Spears: Former Blazers Coach Nate McMillan Will Not Return As USA Basketball Assistant

Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports on Twitter that former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan will not return as an assistant coach for USA Basketball under Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.

Nate McMillan told Y! Sports he wont return to Coach K's bench with @usabasketball. "Be good for someone else to experience it," Nate said.

Spears has more here.

"It was a great experience with Coach K," McMillan said. "Jerry Colangelo did a great job bringing the staff together. They're in a great position and I'm excited about their future. They have to continue to build on what they started. It would be good for someone to experience it. I'm grateful for my six and a half years."

Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated reported earlier this week that Krzyzewski would return as the head coach after previously indicating that he expected to step down from the post.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will be returning as the head coach of USA Basketball for the 2016 Olympics, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. A formal announcement is expected in the next 48 hours.

Krzyzewski led Team USA to gold medals in both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. He had maintained for months that he would not return before reversing course in an interview with SI.com on Saturday.

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Changes are expected to Krzyzewski's staff, which included Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni and former Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan in London. Boeheim said on Saturday that it's "probable" he'll return to coach with Krzyzewski.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that D'Antoni is also out as an assistant.

Former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni has told Mike Krzyzewski he will not be rejoining his new Olympic staff, according to a league source. According to the source, D'Antoni, who now coaches the Lakers, turned down the job as he didn't want to make another four-year commitment because of his family.

D'Antoni has been with Team USA since the 2006 and won two gold medals, including last August in London with his former Knicks players, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.

"He wants to stay married,'' the source said.

McMillan served as an assistant coach dating back to 2006.

Serving 2006-09 and 2010-12 as an assistant coach for USA Basketball's Men's National Teams, former Portland Trail Blazers head coach and former NBA standout Nate McMillan helped resurrect the USA Basketball Men's National Team program.

All together, as a member of the USA National Team program McMillan has aided the U.S. to a remarkable 62-1 record and gold medal finishes at the 2012 London Olympic Games, 2010 FIBA World Championship, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.

The Blazers fired McMillan in March 2012, replacing him with interim coach Kaleb Canales before hiring current coach Terry Stotts in August 2012. McMillan hasn't coached in the NBA since.

So far this offseason, McMillan has interviewed with the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks.

Last summer, McMillan interviewed for the Charlotte Bobcats' job that eventually went to Mike Dunlap, who has since been fired. McMillan interviewed with the Orlando Magic and was reportedly a "top choice" but Jacque Vaughn took over for the fired Stan Van Gundy instead. In November, McMillan was linked to a possible assistant coach's job with the Lakers under D'Antoni, following Mike Brown's dismissal, but that did not materialize. He was linked as a possible candidate to replace the fired Avery Johnson with the Brooklyn Nets, but interim coach P.J. Carlesimo coached out the season before getting the ax.

McMillan holds a career coaching record of 478-452 (.514) over 12 seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics and the Blazers. McMillan posted a 266-269 (.497) record in seven seasons with the Blazers. Portland advanced to the playoffs in 2009, 2010 and 2011 but was eliminated in the first round in all three seasons.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter