COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Dec. 18, 2023) – Longtime NBA coach Dave Joerger will serve as head coach of the February 2024 USA AmeriCup Qualifying Team with Jerome Allen and Melvin Hunt serving as assistant coaches, USA Basketball announced Monday.
The USA will hold a training camp Feb. 16-21 in Orlando, Florida, before playing Cuba in the United States (location to be announced) on Feb. 22. The Americans will then travel to Havana to face the Cubans on Feb. 25. The AmeriCup Qualifying window is the first of three in preparation for the 2025 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup.
"It is an honor to represent our country as a part of USA Basketball," said Joerger. "I am looking forward to working with our staff and players as we begin the process to qualify for the 2025 FIBA Men's AmeriCup. This is an amazing but challenging opportunity to prepare our team for an international competition. Coaching and playing for your country is a privilege, so we will do everything we can to win these games."
Joerger, who will serve his first USA Basketball assignment, has over 25 years of coaching experience, including six years as an NBA head coach. In addition to his head coaching tenures with the Memphis Grizzlies (2013-16) and Sacramento Kings (2016-19), Joerger was an assistant for the Grizzles (2007-13) and Philadelphia 76ers (2020-23), as well as a head coach for four NBA G League affiliates.
Allen, who most recently was an assistant for the Boston Celtics (2015-21) and Detroit Pistons (2021-23), brings 14 years of collegiate and NBA coaching experience to the staff. Prior to his most recent stint in the NBA, he spent five seasons as the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania (2009-15). While Allen will also be making his USA Basketball coaching debut, he earned a bronze medal with the USA at the 1994 Goodwill Games.
Hunt has experience with six different NBA franchises in a career that has spanned over 20 years. After starting his career with the Houston Rockets (2002-04), Hunt had stints with the Los Angeles Lakers (2004-05), Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-2010) and Denver Nuggets (2010-15), before most recently serving as an assistant for the Atlanta Hawks (2018-21) and Dallas Mavericks (2015-18). Hunt was a court coach at the 2019 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team July Minicamp.
Sydney Johnson, who has experience with multiple USA Basketball teams, will be serving as an assistant coach/scout, a role he has performed in previous windows. Recently, Johnson was an assistant coach for the 2021-23 USA Men’s World Cup Qualifying Window 6. He’s also led multiple USA Basketball 3x3 teams abroad, including the U23 World Cup and U23 Nation’s League teams. Johnson led Princeton University (2007-11) for four seasons, including an NCAA tournament berth, before leading Fairfield University (2011-19) for eight seasons.
USA Basketball will square off with Puerto Rico, Bahamas and Cuba in three FIBA Men’s AmeriCup Qualifying windows.
FIBA AmeriCup Qualifying consists of 16 teams distributed into four, four-team groups. Each team will play each opponent in their group twice, once at home and once away, during three windows which will take place in Feb. 19-27, 2024; Nov. 18-26, 2024; and Feb. 17-25, 2025. The top three teams in each group (12 in total) will qualify for the 2025 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup (date and location TBA).
The U.S. is 6-0 all time in FIBA AmeriCup Qualifying, going undefeated in 2020-21. The Americans have won the Men’s AmeriCup seven times, most recently in 2017. The USA won bronze in 2022.
More information, including location and ticket information of the first game, and team rosters will be available at a later date.