Collins not opposed to coaching Olympic team

Doug Collins, who on Sunday received the endorsement of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers to succeed Mike Krzyzewski as coach of the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team, said Wednesday he would not be averse to accepting such a role.

“Obviously anybody would be interested in coaching the U.S. Olympic team,” Collins said at a news conference introducing the Sixers’ newest additions, Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson. “But from my standpoint I’ve never really gone out and lobbied or anything like that. The Olympics run deep with me.”

Collins played for the 1972 U.S. team, which lost the gold-medal game in controversial fashion to the Soviet Union in Munich. He has served as a television analyst for men’s basketball at the last four Olympics. That includes the just-concluded Games in London, which saw the U.S. win its second straight gold medal under Krzyzewski.

Krzyzewski, the longtime Duke coach, told reporters after Sunday’s gold-medal victory over Spain that he was stepping aside as national coach. Rivers, who, like his close friend Collins worked the Games for NBC, has been mentioned as a possible successor, as has San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

But Rivers told CSNNE.com that Collins would be a better choice (see story).

“And there’s a reason – ’72,” Rivers told the Web site.

Collins also mentioned Popovich and Rivers as worthy successors, while adding that there are a great many coaches “that would love to do it.”

“If my name would get in the mix,” he said, “that would be great.”

Rivers also told CSN New England that if he were named head coach, he would want to have Collins as one of his assistants.