, 2005, has been a USA Basketball head or assistant coach for 11 international competitions, and has tallied an 86-7 overall record for a 92.5 winning percentage. Overall, he has seven gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals to his credit.

In 2008, Krzyzewski tallied a 13-0 record, including his 8-0 slate in the Olympics and a 5-0 record in exhibition play in the weeks leading up to the Olympics.

Prior to his 2008 Olympic gold medal, Krzyzewski led the USA team to a gold medal and 10-0 record at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, which also secured a berth into the 2008 Olympics for the United States men; a bronze medal and 8-1 record at the 2006 FIBA World Championship; a 5-0 pre-Worlds exhibition slate in 2006; a bronze medal at the 1990 World Championship; silver medals at the 1990 Goodwill Games and 1987 World University Games; and a gold medal at the 1983 U.S. Olympic Festival with the USA South Team.

As a USA Basketball assistant coach, Krzyzewski helped the USA to gold medals with the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team, the 1992 U.S. Olympic Qualifying Team and the 1979 Pan American Games Team. He also served as a Special Assistant with the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team that collected gold with a perfect 8-0 mark.

Krzyzewski also has been extensively involved in USA Basketball's selection committees. He was a member of USA Basketball's 1989-92 Games Committee for Men, the 1989-92 Men's Olympic Team Subset and 1989-92 Men's National Team Subset. He served as chairman of the 1993-96 USA Basketball Select Team Committee and was part of the 1997-2000 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team committee.

Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001, the 61-year-old Krzyzewski has a remarkable record of achievement in college basketball.

Selected the National Collegiate Coach of the Year 12 times in eight different seasons, he has averaged 26.1 wins per season during his 28-year (1980-81 through 2007-08) career at Duke. Krzyzewski's nine 30-win seasons are the most in college basketball history.

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. His 69 NCAA victories stand as the all-time record, and his 90 NCAA Tournament games is second to only Dean Smith's 92 games in the all-time ranking. Owning an amazing 76.6 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 40 NCAA games), while ranking highest among active coaches.

Entering the 2008-09 season, Coach K owned an 803-267 career record in 33 years as a head college basketball coach, while attaining a 730-208 mark in 28 seasons in Durham for a remarkable 77.8 winning percentage. His 2008-09 Blue Devils are off to a 15-1 start (as of Jan.15).

USA Basketball

Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the United States by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some national competitions.