List of Olympic Coach Candidates Narrowed to Five From the NBA

A 13-member USA Basketball Olympic subcommittee meeting here Monday reduced the number of coaching candidates for the 1992 Games to five in hopes that a selection will be made by March 1.

According to one member of the panel, those who will be interviewed to become the first NBA coach to head the U.S. Olympic team are Chuck Daly of the Detroit Pistons, Don Nelson of the Golden State Warriors, Cotton Fitzsimmons of the Phoenix Suns, Larry Brown of the San Antonio Spurs and Lenny Wilkens of the Cleveland Cavaliers. A second committee member confirmed the list of finalists.

C.M. Newton, athletic director at the University of Kentucky and chairman of the group, would say only: “We are at a delicate point.”

Another NBA coach will be chosen as an assistant, as will two college coaches. Professional basketball players will compete for the first time in the 1992 Games.