Key Highlights
- J.B. Bickerstaff, Mark Daigneault and Mark Few have been appointed as assistant coaches for the USA Men's National Team.
- The trio will work alongside head coach Erik Spoelstra during the 2027 FIBA Men's World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
- Grant Hill selected the coaching staff, with appointments approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.
- Mark Few returns with extensive USA Basketball experience, while Bickerstaff begins his first national team coaching assignment.
USA Basketball Unveils Erik Spoelstra's Coaching Staff
USA Basketball has officially announced the assistant coaches who will join head coach Erik Spoelstra for the next international basketball cycle.
J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons), Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Mark Few (Gonzaga University) will serve as assistant coaches for the USA Men's National Team during the 2027 FIBA Men's World Cup, the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, and the USA Basketball Showcase games leading into both tournaments.
Grant Hill Praises New Coaching Team
The coaching staff was selected by USA Basketball Men's National Team managing director Grant Hill and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors. Grant Hill expressed confidence that the newly assembled coaching staff has the experience and leadership needed to continue Team USA's success on the international stage.
Hill highlighted Mark Few's Hall of Fame coaching career and extensive USA Basketball experience, while praising both J.B. Bickerstaff and Mark Daigneault as proven NBA leaders capable of making significant contributions alongside Erik Spoelstra.
Experienced Coaches Bring Winning Pedigrees
Mark Few returns to the national team after serving as an assistant under Steve Kerr during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where Team USA captured its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal, and at the 2023 FIBA Men's World Cup in Manila.
Few has been part of the USA Basketball program since 2009, serving in multiple coaching roles over the years. His international résumé includes a bronze medal as head coach of the 2015 USA Men's Pan American Games Team and a gold medal as an assistant coach with the 2012 USA U18 National Team.
At Gonzaga, Few has built one of college basketball's most successful programs. Since becoming head coach in 1999, he has guided the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament every season, reached the national championship game in 2017 and 2021, won 21 West Coast Conference Tournament titles and shared 23 regular-season conference championships. Few is also a 2026 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee.
Bickerstaff and Daigneault Earn First Senior Team Roles
J.B. Bickerstaff will take on his first USA Basketball assignment after establishing himself as one of the NBA's top coaches. After becoming head coach of the Detroit Pistons in 2024, Bickerstaff led the franchise to a 60-22 record in his second season and an appearance in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He previously guided the Cleveland Cavaliers to the conference semifinals in 2024 and was named the 2026 National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year while also coaching the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.
Mark Daigneault also joins the senior national team coaching staff after building an impressive résumé with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since becoming Thunder head coach in 2020, Daigneault has led the team to the 2025 NBA championship.
In 2026, Oklahoma City posted the league's best regular-season record at 64-18 before reaching the Western Conference Finals. He was previously named both the NBA Coach of the Year and NBCA Coach of the Year in 2024. Daigneault also has prior USA Basketball experience, serving as video coordinator for the gold medal-winning USA U19 team in 2013 and the USA U18 team in 2014 under Billy Donovan.
Team USA Looks Ahead to 2027 and 2028
The next major challenge for Team USA will be the 2027 FIBA Men's World Cup, scheduled for Aug. 27 to Sept. 12, 2027, in Doha, Qatar. The United States is currently competing in the qualification process, with Window 4 set for Aug. 26–31.
Attention will then turn to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, which will take place from July 14 to July 30, 2028. The Games will mark the first Summer Olympics held in the United States since 2002 and Los Angeles' third time hosting after 1932 and 1984.
New Assistants Excited to Represent Team USA
All three newly appointed assistant coaches expressed their gratitude after the announcement. Bickerstaff called it an honour to join the USA Basketball Men's National Team coaching staff and said he looks forward to helping continue the program's legacy of excellence alongside Erik Spoelstra.
Daigneault described the appointment as a privilege and said he is eager to contribute to Team USA's continued success while learning from Spoelstra and the rest of the coaching staff.
Few, returning for another international cycle, said representing the United States is "the highest calling" for a basketball coach. He added that he is humbled to return and excited to once again work alongside Spoelstra, describing the camaraderie that comes with representing the country as an unforgettable experience.
