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Livingston Named Court Coach for Team USA Men's Pan Am Games

September 21, 2011 - NBA G League (G League)
Idaho Stampede News Release


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 21, 2011) -- The 2011 Pan American Games men's basketball coaching staff was completed today with the naming of Jermaine Byrd of the NBA Development League Tulsa 66ers as the second USA assistant coach. USA Basketball also announced that NBA D-League Austin Toros head coach Brad Jones and Idaho Stampede head coach Randy Livingston will serve as court coaches during the USA's Oct. 14-22 training camp. USA Basketball announced on July 27 that the 2011 USA Men's Pan American Games Team roster would be comprised of coaches and players from the NBA Development League. Tulsa 66ers head coach Nate Tibbetts will serve as the USA's head coach and 66ers assistant coach Dale Osbourne was named an assistant coach.

The coaching staff selections were made by the USA Basketball Men's Pan American Games Committee, approved by USA Basketball's Board of Directors and are subject to final approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer.

The Pan American Games Committee, chaired by USA Basketball Men's National Team Director Sean Ford, is charged with the coach and player selections for the 2011 USA Pan American Games squad.

The Pan American Games, held every four years in the year prior to the Olympics, are being held Oct. 13-30 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The men's basketball competition, which features eight teams, is being conducted Oct. 26-30.

The USA men were drawn into Group B for the Pan American Games and are joined by national teams from Brazil, Dominican Republic and Uruguay. Competing in Group A are Argentina, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The men's basketball preliminary round play is scheduled for Oct. 26-28, semifinals action will be played Oct. 29, and the finals will be contested on Oct. 30. The game schedule is TBA.

Training camp for the 2011 USA Basketball Men's Pan American Games Team will held Oct. 14-22 at the Tulsa Convention Center. The 12-member USA Men's Pan American Games Team will be announced before the team departs for the competition in Mexico on Oct. 23. The list of athletes participating in the USA Team training camp will be announced at a later date.

In addition to Ford, the 2011 USA Basketball Men's Pan American Games Committee is comprised of Tibbetts, 2000 Olympic gold medalist Steve Smith, NBA Development League Vice President of Basketball Operations & Player Personnel Chris Alpert, and NBA Development League consultant Gordon Chiesa.

Jermaine Byrd

"It is a privilege to be chosen to represent the Tulsa 66ers and Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2011 Pan American Games alongside Coach Nate Tibbetts and Dale Osbourne," said Byrd. "We are looking forward to getting started and assembling a team that everyone will be proud of."

Byrd concluded in 2010-11 his first season as video coordinator for the Tulsa 66ers after serving as the team's basketball operations assistant during the 2009-10 season.

Prior to his arrival in Tulsa, Byrd served as the Director of Basketball Operations for the University of Houston women's basketball program from 2006-08, and began his coaching experience at the University of Sioux Falls as a student assistant coach for the women's basketball team during the 2005-06 season.

A four year starter for the S.P. Waltrip High School (Houston, Texas) varsity basketball team, Byrd attended Richland Community College (Texas) for two years and was a member of the 2001-02 team that finished third in the NJCAA national championship and was captain of the 2002-03 Richland team that placed fifth in the NJCAA championship.

Byrd went on to play two seasons for the University of Sioux Falls, where in 2003-04 he helped lead the team to a 26-12 record and its first NAIA Final Four appearance in school history. Assisting at Sioux Falls that season was Tibbetts, the current Tulsa 66ers and 2011 USA Pan American Games head coach. Playing and starting 13 games after becoming eligible mid-season, Byrd averaged 10.9 ppg., 2.7 rpg., 6.1 apg. and 1.4 spg. The following season, 2004-05, he was named GPAC All-Conference second team after leading the conference in assists. In 31 games for the Cougars, he recorded 14.0 ppg., 3.7 rpg., 4.1 apg., and made a team high 41 3-pointers as the team finished with a 20-11 record.

Brad Jones

"I'm excited for the opportunity to work with such great coaches and players as they prepare to represent USA in the Pan American Games," said Jones.

Jones, who was hired on Sept., 28, 2010, as the head coach of the Austin Toros, guided the team to a 22-28 win-loss record in 2010-11.

Jones spent three seasons (2007-08 through 2009-10) as the head coach of the Utah Flash. As a NBA D-League expansion team the Flash enjoyed a successful inaugural campaign under Jones, finishing the 2007-08 season with a 24-26 mark. During the 2008-09 season the Flash posted a 32-18 record and advanced to the 2009 NBA D-League Finals. In 2009-10, year three for Jones, Utah posted a 28-22 record and made a second straight playoff appearance.

Prior to joining the Flash, Jones served as a regional scout for the Utah Jazz for six years.

A 1990 graduate of Lambuth University (Tenn.), as a senior at Lambuth he was the captain of the basketball team and was named the school's Male Athlete of the Year and the Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Jones served as the head coach at Lambuth from 1995-2001. During his tenure he was twice named the Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year and led the school to a pair of conference championships. He was inducted into the Lambuth Hall of Fame in April of 2010.

Randy Livingston

"I'm thrilled to assist USA Basketball as a court coach," Livingston said. "The Pan American Games should be a wonderful opportunity for this team to show the NBA D-League has some of the best players in the world. I'm more than glad to help in any way."

Livingston in 2011-12 enters his second year as head coach of the Idaho Stampede after leading the Stampede to a 24-26 record in 2010-11. The Stampede's all-time leader in points, games played, assists and steals helped the team finish the season on a 22-13 run.

Livingston, who served as an assistant coach for the Stampede during the 2008-09 season and was an assistant with the Maine Red Claws in 2009-10, is the only player to have his jersey retired and a day named in his honor in the history of the Idaho Stampede franchise. He also became the first player in NBA D-League history to have moved from player to assistant coach, and to a head coach.

He retired as a player after helping lead the Stampede to the 2008 NBA D-League Championship following a five-year career with the team. He currently holds the Stampede records for all-time assists (1,517), points scored (2,428) and games played (163) over the course of his career that spanned the Stampede's time with the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association as well as the NBA D-League. He also spent time with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, then in the CBA, and Gary Steelheads. Livingston was a member of the 2003-04 CBA All-League second team and the 2006-07 All-NBA D-League first team. He was also named the NBA D-League's Most Valuable Player for the 2006-07 season. In addition to his successful minor league basketball career, Livingston was called up to the NBA 19 times during his tenure.

Selected in the second round as the 42nd overall pick by the Houston Rockets, Livingston played 12 seasons in the NBA, playing with the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, and the Seattle SuperSonics. Livingston also spent some time in the Turkish basketball league playing for Galatasaray.

Livingston was co-national player of the year in 1992 and again as a senior in 1993, and was named the 1993 Gatorade National Player of the Year and the Naismith National Player of the Year. He attended Louisiana State University, although injuries limited the point guard to just 29 games before declaring for the 1996 NBA Draft.

Livingston boasts of prior USA Basketball experience as a player and was a member of the U.S. East team that finished 3-1 and claimed a silver medal at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Festival.

USA Men In The Pan American Games

The Pan American Games are organized by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) and are a multi-sport competition open to men and women representing countries from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

Comprised of college players, the USA men in the 2007 Pan Ams dropped their first two games and then reeled off three consecutive wins to finish 3-2 and in fifth place. The American men have earned a medal in 12 of their 15 Pan Am Games appearances, including a record eight golds, as well as three silvers and one bronze. The U.S. men currently own an 84-13 (.866 winning percentage) all-time mark at the Pan Am Games.

Held since 1951, the USA dominated the first five Pan Am Games, earning five consecutive golds. At the 1971 Pan Ams, despite a record of 2-1 in the preliminary round, the USA did not advance to the medal round and for the first time in Pan American history did not win the gold medal. However, the United States rebounded for a 26-0 record over the next three Pan Am Games and captured its last Pan Am gold in 1983. The gold medal has eluded U.S. teams the past six Pan American Games as the Americans have earned three silvers and a bronze medal.

Many USA Basketball athletes who have been selected to a Pan American Games team have gone on to compete in the Olympic Games, while many others enjoyed stellar professional careers. In all, 34 USA Pan Am basketball players have also been a member of a U.S. Olympic squad, including Ernie Grunfeld, Grant Hill, Luscious Jackson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Danny Manning, Chris Mullin, Emeka Okafor, Sam Perkins, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Isiah Thomas, Jerry West and Jo Jo White.

While the list of former Pan American Games players is impressive, the list of head coaches is even more striking. The list of head coaches of USA Pan American Games teams includes Jay Wright (2007), Tom Izzo (2003), Mo McHone (1999); Mike Thibault (1995); Gene Keady (1991); Denny Crum (1987); Jack Hartman (1983); Bob Knight (1979); Marv Harshman (1975); Jim Gudger (1971) Hal Fischer (1967); Garland Pinholster (1963); Fred Schaus (1959); Lt. Norman Pilgrim (1955); and Hal Fischer and John Longfellow (1951).

USA Basketball

Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the United States by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some national competitions.

Since 2008, USA Basketball men's and women's teams have compiled a sterling 134-6 win-loss record in FIBA or FIBA Americas competitions. USA teams are the current men's and women's champions of the Olympics and the FIBA World Championships; FIBA women's U19 world champions; the men's and women's title holders for the FIBA U17 World Championships; and the men's and women's U18 and U16 FIBA Americas champions. USA Basketball currently ranks No. 1 in all five of FIBA's world ranking categories, including combined, men's, women's, boys and girls.

For further information about USA Basketball, go to the official Web site of USA Basketball at www.usabasketball.com and connect with us on facebook.com/usabasketball, twitter.com/usabasketball and www.youtube.com/therealusabasketball.

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