PUR – Ex-Wake Forest, South Carolina boss Odom meets Puerto Rico about national team coaching job

SAN JUAN (FIBA Americas Championship) - Puerto Rico had wanted Louisville Cardinals coach Rick Pitino to lead the national team at the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship but NCAA rules got in the way.

Now the Puerto Ricans have opened talks with a former coach in the American college game, ex-Wake Forest and South Carolina boss Dave Odom.

The 68-year-old, who retired from the game in 2008, coached San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan while at Wake Forest.

He was also the coach of South Carolina’s Puerto Rico international Renaldo Balkman when the New York Knicks forward played for the Gamecocks.

Odom flew to the Caribbean island to meet with Puerto Rican basketball officials this week.

"I believe this is a great opportunity," Odom said. "It would be a great challenge for me."

Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, the long-time Duke University boss who led the Blue Devils against Odom's Wake Forest teams from 1989-2001, spoke to the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation and recommended his former adversary for the post.

"Puerto Rico is a country that adores its national team,” Odom said.

“There is an incredible passion for basketball and there is a desire to make it to the Olympics.

"If I was going to coach a team in FIBA, it would be a country like Puerto Rico for those reasons.”

Puerto Rico Basketball Federation president Carlos Beltran did not say Odom was a certainty for the job, but explained what was going to be expected of the man who is ultimately named coach.

"We want the one chosen to come to Puerto Rico in June and remain here to work individually and then to try and plan his work with the assistant coaches that are selected," he said.

"I have a house in South Carolina and I would not leave it unless I found a better place," Odom said.

"Puerto Rico fits that requirement.

"For sure, I would see the BSN (Puerto Rican) play-offs in June and begin to evaluate talent."

Pitino had agreed to coach Puerto Rico but needed to work out with his Louisville team at the same time.

The NCAA would not allow the team to train in another US state or territory, which Puerto Rico is.

Puerto Rico decided to pull the plug on their agreement and consider other candidates.

If Puerto Rico were to reach the Final of the FIBA Americas Championship, they would qualify automatically for the London Olympics.

FIBA