Pitt women's basketball coach Suzie McConnell-Serio picked up a nice honor by being named Team USA's U18 head coach for the FIBA Americas Tournament in 2016. The event will take place in Chile in July and the top four teams will receive invitations to the FIBA U19 Championships in 2017.
McConnell-Serio previously helped Team USA to a gold medal in the 2011 World University Games as an assistant coach. She also earned several gold medals playing for Team USA at the Olympics and other events
Pitt coaches have gotten a chance to lead national teams a few times in recent years. Men's basketball head coach Jamie Dixon also lead a Team USA U19 team to a gold medal win at the 2009 FIBA U19 Championships. Volleyball coach Dan Fisher also led Team USA to a gold medal in last year's Pan American Games.
Even though many Americans may not watch these games featuring younger athletes, it's a great experience for the coaching staffs. They get some recognition with younger athletes, pick up some experience by being forced to mold them together relatively quickly, and also get a great resume booster.
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