Colangelo concerned about Coach K's health, considering replacements for Olympics

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo is concerned about the health of Mike Krzyzewski, who has been the program's head coach since 2005.

The 69-year-old Krzyzewski, who's also coached Duke since 1980, missed the Blue Devils' Feb. 2 game against Georgia Tech while in the cardiac wing of a hospital in Durham, N.C.

Though Krzyzewksi has returned to Duke's sideline and coached seemingly without issue for each of the four games since, Colangelo told NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper that he's been privately considering potential replacements in the event Krzyzewski proves unable to coach in this summer's Rio Olympics.

"I'm always concerned about people I love, and I love Coach K," Colangelo said. "You've heard my expression, 'We're joined at the hip and have been ever since we joined together back in '05.' I am concerned about his health. I told him on the phone (recently) nothing is more important than his health. Not Duke basketball. Not USA Basketball. I hope and I pray that he can take care of his situations, whatever they may be, and that he's healthy and ready to go."

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was tabbed as Krzyzewski's Team USA successor back in October. Though he isn't set to take over until 2017, Popovich could theoretically start his tenure early if necessary.

But Colangelo, despite acknowledging that he has a contingency plan, isn't ready to talk about the specifics.

"We're not at that stage at all," he said. "I do know that his intention is the day after his Duke season is over is to have his knee replaced. It's killing him right now. But that's just one facet of his health circumstances. We'll cross that bridge. Certainly in the back of my mind I'm thinking about what ifs. But it would be, I think, inappropriate and out of place to even discuss it."