Boise State coach Leon Rice ‘humbled’ to serve as USA Basketball assistant coach
Boise State men’s basketball coach Leon Rice is going to have a busy summer.
In addition to his usual duties with the Broncos, Rice was named an assistant coach for the USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team on Friday. The team is scheduled to compete this summer at the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Men’s Championship.
“It’s an incredible honor to be able to serve as a coach with USA Basketball,” Rice said in a news release. “I’m looking forward to coaching alongside two of the best coaches in college basketball and mentoring some of the rising stars in our game. It will be an amazing experience, and I am humbled by the opportunity.”
Rice is part of a USA Basketball staff that includes Colorado coach Tad Boyle and Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton Jr., who will serve as head coach and assistant coach, respectively. Assisting as court coaches during training camp, aiding in on-court skills and drills, are coaches Matt Langel (Colgate), Rob Lanier (SMU) and Tommy Lloyd (Arizona).
The coaching selections were made by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee.
Dates and location of the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship will be announced at a later date. The team will first convene in Houston for a training camp, prior to the event. The U.S. finished first in the 2018 FIBA U18 Americas Championship and has won gold at nine of 11 FIBA Americas U18 Championships held since the event’s inception in 1990.
Rice is the winningest coach in Boise State men’s basketball history and has led the Broncos to seven postseason appearances and nine 20-win seasons in his 12 years at the helm. This past season, the Broncos won both the Mountain West regular-season and tournament championships while setting program records for total wins (27), conference wins (15) and consecutive wins (14). Rice was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year as the Broncos earned a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
